iFixit tears into iPad Mini, finds assembly a lot like iPod Touch
The site got an early shipment and examined the device as soon as it could. One of its initial findings is many parts in the device truly are mini -- including the battery and the screws.
The site has found a lot of assembly similarities to the
One big difference from the iPod Touch is the battery's installation. iFixit notes the iPad Mini "inherited the connector-fastened battery from its larger sibling, not the soldered-in battery found in the iPod Touch."
The battery itself is a little confusing to the site, though. Apple specifies the battery as 16.3Wh, but the teardown shows it could be 16.5Wh or 16.9Wh. But whatever the actual specifications, it's much smaller than the larger iPad's. The third-generation iPad sported a 43Wh battery, while the iPad 2 had a 25Wh battery.
Along with the small battery, screws in the tablet are also smaller than previous devices, including the
Other findings include that the glass is easier to remove than in previous iPad teardowns. However, Apple has a couple hidden screws securing the display, and there's a large metal plate below the display that's held in place with about 16 screws.
iFixit notes it found similar plates in the fifth-generation iPod Touch and the iPhone 5, so it appears to be a new device design convention.
It also confirms that the Mini contains stereo speakers, one factor that outperforms the still-mono Retina iPad.
iFixit notes the iPad Mini "does well in the camera department." Most hardware closely matches the iPad 2, but the cameras in the Mini match those found in the Retina iPad.
And unlike the third-generation iPad's dock connector, the Mini's Lightning port is permanently fixed to the logic board. That design decision will make certain repairs very expensive, iFixit says.
As for the component suppliers exposed so far, there are some familiar names -- including Samsung. Apple has been trying to reduce its reliance on its rival, but iFixit finds Samsung is supplying the display for the iPad Mini. Another repeat supplier is Broadcom, as well as Fairchild Semiconductor. Hynix is another supplier.
The A5 processor also has the same amount of RAM -- 512 MB -- as the latest iPod Touch.
Ultimately, iFixit concludes the iPad Mini is pretty difficult to repair. It garners a ranking of 2 on a scale of 10 for repairability, with 10 being the easiest.
Updated at 11:40 a.m. PT with the final results from the teardown.