Cracking open Apple's iPad (photos)

CNET Networks site TechRepublic runs a regular series called "Cracking Open" in which it takes a look inside a variety of gadgets. CNET is publishing this excerpt of a photo gallery that examines the innards of Apple's iPad touch-screen tablet device.

The Apple iPad's box is surprisingly thick for such a thin device.

Within the box, we found the Apple iPad itself, a USB wall power adapter, standard Apple docking cable, a bit of documentation, and a few Apple logo stickers.

As with the iPod Touch and iPhone, cracking open the Apple iPad began with me sliding a thin metal blade between the glass front panel and the metal case. The front panel is secured with small metal clips that are screwed to the underside of the front panel. You'll find these clips along the top, bottom, and left side of the front panel. The right side has hard plastic tabs that fit into slots on the metal case.

Yes. That is a spatula you see on the table. Its extremely thin, flexible metal blade was perfect for slipping between the iPad's metal case and front panel.

With the tabs popped loose, we can gently separate the front panel from the case, but not completely.

There are three cables that connect the front panel to components within the metal case.

One short ribbon cable, connects the ambient light sensor to the main logic board. A second, thinner ribbon cable connects the digitizer to the main board. And a third, thicker cable connects the display and LED backlight to the main board.

With the two ribbon cables removed, we get our first look inside the Apple iPad. Wow! Look at those batteries.

Separating the two halves of the Apple iPad.

Two halves of the Apple iPad.

Here you can see the markings on the Apple iPad's (1024x786) LCD display.

The Apple iPad's 3.75V, 24.8 watt-hour battery provides the power for an advertised 10 hours of average use.

In the top righthand corner of the metal case, you'll find the on/off or sleep/wake button, the screen rotation lock switch, and the volume up/down button.

At the bottom of the metal case, you'll find the speaker assembly, two speakers, data port, connector pins for the Home button, and one of the antennas.

You must remove the thin metal shield from the main logic board to see the Apple iPad's processor and memory chips.

With the metal shield removed, you can see the Apple iPad's A4 processor, two large Samsung NAND Flash memory chips, a Broadcom I/O controller, and chips from Texas Instruments and NXP.

The markings on the A4 processor are: N26GUOF 1007 K4X2G643GE JGC8 APL0398 33950084 YNL185A3 1004

The markings on the Samsung chips are: 952 K9LCG08U1M-LCB0 FAKG08X1

The markings on the Texas Instruments chip is: CD3240A1 02A0KET?C1

The markings on the Broadcom I/O controller are: BCM5973KFBGH HS0951 P11 951295 B1 APPLE 343S0446

The markings (at least those I can see) on the NXP chip are: L06 01 ZSD951

This connector did not have a cable attached to it on our iPad. Perhaps it will in the 3G version released in late April.