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Motorola Xoom and Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pro get torn down
The Xoom's big attraction may be the ethereal Honeycomb that oozes within it, but it's still a gadget made of metal, silicon and plastic, so we're as keen as anyone to see what its insides look like. iFixit has dutifully performed the task of tearing one down to its constituent components and found an Atmel touchscreen controller capable of picking up 15 inputs at a time, a Qualcomm MDM6600 chip capable of 14.4Mbps HSPA+ speeds, some Toshiba NAND flash memory, and of course, NVIDIA's beloved Tegra 2 dual-core SOC. The conclusion reached was that the Xoom is relatively easy to repair, though you should be aware there are no less than 57 screws holding the thing together, so free up a nice long afternoon if you intend to disassemble one yourself. Aside from Moto's flagship tablet, iFixit has also gotten to grips with Apple's latest MacBook Pro, the one that can do Thunderbolt-fast transfers with as yet nonexistent peripherals, though discoveries there were predictably few and far between. The wireless card now has four antennas instead of three and there are some changes made to the cooling systems, but the real reason you'll want to see this is the quad-core Sandy Bridge CPU lurking within -- it's as big and imposing as the performance it promises to deliver.
iFixit tears down the new 15-inch MacBook Pro, 2011 model
iFixit got its hands on a brand new 15-inch MacBook and tore the machine down to its Tri-wing screws and heat sinks. The latest generation machine shares a lot of similarities with its aluminum unibody predecessors including the same case design and a similar layout of internal components. Most of the changes internally were made to the logic board components. Besides the obvious processor and GPU differences, iFixit notes the wireless card now sports four antennas instead of a three which may improve performance. Other minor changes include the addition of a few extra heat sinks, including one for the GPU, a SuperDrive with a new model number and some modifications to the clips which hold things in place. Click through to check out more goodies from the iFixit teardown.
iFixit tears down Galaxy S 4G, lights a fire for science
iFixit's teardown of the Samsung Galaxy S 4G doesn't exactly contain a ton of surprises -- until the very end, that is. Apparently, there's been some talk that Samsung used magnesium instead of aluminum for some of the components, and the best way iFixit could find to test that was to file some dust off the frame and set it ablaze (magnesium's reaction is noticeably different than aluminum). Spoiler alert: it's magnesium. Hit up the link below for the full blow-by-blow account.
Motorola Atrix 4G gets the teardown treatment, fourth G nowhere to be found
If our review of the Atrix left you hungering for more, you can now feast your eyes on the guts of Motorola's new Android powerhouse. Thanks to the folks at iFixit, its teardown reveals a familiar range of parts -- 16GB of NAND flash, 960x540 PenTile LCD, 1GB DDR2 RAM and that beast of a NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU. What's more, is that the teardown brings to light some enticing news -- the glass panel is not glued to the LCD. This allows for the clumsy to not have to spend the extra dough if they crack the glass (which is usually affixed to the display). Hit the source link if you've got your Atrix and are ready to dismantle the thing yourself. P.S. -- There is a Qualcomm MDM6200 HSPA+ chip inside the phone. The title is meant to be a joke in reference to misconceptions about 4G wireless technology. You can read about them here.
iFixit: Verizon iPhone using dual-mode chip
A lot of the anticipation and/or naysaying about the Verizon iPhone has focused on CDMA, the somewhat less travel-friendly and slower network standard that Verizon uses. GSM covers a lot more countries, including all of Europe, and in the US the AT&T data speeds are testing noticeably faster -- of course, if you can't get or keep a signal, faster data does you precious little good. Some iPhone watchers were hoping for a dual mode phone like the Droid Pro, which features an antenna chip (the Qualcomm MDM6600) capable of handling both kinds of networks. That chip, combined with an auxiliary SIM slot for device identification and a secondary antenna, could have allowed the Verizon iPhone to roam from continent to continent at will. As we now know, the real-world Verizon iPhone is not a dual mode device; it's CDMA only, leaving us to hope that the next iPhone will be truly universal hardware for any and all carriers. There is a catch, though; today's thorough iFixit teardown revealed that the Verizon unit actually is using the MDM6600 chip, which would have theoretically allowed Apple to build out a GSM antenna in this version. Lacking the SIM slot and the GSM antenna, however, the current Verizon iPhone is decidedly not dual-ready. iFixit mused that the extra effort and space required for a second antenna may have put such a device out of reach for this cycle; however, since Apple is already using the required universal chip, the signs point even more strongly to an iPhone 5 that bridges the gap. [via Engadget]
Macworld Expo 2011: iFixit wields their magic in person
On stage at Macworld 2011, two of our friends from iFixit, Kyle Weins and Luke Soules, attempted to fix broken Apple stuff right in front of an audience. The session was moderated by Chris Breen, who asked the audience to bring up their broken gear in the hope that it could be fixed right on the spot. iFixit, for those that don't know, is a firm that not only posts teardowns of popular Apple products, but strongly believes in empowering users with the ability to fix their own Apple equipment, and sells replacement parts and tool kits to allow people to do it. As Luke attempted repairs, Kyle described exactly what was going on. Unfortunately, they weren't successful at any repairs during the session, but they were working under some impossible conditions. People in the audience had a lot of different broken things, and iFixit was only able to bring in two boxes of parts, which limited them dramatically.
