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TechRestore's stop-motion iPad tear-down video
Right on launch day, iFixit totally disassembled an iPad, offering eager eyes a wealth of information on what's under the hood. Now TechRestore has created a stop-motion video of the entire tear-down and reassembly process in just over three minutes by stitching together 1675 frames. It's fascinating to watch the iPad take itself apart, not to mention that the sound effects really make the whole thing work. Gumby would be proud. [via 9to5mac]
15-inch Core i5 MacBook Pro torn asunder: no alarms and no surprises
By now, the fine folks at iFixit have probably seen the insides of more MacBooks than they care to count, but the guilty pleasure of ripping those aluminum cases to shreds keeps them (and us) coming back for more. This week, while we gave our new 15-inch MacBook Pro a thorough review, they were busy tearing theirs apart and admiring the juicy insides. Aside from the obvious processor upgrade, not much has changed since 2009 except the odd antenna and tri-wing screw, but it appears that the AirPort / Bluetooth assembly now resembles that of the 13-inch unibody MacBook. You will also find nice hi-res shots of the brand-new Intel BD82HM55 Platform Controller Hub -- also known as Intel's HM55 Express chipset -- at the source link.
Apple's A4 system-on-chip gets decoupled from iPad, investigated with the help of an X-ray
Ever so gently, we're starting to peel away the layers of mystery surrounding the A4 system-on-chip that powers Apple's fancy new slate device. iFixit, helped by reverse engineering firm Chipworks, have gone to the trouble of both dissecting and X-raying the iPad's central processing hub in their quest to lift the veil of ignorance. Their findings confirmed that the A4 is built using a "package on package" method, meaning that the 256MB of Samsung-provided SDRAM is stacked immediately atop the CPU, which is noted as being reductive to both latency and energy use. With a single core processor inside, the iFixit team concluded the iPad had to be running on a Cortex A8 -- which is very much the likeliest choice at this point -- but their assertion that it couldn't be a Cortex A9 MPCore inside is inaccurate, as those chips also come in single-core options. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against Samsung's Hummingbird chip, which was designed by Intrinsity, the same company Apple is being rumored to have recently acquired. Finally, the visual inspection of the iPad's mobo puts a model number to the already known PowerVR GPU, narrowing it down to the SGX 535, while also naming and picturing a number of other exciting components, such as the always popular capacitive touchscreen controller. Hit the source link below for all the lurid images.
iPad teardown posted at iFixit
As they always do with any bit of new Apple tech, iFixit has posted a full teardown of the iPad on their site. Some things of note from their teardown: -- iFixit broke some of the plastic tabs when pulling the display assembly away from the back case, so if you're looking into DIY repair of the iPad, keep that in mind. -- The display assembly and rear case both weigh 350 grams each, meaning weight distribution front-to-back is exactly 50/50. -- There is a large void in the upper right corner of the WiFi-only iPad. This is where the 3G chipset will live in the 3G-enabled iPads. -- The battery (actually two batteries hooked in parallel) takes up most of the iPad's internal volume. It's a 3.75 Volt, 24.8 Watt-hour battery; by comparison, the iPhone 3GS has a 4.51 Watt-hour battery, while the MacBook Air's battery is 40 Watt-hours. The battery weighs 148 grams -- 13 grams more than the entire iPhone 3GS. -- The display data cable connector is the same style as that used on Unibody MacBooks -- The logic board itself takes up very little of the iPad's volume. Based on iFixit's screenshots, the entire logic board seems only slightly larger than the average adult's palm. -- The iPad has 512 MB of RAM. -- The Broadcom WiFi 802.11n + Bluetooth chip appears to be significantly larger than the chipset used in the iPhone. This possibly explains the lengthened bottom portion from the leaked photos of what's supposedly the next-gen iPhone's display. -- The WiFi antenna, located behind the Apple logo on the rear case, is either similar or identical to the antenna used in the iMac. -- That compartment on top that everyone thought would be perfect for an iSight? It turns out that compartment houses the iPad's ambient light sensor. iFixit suspects the compartment was intended for the light sensor all along, and that rumors of a camera were "overzealous." Overall, the iPad's interior, much like the device itself, seems halfway between an iPod touch and a MacBook, drawing design influences from both ends of Apple's portable line. The iPad has an extremely tiny logic board given the size of the device itself, which is reminiscent of the iPod touch and iPhone's construction. However, the iPad's interior is nowhere near as cramped as either of those devices, with rather large void spaces that you'd be more likely to find in a MacBook. While the interior layout is very simplistic and clean, as we've come to expect of Apple's products, the iPad doesn't look at all like something the average person will want to take apart and fix.
