Apple's iPhone 17 Pro is in the spotlight for two very different reasons: a bold thermal design and some eyebrow-raising durability quirks. iFixit's comprehensive teardown analysis takes us inside the hardware, showing why Apple made its first return to aluminum in eight years, and how the new cooling system and the so-called "scratchgate" can both be true at once.
The result is a clear picture of how specific design choices lead to real performance gains, along with real-world trade-offs you can see the moment you unbox the phone.
What this means for iPhone 17 Pro owners
Taken together, the teardown makes a clear statement, thermal performance comes first, and Apple is fine living with the fallout. The vapor chamber is not just a spec sheet win, it shows up during real use.
Power users get the biggest boost. Heavy gaming, ProRes capture, AR apps, long editing sessions, they hold steady without the familiar dip in clocks. Pair that with all three rear cameras now featuring 48-megapixel sensors, and you can shoot extended 4K ProRes without the phone cooking itself and pulling back quality.
Scratching is a different kind of problem. While the damage is more noticeable than harmful, it can ding resale and daily pride of ownership. My take, if you buy one, a case that guards those sharp camera edges is not optional.
On repairs, it is a mixed bag. The battery tray feels like user centered engineering. The loss of dual entry feels like a bet on structure and simplicity of assembly over ease of service.
In the end, the iPhone 17 Pro reads like a no free lunch design. Big thermal wins, visible cosmetic trade-offs, and repairs that are smarter in one place and trickier in another. If you value sustained speed, you will love it. If scratches drive you nuts, you will need a plan.
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