iFixit releases iPhone 4 liberation kit for Pentalobe screws
The good folks at iFixit have noticed that iPhone 4s taken in for service often return without their original Phillips 00 screws. Instead, they're being replaced with Apple's own proprietary Pentalobular screws. These are the same screws that are in the current-generation MacBook Air. Here's a close-up pic from an iPhone 4, courtesy of Engadget editor Nilay Patel. Don't call them Torx screws because they most certainly are not. To get the rare, expensive tool that's meant to extract them, you'll have to be a certified Apple tech (or know one). While you're meant to use a special driver to extract those screws, you can get them out with something else. That something else is a part of iFixit's "iPhone 4 Liberation Kit," which contains replacement Phillips screws and a driver that will remove Apple's Pentalobular screws, as well as two Phillips replacements. No, it's not the official tool but a low-cost alternative. Note that there's a good chance it will damage the proprietary screws, but you're going to throw them out anyway, right? Opening an iPhone 4 isn't something that just anyone should do. Be careful and know your limitations. If you're ready, the liberation kit can be yours for US$9.95. Check out the video explaining the issue and the kit after the break. [Via Macgasm]
Nexus S torn asunder, its curves laid out on display
You've already seen ninjas take on the Nexus S box, now see the device laid out component-by-component, thrashed by some sick and twisted individual. Nothing too crazy to see here, except perhaps the awesome curves of the front display laid out (another shot after the break). It's interesting to note that only the front panel is actually curved -- "the rest of the components are flat as a board, just as any other phone on the market." Hope that doesn't ruin any dreams you might've had. Check out the Full Monty over at iFixit.
Samsung Galaxy Tab torn down, is indeed not full of stars
What's that, the greatest Android tablet of the moment caught without its pants on again? Oh, no, it's just another iFixit special, tearing down a Samsung Galaxy Tab into its requisite bits, bobs, and a slab of Gorilla Glass. The removal of that pane turned out to be the trickiest part, requiring a lot of heat and a little "nervous prying" before it yielded. But, yield it did, and you can see the piece-by-piece teardown on the other end of the source link below.
Boxee Box gets the requisite teardown; would you look at that heat sink!
Lest you forget, the Boxee Box is a capital C computer, just like Google TV. In fact, both products share nearly identical processors, with the Intel CE4110 in Boxee and the CE4150 in Google TV, each clocked at 1.2GHz. Turns out, much of the mass of the Boxee Box is used for the heat sink and fan that are cooling that sucker, as revealed in iFixit's timely teardown of the media powerhouse. Other things they found inside include 1GB of RAM, 1GB of flash memory, and a digital-to-analog audio converter to allow for 1080p video out of HDMI while still using legacy audio hardware. Sounds like some good stuff -- so, after years of hacking the Apple TV for Boxee use, who will be the first to repay Boxee the favor and get something else running on here?