Hey, look at that: iFixit's ripping an iPad to shreds
That's right folks, the iPad has been available for a little less than two hours by our count and the folks at iFixit are already happily destroying one of these magical bad boys. Now, as usual, they're being pretty meticulous, so they're still very early in the process, and we haven't learned much -- but we'll update you as they find out the good stuff. First thoughts? Well, it sure is weird (and a little bit exiting) to see an iPad torn asunder so brazenly. There's one more shot after the break -- hit up the source link for the full set. Update: So the iFixit disassembly continues, and some interesting tidbits have emerged. The battery is pretty huge -- a 3.75V, 24.8 watt-hour job, weighing in at 148 grams. There are some significant differences between the retail unit and what we saw at the FCC, including the A4 processor, which looks to be manufactured by Samsung. Update 2: Talk about some wild findings. The iFixit crew has discovered that the iPad's battery has 5.5x the capacity of the battery in the iPhone, with two batteries wired in parallel, for a total of 24.8 Watt-hours. On average, the unit sips just 2.5 Watts (one-fifth the power of a compact fluorescent bulb), and the rear case is machined from a single billet of aluminum. We're told that the "empty void in the upper right corner is where the cellular communications board would go in the 3G iPad," and "the A4 is a Package-on-Package (PoP), with at least three layers of circuitry layered on top of each other." Care for more? Head past the break for the bullet points.
DSi XL, broken down into extra-tiny pieces
The ironically named iFixIt has, once again, completely disassembled a new electronic device, allowing us all to get a look at the bits that compose it without having to tear apart our own beloved devices. The latest hardware to go under the knife screwdriver: Nintendo's just-released DSi XL, which, in its torn-down form, takes up even more space! In exhaustive detail, the iFixit team pulls apart the new, big DS, cataloging all the parts inside. Unsurprisingly, the internals are very similar to the previous DSi, save for a larger (in both capacity in physical size) battery and one fewer ribbon cable. Oh -- and, of course, those massive screens.
Macworld 2010: iFixit.com
One website that must reside in nearly every Machead's bookmarks collection is iFixit. They provide detailed, step-by-step repair guides (and parts) for nearly every Mac, iPod or iPhone fix you can think of. Their instructions are always clear and thorough enough to make even the most daunting repair possible. If you lack those special tools, they've got those, too. They're also known for being among the first to take apart brand new Apple hardware. When I sat down with Kyle Weins from iFixit during Macworld Expo, he revealed that who gets the privilege of the first teardown is determined by the flip of a coin. He also talked about the site's history, current offerings and of course the iPad. You can watch the full interview after the break.
Nexus One teardown reveals 802.11n WiFi and FM transmitter
We've already told you everything you need to know about the Nexus One. Still, you might be curious to see Google's self-proclaimed "superphone" splayed wide to reveal a Samsung-branded OLED display, Qualcomm QSD8250 "Snapdragon" 1 GHz ARM processor, and Synaptics touchscreen controller. Of interest is a Broadcom chip labeled Broadcom BCM4329EKUBG. Why? Well, the BCM4329 (albeit, without the "EKUBG" qualifier) is capable of 802.11n (HTC only lists 802.11b/g) WiFi in addition to FM transmitter and receiver. Bet you didn't know that? Picture of the Broadcom chip after the break. Update: Just noticed that Google does list 802.11n on the specs page although HTC does not.
Chumby One gets the iFixit treatment, greets world with a cute hidden message
We've already played with the Chumby One and fell for it, so it did hurt a bit when our friends at iFixit decided to rip this cute device apart. Actually, it wasn't as heartbreaking as we thought, especially when the hackers spotted a cute message below the Kingston 2GB microSD card -- containing the firmware -- on the logic board, courtesy of Andrew "bunnie" Huang, VP Hardware Engineering and Founder of Chumby Industries. Other notable discoveries include a Freescale i.MX233 processor, Hynix 64MB DDR RAM and a removable "Ralink-based RT2571 USB Wi-Fi dongle" (note: extra USB port!). Feel free to check out the guts after the break -- just promise you won't cry or faint.
