iFixit teardown confirms the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are practically identical

Following a livestream on its YouTube channel on Friday, iFixit published a full in-depth breakdown of its teardown for both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. And, it confirms what we basically already knew: Both phones are almost exactly the same on the inside and out.

For starters, the displays are interchangeable and can be swapped between the two phones (although, their respective max brightness a bit different). Considering the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro both feature 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR screens, this makes sense.

Apart from the camera shields, it's tough to tell a difference between either phone under the hood. iFixit points out that these phones are actually so similar in layout, that where the 12 Pro has an extra camera sensor and LiDar scanner, the 12 packs a plastic spacer.

In case you're unfamiliar with the new lineup, the iPhone 12 includes a dual camera module (a 12-megapixel wide-angle and 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle) while the 12 Pro has a triple camera setup with an additional 12-megapixel telephoto lens.

As for other similarities between the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, the teardown points out that aside from a few serial numbers, the logic boards on both phones are also practically identical. Additionally, both phones feature the same Face ID, flash modules, and Lightning connector assemblies.

But the one component I was waiting for confirmation on is battery life — specifically the exact size. Both the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have the same 2,815mAh battery, which is smaller than 3,110mAh on the iPhone 11 and 3,046mAh battery on the 11 Pro.

Apple claims the new A14 Bionic chip is supposed to help make up for that, but I can confirm from experience that battery life is iffy. In my review, I mention that the 12 Pro lasted me about seven and a half hours before reaching 22 percent on a busier day. The iPhone 11 Pro, on the other hand, lasted about three hours longer.

iFixit also notes the battery is no longer in an L-shaped design, as featured in its predecessors. According to rumors, Apple used parts that were cheaper in an effort to keep the cost low with the addition of 5G connectivity.

As for its repairability score, iFixit gave the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro a six out of 10 (10 being the easiest to repair). While its important parts are modular and easy to find or replace, the glass on the front and back make it super fragile — so you'll most likely have gut the entire phone and replace the body itself if you break it.