Microsoft Kinect ripped to pieces, found to contain chips on tiny green boards
If you ever doubted that Microsoft's Kinect was based on PrimeSense technology, you can leave those suspicions at the door -- iFixit's separated the twin-eye motion sensing camera into its constituent parts, and there's definitely PrimeSense silicon on board. To be precise, there's a PrimeSense processor that handles images from the color and infrared CMOS auto-focus imagers, a Marvell SoC to interface with those cameras,64MB of DDR2 memory and 1MB of flash plus an accelerometer of all things. (Perhaps game developers intend to break the fourth wall when you inevitably knock the unit off your TV.) Filled with four different kinds of security screws and a fair bit of glue, Kinect's a tough nut to crack. Seems like a small price to pay, however, when it's so wonderfully robotic underneath. Oh, and speaking of the Kinect -- don't suppose you've read our full review?
Kinect teardown: two cameras, four microphones, 12 watts of power, no controller
So what exactly goes into making a controller-free experience with Kinect? A lot of technology, apparently. The folks at iFixit have broken down a Kinect unit, revealing a bevy of chips and parts inside the new peripheral. Kinect features not one, but two cameras to capture various information about the user. One camera, combined with an infrared emitter (the third "pinhole" on the front), provide the 3D information necessary to create the "depth map," while an additional camera captures the standard visible spectrum at 640x480 resolution. With the proper lighting and space, the combination of these cameras allows Kinect to see you in 3D. Perhaps more surprising than the number of cameras hidden in the sensor is the number of microphones. In addition to three cameras, the device features four downward-facing microphones, three on the right side and one on the left side, integral to the Kinect's voice recognition capabilities. Considering the sheer quantity of power-hungry parts hidden inside the Kinect, it's no surprise that its power demand (12 watts) is so much greater than what a standard USB port can offer (5 watts) -- that's why you'll need a separate power adapter for using it with original Xbox 360 consoles.
iFixit tears down the 11-inch MacBook Air
Less than a day after the new 11-inch MacBook Air hit shelves, iFixit's already dissected it. The repair site gave the new MacBook Air a repairability rating of 4/10, with 10 being easiest to repair. Two major obstacles face any user trying to do their own repairs on the MacBook Air. First, the screws involved in a MacBook Air teardown are T5 Torx screws for the internals and five-point security Torx on the outside, so you'd better either have those types of screwdrivers or be prepared to file down a flatblade like iFixit did. iFixit notes that once you get those screws out, servicing the MacBook Air is relatively easy, but the second obstacle is more insidious to DIY repairers: the MacBook Air takes the phrase "no user-serviceable parts inside" to a new level. Nothing inside the MacBook Air is "off the shelf." RAM is integrated into the logic board, the six-cell battery is in a weirdly customized configuration, and the flash memory the MacBook Air uses in place of a hard drive is proprietary. Aside from the serviceability issues, the MacBook Air's internals are pretty impressively put together. Once dismantled, there's barely over a dozen major parts to the entire computer, and it's clear that not one cubic centimeter of space was wasted. However, the multiple-cell design of the battery looks a bit odd compared to the integrated batteries of the MacBook Pro line, and it'll be interesting to see what impact, if any, this has on battery reliability.
New 11.6-inch MacBook Air ripped to pieces, exposing proprietary parts
The entire world saw the 13-inch MacBook Air exposed to the elements before it was announced on stage, but its 11.6-inch younger brother is just now getting the teardown treatment. iFixit tore the tiny machine asunder, and found even more miniature battery packs nestled in its 0.68-inch-thick frame. Like Apple's previous Air, the components here are proprietary, and the 2GB memory module's actually soldered to the board -- some tradeoffs had to be made for miniaturization, we suppose, and we can't deny the result is a beautiful machine inside and out. On the plus side, the Toshiba solid state drive seems to be modular, so there's some modest upgrade potential there if you can find a supplier of the mini-SATA boards. Still, kids -- don't try this at home.
Nokia N8 teardown reveals easily replaceable battery, 'beefy' construction
Surprise, surprise. The iFixit team have cornered themselves a dark grey Nokia N8 and have proceeded to do the one thing that comes naturally to them: disassembled it. It's mostly good news all around with this teardown, which found the BL-4D battery cell was only two Torx screws away from being user-replaceable, while the overall N8 construction was praised as being the "beefiest" of any phone this year. There are plenty of bodacious highlights within, including the massive Xenon flash and the pair of camera modules -- which are regrettably not removable from the main board. The touchscreen controller in the N8 is the same as has previously been used on the Kin Two and BlackBerry Torch. Perhaps that's not the best pedigree in the world, but the (complete in one case, and relative in the other) lack of success of those phones was never really about the screen's responsiveness. Hit the source link for a full gallery of images and the complete deconstruction guide.
