Inside Look: iFixit's Detailed Teardown of the Latest iPad Air
Explore the intricate engineering and repairability insights of the newest iPad Air as revealed by iFixit's comprehensive teardown.
Everyone is familiar with the skilled team at iFixit who meticulously dismantle every Apple product. Their efforts allow us to see beyond the sleek exterior and delve into the internal architecture of Apple devices. For everyday users, this peek inside is invaluable since the internal components are otherwise inaccessible.
This time, iFixit has taken apart the new iPad Air — Apple's latest full-sized tablet that is significantly smaller, thinner, and lighter than its predecessor. From an engineering perspective, it’s fascinating to see how Apple managed to fit all the components into such a slim chassis. Let's also evaluate how repair-friendly this new iPad really is.
1. Packaging
2. Bottom Edge of the Device
3. The Adhesive Challenge
As usual, Apple uses a generous amount of adhesive to securely hold the device's components in place, making disassembly a challenging task.
4. Carefully Prying Open
5. Removing the Screen Screws
Special screws must be unscrewed to lift off the screen safely.
6. The Legendary Battery
Underneath the screen lies the renowned battery powering the iPad Air for countless hours. It’s a 3.7V, 32.9Wh battery — smaller than the previous model’s 43Wh battery, yet Apple has managed to maintain or even improve battery life. Impressive engineering indeed.
7. Display Specifications
Apple states that the new iPad's display specs remain unchanged from its predecessor, but the panel itself is 20% thinner. This model features an LG display panel.
8. Shared Components with iPad Mini
Several internal parts, such as this connector, are directly borrowed from the iPad mini.
9. Front Glass Removal
Carefully removing the front glass reveals a new cable for the Home button, even though it lacks a Touch ID sensor — a feature still exclusive to the iPhone 5s for now.
10. Adhesive on the Back Panel
The back side is also secured with strong adhesive, requiring patience and precision to open.
11. Extracting Internal Components
The technician remarked, “This is the most difficult battery removal I've ever encountered.”
12. SIM Tray Removal
Using some deft techniques, the SIM tray is carefully extracted.
13. Battery Connector Under the Motherboard
The battery connects to the motherboard via a connector hidden beneath the main board — a design choice that raises concerns about repairability.
14. Battery Removal Challenges
Removing the battery produces creaking sounds reminiscent of a haunted house door.
15. Moving to the Exciting Parts
Inside, you'll find:
- Apple A7 APL5698 processor, a variant from the iPhone 5s A7 APL0698;
- 1GB LPDDR3 SDRAM by Elpida F8164A1MD;
- 16GB NAND flash memory from Toshiba THGBX2G7B2JLA01;
- M7 co-processor NXP LPC18A1;
- Apple 343S0655-A1 power management chip;
- Wi-Fi module USI 339S0213;
- Audio codec Apple 338S1116 Cirrus, also used in the iPhone 5c.
16. Touchscreen Controller Module
Broadcom BCM5976C1KUB6G handles the touch input management.
17. Cellular Communication Modules
The iPad Air’s cellular connectivity includes:
- Qualcomm M9615M LTE processor;
- TriQuint TQF6514 RF power amplifier module;
- Three Skyworks SKY77-series LTE signal amplifiers;
- Two Avago A79-series LTE signal amplifiers;
- LG 227 antenna switch module;
- Qualcomm WTR1605L transceiver supporting LTE/HSPA+/CDMA/EDGE/GPS;
- Qualcomm PM8018 PMIC chip.
18. Lightning Connector and Antennas
Disconnecting the lightning connector also detaches the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas. Utilizing two Wi-Fi antennas with MIMO technology, Apple promises Wi-Fi speeds twice as fast on the iPad Air.
19. Front FaceTime Camera
20. Speakers and Headphone Jack
Two built-in speakers and the headphone jack are carefully removed.
21. Main 5MP Camera Module
The final component to be removed is the primary 5-megapixel camera.
22. Fully Disassembled iPad Air
Overall, iFixit gave the new iPad Air a low score for repairability due to the difficulty in removing many components, especially the battery. As everyday users, we hope our devices stay trouble-free, but if repairs are ever needed, it’s reassuring to know the experts will handle it. After all, repairs can be complex and are best left to professionals.
Based on iFixit’s detailed teardown analysis.
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