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iFixit rips out the Galaxy Note Fan Edition's new battery
Now that Samsung has officially relaunched its troubled Galaxy Note 7 as a "Fan Edition," the folks at iFixit couldn't help but dive back in. As you'd guess, Samsung has chosen to deal with the Note 7's unfortunate tendency to explode by going to the root of the problem -- the battery. By swapping in a 12.32 Wh unit instead of the original 13.48Wh unit, it should have enough room to avoid either of the issues observed previously. The only problems now are that these are only available in South Korea, and the Galaxy Note 8 is right around the corner.
iFixit kit helps with that tricky Retina MacBook Pro battery swap
Gadget repairability is an ongoing issue, one that iFixit has taken on by providing spare parts and manuals for those who want to fix their gear. The company is now offering battery replacement kits for MacBook Pros with Retina Display.
Europe wants iFixit-style product repairability ratings
The European Parliament has approved recommendations for companies to make devices easier to repair and even add labels showing an iFixit-like "score." They also want batteries, LEDs and other critical parts to be removable and not glued in, "so that we do not have to throw away a phone when the battery breaks down," wrote Green MP and author Pascal Durand. This is exactly what groups like Greenpeace and iFixit have been demanding for years, but at this point, it's just a series of recommendations and not law yet.
Amazon's Echo Show hides some meaty speakers
iFixit, the teardown kings, built their reputation by ripping open everything from gaming consoles to iPhones -- much to the chagrin of Apple. Their latest guide sees them taking apart the Amazon Echo Show. Having spent some time with the new Alexa-powered device, we decided we quite like it. But the child trapped inside our adult body that wants to pry open every new gadget and marvel at its insides is admittedly keen to see what lies beneath its bulky exterior.
Greenpeace and iFixit slam smartphone companies over e-waste
Greenpeace likes to keep tabs on tech companies, highlighting where they're going wrong when it comes to clean technology and how they can improve. Earlier this year, the organization released its report on how the IT sector consumes energy and they ranked a number of companies on both their energy consumption practices as well as their transparency. Greenpeace's latest report takes on mobile devices and how repairable companies make their products.
You can replace RAM and processors in new iMacs, but there's a catch
Earlier this week, Apple revealed a fleet of new iMacs -- and as usual, the "teardown" experts at iFixit have started taking them apart. The first to go under the knife is the new 4K, 21.5-inch iMac (which we've already taken out for a brief test run), and the iFixit team found a few surprises. The most notable is that the iMac's RAM isn't soldered directly to the motherboard. That means it is technically replaceable down the line, something that hasn't been the case in a 21.5-inch iMac since 2013.
Recommended Reading: iFixit wants to show you how to repair everything
Meet the $21 Million Company That Thinks a New iPhone Is a Total Waste of Money David Whitford, Inc. We're no stranger to iFixit's in-depth teardowns here at Engadget, but the company has a plan that's much more than ripping apart the latest gadgets to see what's inside. Inc. takes a look at how the the company is helping the masses repair everything from smartphones to kitchen appliances and why they offer guides for doing so free of charge.
iFixit teardown reveals what's inside a Nintendo Switch
Now that Nintendo's newest console is on store shelves you may be familiar with the outside of it, but what's inside? The crew at iFixit has completed its teardown of the Switch, pulling apart the console and those Joy-Con controllers. Within, they predictably came across its NVIDIA Tegra CPU, a total of 4GB of RAM and a 16Wh battery.
Apple's tiny, totally wireless AirPods get meticulously torn down
After having been delayed for months -- for reasons never publicly confirmed, no less -- Apple's AirPods are finally here. And really, what better to way to celebrate one of the most curious delays in Apple history than by tearing those things apart? The folks at iFixit have done just that (as always), and the end result is a fascinating look at $160 worth of meticulously crafted silicon and audio parts. Spoiler alert: there's more glue in them than you'd think.
12 gifts for tireless tinkerers
They say the best gifts are the ones you make yourself. But that doesn't necessarily mean you, the gifter, needs to be doing the assembly. Sometimes the giftee will enjoy building their own present. Over the last several years the maker movement has really taken off. And whether you're shopping for an accomplished builder or someone just looking to get their toes wet, we've got a few suggestions. If there's someone in your life that's super into making everything themselves (and you love them enough to drop $1,000 on a gift for them) consider a 3D printer like the Replicator Mini+ from MakerBot. If a grand is a little extreme for you, consider a simple driver set, like 64-piece one from iFixIt. They'll be able to open up and (hopefully) put anything back together with it. If the creator in your life is more into coding than building, consider a tool like RPG Maker, or for the wee one in your life Ozobot's Evo is an excellent place to start teaching programming skills. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
The new MacBook Pro is more appliance than PC
It almost goes without saying that modern Apple devices are tough to repair or upgrade, but the Touch Bar-equipped MacBook Pro might just take the cake. An iFixit teardown of the 13-inch model reveals that there are even fewer replaceable parts than before. The solid-state drive is embedded on the motherboard (even the non-Touch Bar model has a removable card), to begin with -- whatever capacity you choose is what you'll have for the life of the system. The Touch Bar, as you might guess, isn't exactly easy to replace. And while having a fingerprint reader in the power button is very convenient for sign-ins and purchases, that also makes repairs complicated. The button is tied to a chip on the motherboard (since it needs a secure element), so you can't just slip in an aftermarket component and call it a day.