Motorola Droid torn down despite desperate cries of 'no disassemble'
If you were thinking of tearing apart your own Droid, let us direct you first to this quote straight from the folks at phoneWreck: "no easy task." It seems that even finding some of the screws involved in holding the mess together was a problem, but at the end of the day, good old-fashioned human ingenuity prevailed over... well, other human ingenuity, and the phone fell asunder into the 16 pieces you see here. As you might imagine, there's a bit of industrial magic involved in fitting a full QWERTY slide into a package this tight -- but just as Moto was up to the challenge of putting it together, some dude with a little time on his hands was up to the challenge of asploding it. Needless to say, we won't be doing this to ours.
Inside the new 27-inch iMac
You know by now that once Apple announces a new piece of hardware, it's only a matter of time before someone gets their hands on one only to rip it up and tear every little piece out to see what's in there. And that's exactly what iFixit did with the brand new iMac -- most of us would kill to get one and keep it, and they got one and killed it (Update: Apparently they didn't kill it -- they ended up putting it all back together again). But at least we can learn from their destruction: the LCD panel is the same horizontal resolution as the 30" Cinema display, and the screen itself weighs 11 lbs. The hard drive sits right in the center of the machine, right behind the screen. And there's probably more heat dissipation methods in there than you'd expect: six temp sensors, three fans, two heat sinks, and even a partridge in a pear tree. We're not sure how that last one helps. Overall, it's a beauty. And the last twist is probably the most interesting -- other than showing off your Mac-itude and lighting the area behind your screen, the Apple logo is apparently wrapped with an Airport antenna. Because the whole thing is encased in aluminum, that's the only place to get a signal, and so that's where they stuck it. Now when people complain that you're just being trendy by showing off the Apple logo, you can tell them you're actually just trying to help out the Wi-Fi reception. [via Engadget]
27-inch iMac torn into tiny bits for the greater good
You've seen the outside of what the new iMacs look like, but do you know what's inside them? If you guessed "lots of tiny components," you win! The folks at iFixit are always on the bleeding edge when it comes to taking big things and turning them into series of smaller things, and they don't disappoint us here. No real surprises, just a few notes, like the external display won't be able to be powered without the integral one being on as well, that the lack of a Blu-ray drive is described as a "bag of hurt," and that "the SuperDrive just doesn't seem so super anymore." Like we said, no surprises, but lots of fun pics.
Microsoft's Zune HD already cracked open and photographed (updated)
Considering that even now only a swath of Zune HD owners are able to update their software in order to -- you know -- have a working device, we can understand Anything But iPod's eagerness to stop trying and just crack open Microsoft's newest entrant into the portable media player market. Without getting too gushy, we can definitively say that the innards look just as sexy as the exterior, but unfortunately the make and model of the internal WiFi chip (amongst other things) remains a mystery. Hit the read link for a nice gallery of closeups, but be sure and shield your screen from any lingering cube passers.Update: iFixit just went live with their teardown as well!Update 2: The iFixit teardown is complete. While there aren't any 802.11n WiFi or vacant camera-space surprises like those found inside Apple's iPod touch, the Zune HD doesn't need any to pique our interest. What you will find photographed in exquisite detail is the NVIDIA Tegra SoC, SiPORT HD Radio module, Toshiba-sourced flash NAND, a 2.45Wh battery, Wolfson MIcro WM8352 audio subsystem, and Foxconn logo confirming its manufacturing origin. There's also a "for our princess" inscription meant as a tribute to a Zune team member who passed away during development. Check the gallery for a tease or head over to iFixit to get knee-deep in it.%Gallery-72950%
3rd gen iPod touch teardown: 802.11n potential and room for a camera?
Just this morning, we linked to the results of iFixit's iPod nano teardown. Hours later, we have the opportunity to dive into their 32GB iPod touch teardown. There are definitely a few interesting tidbits about what Apple did and did not do with the iPod touch this time around... and possibly some hints of what could happen in the future. Here are the highlights: The ARM processor in the iPod touch is a newer revision than the iPhone 3GS's CPU. We still don't know its exact clock speed but it's a definite upgrade from the 2nd Generation iPod touch. It has a 1080 mAh battery; what does that mean? Well, it'll get pretty good battery life. Apple's website lists it at 30 hours of music playback. The NAND flash memory is manufactured by Samsung and has been split into two chips to achieve the 32GB capacity. The wireless chip is from Broadcom. According to their documentation this chip supports 802.11 n as well as 802.11 a/b/g. This is a new move from Apple. Until now, all of the mobile devices have only had g-capable wireless chips. It's possible that this would be enabled in the future, but I wouldn't put money on that. Mark this one as rumor fodder: iFixit claims that there is room for a camera at the top of the device. The empty space measures 6mm x 6mm x 3mm. That could easily fit the same style camera as the 5th gen iPod Nano, but they don't believe an iPhone-quality camera would fit because of the limited space. If that's not enough iPod touch news for you, read on.
