The well-known repair team iFixit today shared an in-depth disassembly analysis of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, providing a detailed internal structure. Notably,After disassembly, a plastic spacer appeared inside, which was used to replace the SIM card tray in the US model.
All 4 iPhone 14 models sold in the US will no longer offer a physical SIM card tray, instead relying entirely on eSIM cards. So, what is the space for the original SIM card tray used for?
Confirmed through iFixit disassembly, following removing the SIM card tray, Apple did not use this part of the space for any other components or additional functions, but used a square plastic spacer to fill the gap. Outside the US, all iPhone 14 models still feature a SIM card tray in this space.
While the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus can be opened from the back and feature a more repairable design with an easily removable screen and rear glass panel, these design changes don’t extend to the Pro models. The teardown shows that the iPhone 14 Pro Max continues to open from the front, and there is no removable rear glass. The internal design of the unit is basically the same as the iPhone 13 Pro Max.