iFixit: Apple TV has 8GB of onboard flash storage
One of the big questions concerning whether or not the new Apple TV will be able to run apps of some sort is "how much onboard RAM does it have?" That question has been answered by the guys at iFixit, who as usual, have been the first to tear apart and document the internal workings of the Apple TV. The answer: 8GB of NAND flash RAM made by Samsung. The iFixit team speculates that the RAM is most likely going to be used to cache incoming video streams, but it might also be used to temporarily hold apps that could run under iOS on the device. More interesting news about the Apple TV is bound to come out in the next couple of days; stay tuned to TUAW for all of your Apple TV coverage. Correction to original post: that's 8GB of onboard flash storage, 256MB of actual RAM. We apologize for the error.
Apple TV teardown reveals 8GB flash storage, 256MB RAM, leftover iPad parts
"Of course the new Apple TV gets a teardown, silly," is what we would tell you should you have the audacity to question its inevitability. But alas, we're too busy analyzing every photo of iFixit's gallery to even dignify your raised eyebrow with an unprovoked response. The site gives it 8 out of 10 in its metric of repairability, opining it might be "the most eco-friendly set-top box of all time." With that said, here are the big takeaways we're seeing so far: 8GB of storage provided care of a Samsung K9LCG08U1M NAND Flash chip, and the same one found in the iPad. Speaking of which, there's also the exact same markings on its Apple A4 processor as the iPad and new iPod touch, K4X2G643GE (not the same as the iPhone 4, as it turns out), the exact same Broadcom BCM4329XKUBG 802.11n WiFi / Bluetooth / FM chip as the iPad, and at 256MB, the same amount of RAM. Also interesting and of note are the solder pads near the side of the logic board, which look to be a perfect fit for an Apple dock connector. At any rate, with all that's under the hood, we expect the jailbreak community to have an absolute field day.
PlayStation Move gets broken down -- so easy, an end-user could do it
Another week, another well-detailed tear down from the kids at iFixit. Blessed with an eight out of ten on the repairability index, the PlayStation Move was said to be one of the easiest devices yet to break down and reassemble, so there's a good chance that any novice DIYer with a steady hand and a Phillips screwdriver could accomplish what's shown in the link below. No huge surprises were found once the PCB's clothing was removed, but we were told that the Move controller contains a great many components that are found in today's modern smartphones: a processor, accelerometer, gyroscope, Bluetooth transmitter, vibrating motor, and even a MEMS compass. The sphere at the top can flash any color thanks to the included LEDs, and the integrated Li-ion battery can be disconnected (and thus, replaced) from the device without any soldering. Hit the source for the nitty-gritty, and hop on past the break for the highlights. Oh, and as a reminder, you can grab your own Move starting today if you call North America home.
iPod nano (2010) splayed open in the name of miniature science
What, you didn't think iFixit would stop at just disassembling the new iPod touch, did you? The all-new nano has also been sat atop the workbench, handed a bottle of hard liquor, and told to close its eyes and count to 120 million. The 6th-gen device weighs in at 67 percent of the volume of its precursor, with a slightly thicker body and that integrated clip on its back. Its 240- x 240-pixel display offers a 220ppi density, which, within Apple's ranks, is bettered only by the Retina Display on the fourth generation iPhone and iPod touch devices. Regrettably, just as with those two machines, the 2010 nano has its front glass, LCD and touchscreen assembly fused together. One handy bit of news here is the battery size, which at 105mAh is what you might call paltry, but still doubles up the 2010 shuffle's 51mAh. All in all, the conclusion from this dissection is that the new device feels more like a shuffle with a screen than a miniaturized nano, which, when you look at the form factor, makes all sorts of sense. More at the source.
Retro consoles torn apart, ancient innards exposed
If you want to see just how far game consoles have come over the last few decades, check out iFixit's teardown of the Atari 2600. As you can see, there's not much to onetime king of home entertainment. Just look at how complex an iPhone 4 is in comparison! The Atari teardown was part of a full week of retro console deconstructions, including the Famicom, Magnavox Odyssey and even the Virtual Boy. Check them out for yourself -- if you think you can handle all that naked, aging PCB.
