iPad mini teardown finds Samsung LCD, design cues taken from iPhone 5

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
A dissection of Apple's new iPad mini has revealed the device shares design choices and parts with the recently redesigned iPhone 5.

Mini teardown


In its teardown of the iPad mini, iFixit found the device has a large metal plate behind its screen held in place by 16 screws. Similar plates were found in the iPhone 5, as well as the new fifth-generation iPod touch, which led the repair experts to conclude the plate is a "new iDevice design convention."

The metal frame behind the screen is so small that it and the connector covers have enough metal to "forge at least two ? maybe three ? paperclips."

Mini teardown


Upon removing the thin panel, the first exposed integrated circuit is the Murata 339S0171 Wi-Fi module ? a component that is also found inside the iPhone 5.

The integrated circuits controlling the display reveal the LCD panel was built by Samsung. Apple is said to be looking to buy components from companies other than Samsung, which is a chief rival, but the Korean electronics maker was also the sole supplier of LCD panels for the third-generation iPad Retina display earlier this year.

Mini teardown


The disassembly also confirmed that the iPad mini does have stereo speakers. By replacing the 30-pin dock connector with the smaller Lightning port, Apple has "just enough space" to squeeze in a second speaker.

Antennas are also found atop each speaker in the iPad mini, presumably for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The speakers are held in place by what iFixit said are some of the smallest screws they have ever seen.

Mini teardown


The Lightning connector was also found to be soldered to the logic board in the iPad mini, a change from the dock connector in the third-generation iPad that would make repairs "very expensive."

The full list of chips found on the logic board are:
  • Apple A5 processor
  • Hynix H2JTDG8UD2MBR 16 GB NAND Flash
  • Apple 343S0593-A5
  • Apple 338S1116 ? an unknown chip found also found in the fifth-generation iPod touch; appears similar to Apple 338S1117 found in iPhone 5
  • Fairchild PCHPS FDMC 6676BZ
  • Fairchild BC7BE F0MC 6683
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    Can't wait to get mine and NOT take it apart.
  • Reply 2 of 27
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member


    "Design cues taken from iPhone 5" sounds like you mean external design cues, which doesn't need a teardown to be seen. (internal-design cues, you meant to say)

  • Reply 3 of 27
    ifij775ifij775 Posts: 470member
    The speaker on my "New iPad" is pathetic, another speaker was a smart move. Hopefully, together they can put out about twice the volume.
  • Reply 4 of 27
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member


    Is Samsung the only one in the world capable of making in cell LCD panels??  Apple must be desperate to still buy from them.  With Sony and Panasonic at record lost, cant the approach them to make some LCD's? 


     


    I dont understand it, unless its just luck and those panels come from various suppliers and Apple need all the screens they can get there hands on.

  • Reply 5 of 27


    Originally Posted by ifij775 View Post

    The speaker on my "New iPad" is pathetic…




    I wouldn't imagine it being worse than the first iPad's speaker, which is quite good.


     


    It's not going to be audiophile quality.

  • Reply 6 of 27
    ssquirrelssquirrel Posts: 1,196member


    Funny my iPhone 4S can be heard from other rooms when I crank it up.  My iPad is the same.  I haven't ever had a problem w/the volume level.

  • Reply 7 of 27
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post




    I wouldn't imagine it being worse than the first iPad's speaker, which is quite good.


     


    It's not going to be audiophile quality.



     


    I've owned all iPads, bar the mini, and I wouldn't call the speaker on iPad 1 "quite good", ever. You could call them "surprising" or "not too bad" etc., but 'quite good' is a different matter. The Verge calls the minis' speakers "good-sounding set of stereo speakers", which is find interesting, because Josh is usually tough when rating audio - he gave them a 9/10 (he gave the 4th gen iPad speakers 8/10). I'll be interested to hear them when my friend brings over her mini.

  • Reply 8 of 27
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SSquirrel View Post


    Funny my iPhone 4S can be heard from other rooms when I crank it up.  My iPad is the same.  I haven't ever had a problem w/the volume level.



     


    It depends on what sort of podcasts you listen to and where you listen to them, i.e. while you cooking in the kitchen it can be hard to hear the voices, which I didn't have a problem hearing through my AirPlay speaker. (Loewe AirSpeaker, which I returned because of unreliability.)

  • Reply 9 of 27
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by herbapou View Post


    Is Samsung the only one in the world capable of making in cell LCD panels??  Apple must be desperate to still buy from them.  With Sony and Panasonic at record lost, cant the approach them to make some LCD's? 