iFixit tears apart the 5th Generation iPod nano...nicely
The pioneers at iFixit are at it again, this time exploring the Loop's newest, coolest gadget -- the iPod nano. According to their measurements, this iPod is as thin as it could possibly be, and more densely packed than any previous Apple device. I work on iPods at my day job, but I'm afraid to start working on this one because there is very little wasted space and LOTS of glue. Here are some facts worth highlighting: The iPod nano uses flash memory manufactured by Toshiba. Apple would not be able to put a larger camera into it without reducing the footprint of other components. It uses the same style speaker as the iPod touch. The sound exits through the dock connector. The display has 17.5% more real estate than the 4th Generation iPod nano. Read on for the nitty gritty, "I want to tear it apart" information...
iPod nano 5G gets a teardown
Dying to know what that tiny VGA video sensor in the new iPod nano looks like? As usual, the folks at iFixit have it covered -- hit the read link to follow along with all the gory action as it proceeds. (Seriously, they're posting the teardown pictures live as they do it.)Update: It's all over, and the findings are interesting, if not too shocking: the 8GB of flash is from Toshiba, the processor is an Apple-branded ARM unit manufactured by Samsung, and the camera's VGA resolution is probably explained by its 3mm thickness -- the iPhone 3G's camera is 6mm, and the nano is only 6.2mm thick at its fattest.
How to explode your brand new PS3 Slim
If you're prone to falling under spells where all you want to do is dismantle your (slightly less) expensive pieces of technology, DIY site IFixIt recently posted a comprehensive manual on how to take the PS3 Slim completely apart. We suppose this article serves three important purposes: It gives a good look at the guts of Sony's new streamlined hardware. It gives modders instructions on how to prepare their consoles for Frankenstein-ation. It teaches Xbox fanboys how to obliterate the PS3 Slim in a showy, $300 act of protest. We hope said article is only used for the first two reasons, but history has taught us that we live in an entirely senseless, illogical world.
iFixit publishes iPhone 3G S teardown
Our screwdriver-happy pals over at iFixit have taken on the iPhone 3G S and the results do not disappoint!The iPhone 3G S doesn't just look like its predecessor externally, the internal physical design is also nearly identical. The location of the components on the main PCB has changed, but the actual physical design is the same,A few highlights: The battery is only 6% larger than that of the iPhone 3G, so increased battery performance probably comes from better hardware and software efficiency. There is an additional antenna connection near the dock connector. iFixit isn't sure what that's for right now, but they'll continue to investigate. According to the iFixit guys, the new screen does seem slightly easier to clean, thanks to its oleophobic technology. Even cooler, Richard Lai (one of our Talkcast regulars, hi Richard!) recorded video of much of the process with an iPhone 3G S! You can check out all the YouTube clips here or view one of the clips by continuing on!
13-inch MacBook Pro gets torn apart
We've only just started playing with our new 13-inch MacBook Pro, but the cats at iFixit have different ideas -- they've already torn one open for your morbid viewing pleasure. Interestingly, battery replacement involves only the removal of a couple tri-wing screws and a sticker, so the situation isn't totally dire, although we'd obviously prefer if Apple had left well enough alone. Other than that and the addition of FireWire and the SD slot, things seem to be about the same as the original unibody MacBook, but don't take our word for it -- hit the read link and feast your eyes.
iPod shuffle teardown: guts weigh just 10% more than sheet of paper
Regular readers, you know the drill: interesting product introduced, product splayed wide for nerdgasm pulp. iFixIt has the honors again, this time aiming its Xacto at the new iPod shuffle. After the usual struggle to open Apple's un-serviceable (by consumers) gear, iFixIt notes that the functioning parts of the 3rd gen shuffle weigh only 10% more than a single sheet of letter-sized paper. Hit that read link for the visual gore -- pretty amazing stuff at this scale. [Via 9to5 Mac]
