iFixit had previously disassembled all iPhone 15 models as well as the new Apple Watch models. Now the repair company offers a microscopic look at Apple’s base iPhone 15 model.
Using Evident Scientific’s DSX1000 microscope, iFixit highlights a few interesting changes in the new iPhone. Starting its review with image stabilization, the company shows the operation of the iPhone 15 sensor motion stabilizer. The camera appears to use four electromagnets to shift the camera sensor to keep the image stable. However, it is also stated that there are limits to the stabilization capabilities of this technology, and it is emphasized that it can only correct minor shakes by shifting the sensor in two axes.
About the new 48MP sensor, iFixit makes a rain analogy for the 48 million photosites in the camera: “If there is heavy rainfall, there is a good chance that each bucket will collect a good amount of water. Photographically this is equivalent to a bright environment where each photosite can produce meaningful image data (…), but if the precipitation is light (equivalent to a dark environment), small buckets become a problem: they cannot collect enough water to be measured accurately. The circuit that reads the bucket level is forced to make guesses. In terms of images, this means a noisy, grainy photo in dimly lit environments.”
The publication then explains why Apple stitched the footage together to create 12MP images: “What if four stations poured the water they collected into a bucket? This will make measuring water easier. By reading the water level in one combined bucket instead of four separate buckets, you reduce the effective number of buckets from 48 million to 12 million. But at least the reading would be more accurate.”
Although iFixit offers a fun overview of the iPhone 15 in this microscopic review, the company still notes that Apple needs to improve the repairability of its devices: “Apple’s push for modularity, highlighted by the dual-port design, is a positive step forward on an already good foundation.” is one step. However, the difficulty of matching parts, the completely artificial barrier, which harms renovators and recyclers as well as ordinary repairmen, is still a big problem.”
For this reason, iFixit does not change the 4/10 repairability score it gave to the phone.
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