iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro Teardown Shows Both Are Nearly Identical on the Inside

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro both have the same L-shaped logic board.

By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 23 October 2020 19:22 IST

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro Teardown Shows Both Are Nearly Identical on the Inside

Photo Credit: Bilibili

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro internal components are assembled in an identical manner

Highlights

iPhone 12 seems to have a plastic filing in place of LiDAR sensor
Both iPhone models share the same TrueDepth Camera system
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro carry the same, 2,815mAh battery

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have surfaced in a new teardown video on a Chinese technology channel that reveals how identically both new models are designed. At the launch last week, Apple announced that both iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro share the same display size as well as the same dimensions. The latest teardown, however, shows us that apart from their displays and dimensions, the two new iPhone models also share most of the internal components. The teardown comes just at the time when the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have been put on sale in key markets including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, China, and Japan.

As per the teardown video, which is available on Chinese video streaming portal Bilibili, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro both use the same L-shaped logic board. The iPhone 12 Pro, however, has a connector separately for the LiDAR sensor, which isn't available on the iPhone 12.

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro appear to have an identical logic board
Photo Credit: Bilibili

However, the video shows that in place of the LiDAR sensor as well as the telephoto shooter that both are available on the iPhone 12 Pro, Apple has used a plastic filing on the iPhone 12. This was required as apparently the chassis of both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro share the same compartments for internal components.

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Similar to the back side, the front of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro also have the same set of components. These include the same TrueDepth Camera system as well as the display assembly and the earpiece.

The teardown video also mentions that most of the internal components of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are so identical that they could easily be interchangeable. However, Apple hasn't provided any clarity on whether an iPhone 12 part could be used in the iPhone 12 Pro or vice versa.

Additionally, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro both come with the same, 2,815mAh battery. The MagSafe component as well as the wireless charging coil are also, needless to say, identical on both models.

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Both iPhone 12 models share the same battery pack
Photo Credit: Bilibili

The numerous similarities between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro could convince a large number of customers towards the non-Pro variant, which is significantly cheaper. The difference is of Rs. 35,000 when looking at their India prices. Also, this isn't something that we saw with the case of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro as both had several noticeable differences.

That being said, the key difference between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro is the build quality as the former has an aluminium frame, while the latter offers a stainless steel design. The Pro version is also capable of delivering a better photography experience, thanks to the addition of the LiDAR sensor and the telephoto shooter.

Are iPhone 12 mini, HomePod mini the Perfect Apple Devices for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

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iPhone 12

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Very good build quality
Dolby Vision HDR video recording
Excellent cameras
Smooth performance in everyday use

Bad
Battery life could be better
Gets warm when stressed

Read detailed Apple iPhone 12 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A14 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 14

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

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iPhone 12 Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Solid build quality
Excellent display
Dolby Vision video recording
Snappy overall performance
All-day battery life

Bad
Heats up when gaming
Not differentiated much from iPhone 12
Not great value

Read detailed Apple iPhone 12 Pro review