iPhone 5s internals and Apple A7 gallery

The ultimate iPhone 5s internal photo gallery from displays to components to chipsets!

If you're curious about the internal workings of the iPhone 5s, we've got the ultimate photo gallery for you from cracking open the iPhone 5s all the way down to what's underneath the logic board shields, including the Apple A7 chip itself. I even threw in some photos of the A6 chipset from the iPhone 5c just for comparison's sake. So click through and enjoy the iPhone 5s in all it's silicon glory!

When it comes to comparing the iPhone 5s to previous models, it's definitely an iterative design that builds upon its predecessor, the iPhone 5. Here are the most notable changes I've seen in the iPhone 5s:

  • Flash component for the rear camera is now located on the volume/mute switch assembly and is completely separate from the rear facing camera assembly
  • Tape added to the back side of the display assembly over the front facing camera assembly and display shield
  • Earpiece speaker now has four contact points on the front facing camera assembly cable instead of the two contact points previously found in the iPhone 5
  • Interconnector cables that were found in the iPhone 5 running along the top of the board are now gone, and good riddance. They broke far too often.

DIY repairers beware! When separating the screen, don't tear the Touch ID cable!

A look at the shield covering the Touch ID cable on the dock assembly

After some dock screws, a suction cup, and some caution, we get our first look inside the iPhone 5s

After a few screws and the prying of some cables, the screen assembly is easily detached

A look at where the digitizer, LCD, and front facing camera assembly cables attach to the iPhone 5s logic board

Where Touch ID meets the dock assembly in the iPhone 5s

A proper look at the dock and headphone jack assembly in the iPhone 5s

The back side of the iPhone 5s display assembly

Our first look at the Touch ID sensor itself, on the back side of the display assembly

Only one shield and two screws stands in between us and Touch ID

Touch ID is held in place over the Home button gasket - removing it should be done with extreme caution

A few screws, a shield, and some careful prying - we've removed the Touch ID sensor and the actual Home button

A closeup of the Touch ID sensor cable itself and Home button assembly

The earpiece in the iPhone 5s, located on the back side of the display assembly

Underneath the earpiece, the front facing camera cable also contains contacts for the earpiece, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor

Apple has added some tape to the display shield which makes removing the front facing camera assembly a little trickier

The top right of the iPhone 5s where the rear facing camera sits

The vibrator assembly and volume button cable assembly running to the left side, interestingly enough the flash is now on the volume/mute switch cable as well

Apple A7 in the iPhone 5s

Apple A7 in the iPhone 5s

A look at the top of the board. See that middle chipset there? That's the M7!

Apple A7 in the iPhone 5s

Here we can see the Qualcomm LTE chipset to the top right of the battery connector

Another view of the Qualcomm LTE chipset

Top part of the iPhone 5s logic board

Top part of the iPhone 5s logic board

The iPhone 5s logic board on the front side

Flipping the board over, lots of things going on! Basically a lot of IC goodness

More ICs...

More ICs...

Yep, still more ICs...

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

And just for fun.. iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c comparison photos!

Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.