iFixit is currently in the processing of tearing down the new iPad mini — a full day before the tiny tablet goes on sale in Apple retail stores the world over. Having already torn down the iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch, iFixit hasn’t too many surprises with the iPad mini; it’s just as difficult to get into as its siblings, and not at all easy to repair.
To Amazon’s displeasure, the teardown has also confirmed the presence of stereo — not mono — speakers, a Samsung display, and more.
Apple has reportedly been working to avoid Samsung’s components wherever possible, but it is still utilizing the Korean company’s LCD panels for the iPad mini. The device boasts the same display resolution as the iPad 2 (1024×768), but the pixels are packed into a 7.9-inch panel as opposed to a 9.7-inch one. While it may not be a Retina display, then, it is a little crisper.
Getting into the iPad mini is just as difficult as getting into any other iPad: First the adhesive that holds the glass in place must be heated up until it’s loose enough to be pried away from the device. Fortunately, the glass digitizer is not part of the LCD display — it’s a separate component — which means repairs shouldn’t be as difficult or as costly.
The same can’t be said about the Lightning connector, however. That’s soldered to the logic board, so if it breaks or fails, the entire logic board would need to be replaced. And those don’t come cheap. In fact, Apple would probably just replace your device rather than attempting to fix the port.
The battery isn’t soldered to the logic board, however — like it is in the new iPod nano — so that’s not so hard to replace.
Here’s a list of chips iFixit has found on the logic board:
- Apple A5 processor
- Hynix H2JTDG8UD2MBR 16 GB NAND Flash
- Apple 343S0593-A5
- Apple 338S1116 is unknown at this time, and was also seen in the iPod Touch 5th Generation. It appears similar to the Apple 338S1117 found in the iPhone 5)
- Two Fairchild PCHPS FDMC 6676BZ
- Fairchild BC7BE F0MC 6683
iFixit’s teardown is still in progress. Please refresh this page for updates.
Source: iFixit