Google Home teardown confirms two mics and Chromecast's chips
See those parts meticulously laid out in the image above? That's what a Google Home looks like after it's been torn down by iFixit. The team known for dismantling the hottest gadgets has opened up Mountain View's Echo competitor to confirm that it has two microphones. Echo has seven, but Google says Home has the capability to differentiate voice patterns from background noise despite having fewer mics. iFixit also had déjà vu while looking at its parts, because the chips on its motherboard (besides a semi-conductor) appeared in the 2015 version of Chromecast.
Google Pixel XL's modular components can be easily replaced
iFixit gave Google's Pixel XL a middling repairability score of 6 out of 10 partly because its display was poorly assembled. Still, the team found a lot of modular components that can be easily replaced when they cracked Mountain View's new flagship open. They also noted that HTC acted as the perfect silent partner, barely leaving a mark on the device despite manufacturing it for the tech giant. The only indication that HTC was involved is a logo on the XL's battery, which you can peel off -- it's right in the middle of a tab you need to pull if you want to pop the phone's battery out.
iPhone 7 Plus teardown reveals bigger Taptic Engine (update)
iFixit has given Apple's latest plus-sized flagship phone the same treatment it gave its older siblings. It's currently in the midst of tearing down an iPhone 7 Plus, taking it apart piece by piece to give us a more complete picture of what's going on inside that rose gold facade. The team already tore down the part where the headphone jack used to be, and it looks like Apple really didn't make room for the 3.5mm port. That corner of the phone also contains the Taptic Engine, which looks much, much bigger than the one inside the 6s Plus. Makes sense, since the Home button now makes the phone vibrate when you push it.
Samsung Note 7 teardown reveals waterproof components
iFixit, famous destroyer of gadgets for the good of all humankind, has busted out its arsenal of teardown tools to take apart a Samsung Galaxy Note 7. In the team's quest to see every single component inside the phone, they found several sealed components that make the device waterproof. If you'll recall, the phone is rated IP68, which means it can withstand being submerged for up to 30 minutes or five feet underwater. The teardown reveals that the company achieved that rating by protecting the device's headphone jack with a sealing gasket, the speaker with several layers of material and its S Pen chamber with copious amounts of glue, among other measures.
Xbox One S teardown reveals a simpler, speedier design
If you're a console gamer, you've probably been wondering: how did Microsoft manage to shrink the Xbox One S so much compared to its predecessor? And importantly, did it have to make any big sacrifices in the process? iFixit will be more than happy to show you. The DIY repair shop just tore down the Xbox One S, and it's clear that nothing has been lost in the move to a smaller size... in fact, there are a couple of pleasant surprises.
HTC Vive teardown shows it's even easier to fix than Oculus Rift
We've seen the iFixit folks tear apart the Oculus Rift, now they've taken their tools and relentless curiosity to the other big VR player, the HTC Vive. Both headsets are basically just complex containers for two OLED displays, but it's fascinating to see how the companies went about designing them. For example, while they both use fresnel lens designs (which allow for thinner lenses compared to early VR headsets), the Vive's approach relies on its eye relief mechanism to tweak focus, whereas the Rift's curved lenses requires you to move the headset higher or lower on your face for focus.
iFixit tears apart the 9.7-inch iPad Pro
The repair-it-yourself crew at iFixit isn't done prying open Apple's smaller devices. It just finished a teardown of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro that reveals exactly how Cupertino stuffed most of the tablet's larger sibling (plus a bit more) into a more compact frame. As you might have guessed, Apple had to get creative. Where the 12.9-inch model revolved around its four speakers, the 9.7-inch version centers around its 7,306mAh battery (slightly larger than that of the iPad Air 2) and pushes just about everything else to the margins. And there appears to be a good reason for the camera bump -- you're getting the same 12-megapixel optically stabilized camera as in the iPhone 6s Plus, which chews up a lot of internal space.
iFixit shows you what's inside an iPhone SE
Now that Apple has produced an updated small iPhone, naturally the next question is what's inside? iFixit stands at the ready with spudgers, screwdrivers and other tools for their latest teardown. Not just an iPhone 6s in the body of an iPhone 5s, the iPhone SE blends components from both devices, plus some custom pieces to make it all work together. For extra angles, Creative Electron has contributed some X-ray looks at the device while Chipworks drops in their usual detailed breakdown of components.
Oculus Rift teardown reveals an easy-to-fix VR headset
Now that the finished version of the Oculus Rift is here, you might be wondering what's inside and how easily you can replace parts if something goes terribly wrong. You won't have to guess after today, though: the repair-it-yourself crew at iFixit has torn down the virtual reality headset. The production model isn't quite as easy to fix as the original developer version due to its "intricate design," but it's still accessible -- if an earpiece breaks, you might have a chance at replacing it on your own.