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Amazon Fire TV teardown reveals an easily accessible media hub
We've already established that Amazon's Fire TV is a capable (if imperfect) set-top box, but how hard is it to replace components if they conk out? Not very, if you ask iFixit. The repair outfit has torn down the device and discovered that it's very simply built -- there are very few parts, and a regular screwdriver is enough to take apart the internals. The power supply is separate, too. Amazon's media hub isn't quite a fix-it-yourself paradise, though. It's tricky to remove the outer case, and the single circuit board inside will be expensive to replace. Still, it's good to know that the Fire TV isn't much more difficult to maintain than its big rival.
New HTC One teardown reveals it's a pain to repair, just like the last One
While most people would be happy to have a new HTC One (M8) to play with, our friends at iFixit aren't "most people," and they're back doing what they do best: reducing gadgets to component confetti. Having said the necessary prayers and got to work, iFixit was delighted to find screws holding the main body together -- an omen of repairability, perhaps? The situation quickly "turned ugly," as a mass of tape and copper shielding had to be removed, only to expose a glue-fixed motherboard. Other components and the battery were found to be glued just as liberally, and having finally reached the display, iFixit accidentally cut the digitizer cable, essentially breaking it. It'll probably be of no surprise, given the narrative, that the new HTC One scored a measly two out of ten on the repairability scale, due to teardown difficulty and risk of damage. It's an improvement, at least, over the old HTC One's score -- iFixit didn't have the super-secret tool, mind -- but it's probably best you keep your M8 out of trouble all the same.
The original Macintosh 128K gets torn asunder by iFixit
The disassembly ninjas at iFixit are usually focused on splitting open the newest gadgets to see what's inside. Today, in honor of the Mac's 30th birthday, they've turned their tools on a thing from the past: the original Macintosh 128K. As is to be expected, there weren't any wild revelations regarding the 128K's innards when given the full teardown treatment. However, iFixit found that the old machine, perhaps unsurprisingly, is much easier to tinker with than its modern counterpart, the iMac, thanks to an uncomplicated interior design and the fact that it doesn't have any adhesive, anywhere. Before you go diving into your old machine, however, be careful, as both the power supply and CRT run at voltages high enough to fry careless would-be modders. Want to see all of the OG Mac's innards for yourself? The source has got what you need.
iFixIt tears down the original Mac 128k
In honor of the Mac turning 30, the teardown experts at iFixIt took it upon themselves to tear open the original Mac daddy, the Mac 128k. They even put together this clever and '80s-themed teardown/review video. Now given that Apple today does all it can to keep tinkerers from prying open its devices, from iMacs to iPhones, you may be surprised to hear that the original Mac received a reparability score of 7 out of 10 (with 10 being the easiest to repair). By way of contrast, the iPad Air has a laughably low repairability score of 2. Apple's late-2012 iMac, meanwhile, has a repairability score of 3.
Mac Pro teardown reveals simple repair process and upgradeable CPU
The new Mac Pro's highly customized design may look like it's a pain to fix, but don't be fooled -- it's friendlier than you think. An iFixit teardown of the workstation has revealed that it's easy to take apart, and that several components can be replaced without going through Apple. It's also more upgradeable than you'd expect. iFixit has confirmed OWC's discovery that the Xeon processor is replaceable, saving buyers over $1,000 if they splurge on a 12-core chip. Other findings? The PCI Express-based SSD looks very familiar, and the entire system is very power efficient; despite the high-end CPU and dual graphics cards, the Mac Pro only needs a 450W power supply. No one will mistake Apple's machine for an easily expandable gaming rig, but it's clearly built with serviceability in mind.
