iPhone 16 Pro Storage Expansion 128GB to 1TB [video]

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A viral teardown video shows a technician upgrading an iPhone 16 Pro from 128GB to 1TB by CNC‑grinding off the original NAND chip and soldering on a higher‑capacity part, highlighting both the extreme skill required and Apple’s tightly integrated hardware design. Commenters contrast the relatively low cost of raw flash storage with Apple’s high pricing tiers, and debate why expandable options like SD cards or modular storage aren’t offered. The exchange broadens into questions of right to repair, data ownership (local vs. cloud storage), device longevity, and how much control vendors should have over hardware that users technically own.

Cost of NAND vs Apple’s Pricing

  • Commenters estimate 1 TB mobile NAND around $100–130 retail per chip; significantly cheaper in bulk.
  • Industry prices are usually quoted in bits (e.g., 8 Tbit = 1 TB) at the NAND-die level.
  • Many see Apple’s $500 storage upsell as extreme markup relative to component cost.

Technical Process and Craftsmanship

  • Viewers are impressed by the precision: disassembly, foam gasket removal, and especially CNC grinding the original NAND.
  • The original chip is epoxied/underfilled to the PCB; heating enough to desolder it risks damaging nearby components and the opposite side of the board.
  • CNC removal is presented as safer and more consistent than hot air for an underfilled BGA.
  • Underfill epoxy is said to help shock resistance and cope with thermal expansion.
  • The torque screwdriver “clicks” are noted; some find the whole video almost ASMR-like.
  • Foam inside is speculated to serve vibration damping, acoustic tuning, and thermal equalization.

Storage Needs and Removable Storage Debate

  • Some say phone storage barely matters due to cloud offload (photos, videos).
  • Others strongly prefer local media and backups: offline access, bandwidth/battery concerns, distrust of cloud providers, and cost comparisons.
  • Use cases for large local storage include RAW/pro video and multiple on-device LLM models (tens–hundreds of GB).
  • Many lament the lack of SD/microSD or any user-expandable storage; others argue current OS/storage performance needs make soldered primary storage standard.
  • There’s debate over whether waterproofing truly precludes card slots and removable batteries; examples of water‑resistant phones with those features are cited.

Repairability, Lock‑In, and Apple’s Business Model

  • Grinding the original NAND “to dust” is seen as emblematic of non‑upgradable modern hardware.
  • Some argue Apple’s storage and RAM segmentation is pure price discrimination and a sign of weak competition/oligopoly.
  • Complaints extend to Macs’ soldered RAM/storage and rapid obsolescence, seen as generating e‑waste and inflated upgrade costs.
  • Others justify choosing Apple anyway: long software support, perceived quality, security, and better overall integration than Android alternatives.

Feasibility, Limits, and Lock‑Down

  • Questions arise about whether larger-than-official capacities (2–8 TB) would work; some suspect firmware/SoC controller limits tied to Apple’s official configs.
  • For Macs, there’s mention that even “modular” NAND is effectively vendor‑locked via controller behavior/serialization.
  • The mod is widely admired technically, but many doubt it is economically viable at scale given equipment, skill, donor parts, and risk.