Broken back glass is the repair shops love to quote high and hate to execute. On the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the glass is glued to a fragile wireless-charging coil, so the removal method decides whether the job takes 40 minutes or ends in a board-level disaster.
Heat-and-pry: the budget path
Heating the glass to 80–100 °C softens the adhesive, then you pry in shards. It works, but the coil sits millimetres below the glass, and one slip with the blade cuts the NFC antenna or the Qi coil. Budget 60–90 minutes, expect to replace the back housing parts more often, and accept a higher comeback risk on wireless charging.
Laser separation: the production path
A separation laser ablates the adhesive layer through the glass without heating the coil. The 11 Pro Max takes roughly 15–20 minutes on the machine, the coil survives, and the new glass re-bonds with a pre-cut adhesive frame. If you do more than five back-glass jobs a month, the machine pays for itself in saved coils and reworks.
What to stock
Order back glass with the pre-cut adhesive frame included — selling the frame separately is how suppliers nickel-and-dime you. Full 11 Pro-series glass and the wider iPhone 11 range are in stock, shipped from Shenzhen with DHL.
FAQ
Does replacing back glass affect wireless charging? Only if the coil is damaged during removal — which is exactly why laser wins.
Can I replace just the camera lens glass? Yes, if the housing is intact; see our camera parts guide for the lens-only path.