Teardown suggests Xbox One manufacturing cost of $471
The Xbox One costs Microsoft $471 to build, according to a hardware teardown and analysis by research firm IHS. IHS also cracked open the PlayStation 4 to find that Sony spends $381 building its latest home console. The bill of materials for the Xbox One amounts to $457, with the assembly and manufacturing of the system estimated at $14. IHS says that the Xbox One's Kinect camera adds $75 to the total cost of the Xbox One, including assembly, $11 more expensive than the original Kinect's bill of materials and manufacturing costs. Among the other components that factor in to the system's cost for Microsoft is a Blu-Ray drive manufactured by Lite-On that accounts for $32 of the Xbox One's bill of materials, and the system's $25 external power supply unit.
Xbox One teardown uncovers off-the-shelf components, standard-sized hard drive
A thorough undressing of Microsoft's Xbox One by iFixit revealed that the console uses a variety of common off-the-shelf hardware components, including a standard-sized hard drive for storage. iFixit notes that the Xbox One is equipped with a standard SATA II, 2.5-inch, 500GB Samsung Spinpoint ST500LM012 hard drive with an 8MB cache. Contrasting the proprietary hard drive casings used by the Xbox 360 and the recent Xbox 360 "slim" model, off-the-shelf replacements for the Xbox One's drive are readily available. Replacing the unit could prove difficult, however, as accessing the Xbox One's hard drive involves prying open the console and removing its Wi-Fi component and system speaker assembly. iFixit was unable to determine whether the Xbox One will recognize an unformatted replacement drive, however, so it's worth waiting for Microsoft's promised USB storage support before busting out the crowbar on your new hardware. iFixit's ongoing teardown additionally revealed that the Xbox One uses standard Torx screws, SATA connectors, and other easily-replaced components, possibly aiding future repairs and maintenance.
Xbox One teardown reveals replaceable hard drive, off-the-shelf parts
The chip-obsessed gadget archaeologists at iFixit already have an Xbox One, and they're already ripping it apart. Those monsters! While they're not done dissecting and analyzing every single piece just yet, they've already found some interesting tidbits: for one, the Xbox One's 500GB HDD is a standard SATA II 2.5-in. (of the Samsung Spinpoint variety, with an 8MB cache). Sure, you'll have to pry open the system and carefully remove the Wifi and system speaker assembly to swap it out the HDD for a larger size, but if you're willing to void the warranty and get up in there, serious storage is at your fingertips. While you're inside the Xbox One, you may also notice the amount of easy to replace, standard hardware. It's true: 64 mm Torx screws hold the Xbox One's internals together and a SATA data connector pairs the Blu-ray/DVD drive to the motherboard. As iFixit's teardown is still in action, they've yet to determined its repairability. And should they find out any dark secrets about the console in the process, we'll keep you updated. Update: iFixit awarded the Xbox One an 8 out of 10 repairability rating, placing it in the same easily repairable world as the PlayStation 4. [Image credit: iFixit]
PS4 costs $381 to make, according to hardware teardown
The PlayStation 4 costs $381 for Sony to build, $18 under its retail price of $399. The figure comes from a hardware teardown by research firm IHS that included the bill of materials, which amounts to $372, as well as per-unit cost of assembly in the assessment. The teardown notes that the system's processor and memory account for about half of the cost of the entire console at $188, and that the PS4's 500 GB hard drive is $1 cheaper than the 120 GB one found in the PS3, thanks to the "major decline in HDD costs during the past four years." Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House said in August that the system "will not generate anything like the losses we did for the PlayStation 3," which amounted to $3.5 billion in 2007 and 2008, after the PS3 launched in November 2006 for $599. IHS' teardown of the PS3 at the time found that the system cost Sony $805, and the company still lost roughly $40 per system as of December 2009. The PS4 is off to a good start, as Sony sold one million units in the console's first day at retail. Sony addressed a few issues with launch systems, estimating that the number of problematic PS4 consoles is less than one percent of those shipped.