     


    I dont understand it, unless its just luck and those panels come from various suppliers and Apple need all the screens they can get there hands on.



     


    Lots of times, especially when no bleeding edge technology is in play as is the case here, they will source screens from multiple suppliers.  Which particular screen is inside the particular iPad mini opened up by iFixit may or may not be representative of anything.  They may have only sourced 1% of the screens from Samsung and yet iFixit may have obtained one of those to open.  

  • Reply 10 of 27

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post




    I wouldn't imagine it being worse than the first iPad's speaker, which is quite good.


     


    It's not going to be audiophile quality.



     


     


    Oh please, compared to AM radios the ipad sounds good.  Compared to the Kindle Fire HD, ipad speakers suck. 

  • Reply 11 of 27

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by herbapou View Post


    Is Samsung the only one in the world capable of making in cell LCD panels??  Apple must be desperate to still buy from them.  With Sony and Panasonic at record lost, cant the approach them to make some LCD's? 


     


    I dont understand it, unless its just luck and those panels come from various suppliers and Apple need all the screens they can get there hands on.



     


    Yes, that's why Apple is buying from them. No other company can build them as well and as fast, as Samsung.

  • Reply 12 of 27

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ifij775 View Post



    The speaker on my "New iPad" is pathetic, another speaker was a smart move. Hopefully, together they can put out about twice the volume.


     


    I agree, the speaker on my "new iPad" was surprisingly poor. I always thought a lot of it was because of the fact that the rounded design of the casing causes the sound to be directed away from you. The fact the mini will have stereo speakers and they will be pointed towards the listerner more should help a lot.

  • Reply 13 of 27
    ssquirrelssquirrel Posts: 1,196member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


     


    It depends on what sort of podcasts you listen to and where you listen to them, i.e. while you cooking in the kitchen it can be hard to hear the voices, which I didn't have a problem hearing through my AirPlay speaker. (Loewe AirSpeaker, which I returned because of unreliability.)



     


    I don't listen to podcasts, pretty much entirely music.  Back in March I flipped my phone upside down in my shirt pocket and used it like a transistor radio listening to NCAA March Madness games as I drove.  Didn't have any problems there either.  If you're really worried about hearing things well, use headphones.  I don't remember the model number on these Logitech in-ears, but they're working pretty well for me.

  • Reply 14 of 27
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Russell View Post


     


    Yes, that's why Apple is buying from them. No other company can build them as well and as fast, as Samsung.



    with the R&D and manufacturing paid for by Apple, thank you.

  • Reply 15 of 27
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    herbapou wrote: »
    Is Samsung the only one in the world capable of making in cell LCD panels??  Apple must be desperate to still buy from them.  With Sony and Panasonic at record lost, cant the approach them to make some LCD's? 

    I dont understand it, unless its just luck and those panels come from various suppliers and Apple need all the screens they can get there hands on.

    Apple is probably getting them from multiple sources, and this one just happens to be a Samsung.
  • Reply 16 of 27
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Russell View Post


     


     


    Oh please, compared to AM radios the ipad sounds good.  Compared to the Kindle Fire HD, ipad speakers suck. 





    Oh please, compared to real speakers, all tablet speakers suck.  So what's your point?



    I mean really.  Do people have that high of expectations to expect serious stereo sounds from any device that's so small?  Come on people, there are seriously more important things to worry about.



    You want real sound, use your headphones or airplay the darn thing through your "real" stereo system.  I have real-world standards, you should do the same.

  • Reply 17 of 27
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SSquirrel View Post


    Funny my iPhone 4S can be heard from other rooms when I crank it up.  My iPad is the same.  I haven't ever had a problem w/the volume level.



     


    Apple should have a gain switch, that allows people to crank up the volume beyond max, because certain apps are low in volume.


     


    I watch live TV through my iPad sometimes, using the Time Warner app, and certain TV channels are simply not loud enough, even at full volume. They're ridiculously low. Now, that may be the app's fault or the TV channel's fault, but regardless, I should be able to crank up the volume more, when running into those situations where the volume is not acceptable and a boost is required.

  • Reply 18 of 27
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Cpsro View Post


    with the R&D and manufacturing paid for by Apple, thank you.



     


    If Apple was so great, why dont they make it themselves? 

  • Reply 19 of 27
    sensisensi Posts: 346member
    cpsro wrote: »
    with the R&D and manufacturing paid for by Apple, thank you.
    As ludicrous as false...
  • Reply 20 of 27


    Originally Posted by Galbi View Post

    If Apple was so great, why dont they make it themselves? 




    Can I use this later for every industry on the face of the planet?

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