PlayStation 4 teardown voids the warranty so you don't have to (update: quite repairable)
Not content with Sony's official teardown of the PlayStation 4, iFixit has started work on its own thorough analysis of the console's internals. The dissection isn't complete yet, but early evidence shows that Sony is using standard measures to deter modders and tinkerers, including security screws and lengthy passages in the user guide about how "analysis" of the PS4's components is "not authorized." (With the replaceable hard drive being an awkward exception.) Now, this happens to be exactly the sort of language that gets up iFixit's nose, and it could well hurt the PS4's score for repairability and recyclability. The site also reports a potential issue with the HDMI port, spotted earlier by Kotaku, in which a small metal obstruction in front of the port on some units could potentially stop video output if you're not careful when you first plug in your cable (although the HDMI pins can apparently be bent back into position). In any case, we'll update this post as soon as the experts have splayed everything out and come to a verdict. Update: Though you might expect a low repairability score from a gaming console -- especially in a smallish case like Sony's Playstation 4 -- iFixit gave it eight out of 10. All things considered, that's an excellent mark, which the teardown site chalked up to the absence of adhesives and a non-proprietary, user-replaceable hard drive. Security screws and tamper seals put a slight damper on things, but the biggest markdown came from a sharp mid-plane which resulted in a cut finger. Naturally, the site included a pic of said wound, adding that "we wear our repair scars with pride."
Retina iPad mini teardown uncovers giant battery, iPhone-class A7 chip
Many were no doubt caught off-guard by Apple's not-quite-surprise release of the iPad mini with Retina Display, but iFixit was clearly prepared -- it has already torn down the tiny tablet. The device isn't just a shrunken iPad Air, according to the repair shop. It now includes a (relatively) massive 24.3Whr, dual-cell battery that represents a huge upgrade over the 16.3Whr unit of the original mini. The A7 processor is also the low-power version from the iPhone 5s rather than the souped-up chip found in the Air. iFixit isn't a fan of the Retina iPad mini from a repair standpoint, scoring it two out of 10; there's still gobs of adhesive that would complicate most fixes, the company says. It's unlikely that you'll replace any parts yourself, then, but there's still plenty of juicy details available at the source link.
Here's the first PS4 teardown video
Here's Yasuhiro Ootori, director of Sony's engineering department, breaking down the PlayStation 4 into its various components. Unlike the time we did this to the family television as children, we're pretty sure he knows how to put it back together again.
Sony tears down the PlayStation 4 in the hope you'll line up to get one
Sony may not ship the PlayStation 4 to North American stores for days, but we already know what it looks like on the inside thanks to one of Sony's occasional in-house teardowns. In photos and a video for Wired, engineering lead Yashuhiro Ootori dissects a retail console down to its motherboard; he offers glimpses of the custom AMD processor, its companion chip (for standby mode) and a stealthy WiFi antenna. There are good looks at the cooling and storage systems, too. We suspect that there will be more thorough inspections once the PS4 is available -- this is partly a sales pitch, after all. Still, the early primer should be valuable for curious gamers.
Nexus 5 torn down, easily put back together again
There are few things worse than doing a full product teardown, only to find that, well, you're not likely to get that thing back in one piece anytime soon. By all accounts, however, it was pretty smooth sailing for the folks at iFixit when they took the new Nexus 5 to the surgical whitebox (one utterance of the word "flustercluck" aside), ultimately awarding the LG-made handset an 8 out of 10 for repairability. That high score comes thanks to a modular design that allows for the relatively easy replacement of things like the headphone jack and speakers. The screws here are standard and the adhesive is "mild." Looks like we've got a night of minor surgery ahead of us.
iFixit takes an iPad Air apart, of course
Sales of the iPad Air kicked off today, which means it is time for another iFixit teardown analysis. Right on schedule, the repair shop has divulged all the secrets contained inside Apple's latest tablet device. The iPad Air sports stereo speakers, 1 GB of DDR3 SDRAM and a pair of Broadcom Touch Screen controllers that are similar to the ones found in MacBook trackpads. Though it sports an A7 processor just like the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air has a slightly different version of the A7. The A7 in the Air is labeled as Apple APL5698, while the iPhone's CPU is labeled the APL0698. It is unknown if there are any functional differences between the models. In the end, iFixit gave the iPad Air a 2 out of 10 for repairability. The LCD is relatively easy to remove and the battery is not soldered to the logic board. Beyond that, the iPad is not hacker-friendly. The unit is held together with a lot of adhesive, and some parts, like the front panel connector, are buried under other parts.
iFixit tears apart Apple's new iPad Air
Apple's new lighter and thinner full-sized iPad has only just embarked on its world tour and already the intrepid teardown specialists at iFixit have had the thing in pieces. So, what's the verdict? Like its older sibling, the iPad mini, the iPad Air didn't perform too well on the repairability scale, scoring two out of 10. To be fair, Apple has ensured that the LCD and front glass are separate components, aiding any future replacements, with LG supplying a thinner display for this particular model. However, while the two-cell battery isn't soldered tight, iFixit maintains that the liberal application of adhesive makes it one of its most "difficult battery removal procedures to date." With a combination of glue and sticky tape hindering access to the Air's internals, Apple ensures at-home repairs are less than ideal, but that won't affect your decision to purchase one, right?
iFixit tears apart Apple's new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro
It's only been a couple of days since Apple released its shiny new MacBook Pros and iFixit has already torn them apart, in more ways than one. Just like its older sibling, the new 13-inch Retina notebook didn't perform that well on the repairability scale, scoring a one out of 10 -- dropping one point from its predecessor's less than impressive two. That's largely down to the same restrictions as before: a glued battery that has been positioned to cover important screws, a Retina display that is fused inside a whole unit, soldered RAM and a non-standard SSD drive. Apple's also reduced the size of the battery, relying on Intel's Haswell processor and Mavericks' improved power management to boost battery life. The same fate befalls the 15-inch model, meaning it'll be almost impossible to upgrade either of Apple's latest notebooks when they start suffering from the effects of entropy.
Surface Pro 2 teardown reveals an especially tricky repair
iFixit wasn't a fan of the original Surface Pro's poor serviceability, and its opinion isn't changing much with the Surface Pro 2. The fix-it-yourself shop has rated Microsoft's newest tablet a 1 out of 10 for repairability after finding that many of the previous model's challenges still exist. The slate's display is very difficult to remove, and assemblers have glued numerous key components (including the battery) into place. More than 90 screws fasten down whatever's left. As iFixit notes, the Haswell-based processor is the biggest difference here -- virtually all of the battery life and performance improvements come from the CPU upgrade. If you're curious to see exactly what has changed, or just want to delight in iFixit's suffering, you'll find the full teardown at the source link.
Google cracks open Project Loon's antennas, explains balloon delivered internet (video)
Google has done an admirable job of demystifying Project Loon (that ambitious broadband-via-atmospheric-balloon initiative), but its latest video takes it a step further: tearing apart one of its blimp-tracking antennas and explaining how it works. Every unit houses a radio, what Google is calling "radiating elements" and a disc-shaped reflector. This reflector has to be circular to boost the antenna's off-angle sensitivity, which enables the receiver to maintain an even signal with Project Loon's drifting internet-carriers. Now that the search giant has proven its concept works, it's focusing on improving performance for the next round of hardware.
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX (7-inch) teardown finds few easily repairable parts
We hope you weren't planning to repair the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX yourself; a new iFixit teardown has revealed that Amazon's tablet isn't very serviceable. While it's easy to replace minor components like the headphone jack, major elements are fused together. You'll have to remove the motherboard to replace the battery, for instance. There aren't many surprising part choices inside the HDX, either, although we now know that LG supplies the 1,920 x 1,200 display. If you're still determined to fix Amazon's tablet -- or are just curious as to how it works -- you'll want to visit the source link.
