Teardown of new $199 16GB iPod touch finds same design & parts as 32GB & 64GB models

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited June 2014
Apple's refresh of the 16-gigabyte iPod touch this week brings the newly price $199 media player in line with its larger-capacity brethren, including the same internal design and an identical rear facing iSight camera, a teardown of the device has revealed.




After getting its hands on the new 16-gigabyte iPod touch, iFixit proceeded to dismantle it, revealing any secrets it may have inside. It turns out, however, that there weren't any surprises, as the new model appears identical to the 32- and 64-gigabyte versions, aside from sporting half the available flash memory.

Apple's surprise update on Thursday brought the 16-gigabyte media player in line with the larger models, namely giving it a 5-megapixel rear camera, and also making it available in a total of six colors. The new $199 iPod touch, coming in $30 less than its rear-camera-less predecessor, also offers a button for the iPod touch loop, but the strap is sold separately for $9.




The new iPod touch has the model number "A1421" on the back, which is the same as the higher-capacity versions. All three fifth-generation iPod touch models now come in black, space grey, pink, yellow, blue, and (Product)RED.

All three models also include the A5 processor with 512 megabytes of integrated RAM. The internal radios are capable of 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, while the 5-megapixel camera captures 1080p video. A forward-facing FaceTime camera also captures 720p video.




The unit's logic board, FaceTime camera, battery, Lightning connector, headphone jack, speaker and home button are all found on a single cable within the compact device.

The full list of integrated chips found on the logic board are:
  • Apple A5 dual-core processor, with 4 Gb (512 MB) of Elpida Mobile DDR2 RAM, denoted by the B4064B3PM silkscreen label
  • Toshiba THGBX3G7D2KLA0C 128 Gb (16 GB) NAND flash
  • Apple 338S1064-B1 dialog power management IC (similar to the Apple 338S1131)

  • Murata 339S0171 Wi-Fi module
  • Broadcom BCM5976 touchscreen controller
  • 338S1146 Apple/Cirrus Logic audio codec
  • STMicroelectronics AGD4 2336 L84DC low-power, three-axis gyroscope
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 39
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    It's good that Apple lowered the prices for additional RAM, but isn't an A5 a little bit old today?

     

    I mean, soon there will be an A8 chip coming out in a few months.

  • Reply 2 of 39
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    apple ][ wrote: »
    It's good that Apple lowered the prices for additional RAM, but isn't an A5 a little bit old today?

    I mean, soon there will be an A8 chip coming out in a few months.
    I still think we may see a new touch this fall. If not then I have to believe Apple is slowly trying to kill off the iPod line and push people to the cheapest iPhone and wearables (to replace the nano and shuffle).
  • Reply 3 of 39
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,796member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

     

    It's good that Apple lowered the prices for additional RAM, but isn't an A5 a little bit old today?

     

    I mean, soon there will be an A8 chip coming out in a few months.


     

    I think with iWatch coming, the iPod will go away. Its revenues are pretty much the lowest in Apple's stable every quarter and with people buying iPhones, iPads, and iWatches (assuming it will support some type of music) there really won't be a need for it since iPod is in all of those devices already. 

  • Reply 4 of 39
    dimmokdimmok Posts: 359member

    Not sure Im digging the 16gb model not enough space nowadays...

    Constantly struggling to delete and reinstall 1gb games for my sons iPad.

     

    32 gb should be the starting point in my opinion.

     

    Plus why keep the A5 around…something is brewing at Cupertino.

  • Reply 5 of 39
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    I still think we may see a new touch this fall. If not then I have to believe Apple is slowly trying to kill off the iPod line and push people to the cheapest iPhone and wearables (to replace the nano and shuffle).

    agreed, however this may be the '16gb' model for the next 15+ months.  the 32, 64 (and 128;-) will likely be an A7/M7 or higher chip and I'm guessing TouchID.  

     

    TouchID, Mx, and the ability to interact with wearables  (I can see a new shuffle design that has a skin contact, and/or a nano with a contact enabled case with limited [HR] monitoring) will be the key across the board capabilities of all low end iPods).

  • Reply 6 of 39
    malaxmalax Posts: 1,598member

    This removes any support for the argument that "because of this, there is no way that Apple is going to do 'another' iPod touch refresh in the near future."  This change is basically a marketing refresh and the elimination of an odd-ball low-end configuration.  It's easier for Apple to make 1 model of iPod touch with 3 different storage options.

  • Reply 7 of 39
    How about a 5.5" iPad touch with A7
  • Reply 8 of 39
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DimMok View Post

     

    Not sure Im digging the 16gb model not enough space nowadays...

    Constantly struggling to delete and reinstall 1gb games for my sons iPad.

     

    32 gb should be the starting point in my opinion.

     

    Plus why keep the A5 around…something is brewing at Cupertino.


    Keeping them around?... I'm thinking they are using up the (contracted) pile they have.  

     

    The last 10M probably cost next to nothing to make, so they contracted for a bunch just in case there was a need [5c didn't hit the market well, plan to sell 4s's at a extremely discounted price to make up the difference wasn't needed, whatever], and they have 8M give or take left to get rid of. 

  • Reply 9 of 39
    malax wrote: »
    This removes any support for the argument that "because of this, there is no way that Apple is going to do 'another' iPod touch refresh in the near future."  This change is basically a marketing refresh and the elimination of an odd-ball low-end configuration.  It's easier for Apple to make 1 model of iPod touch with 3 different storage options.
    Even though iPod touch sells declining it is still a good hook for younger pre-smart phone future customers
  • Reply 10 of 39
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    malax wrote: »
    This removes any support for the argument that "because of this, there is no way that Apple is going to do 'another' iPod touch refresh in the near future."  This change is basically a marketing refresh and the elimination of an odd-ball low-end configuration.  It's easier for Apple to make 1 model of iPod touch with 3 different storage options.
    Well wonder boy Mark Gurman tweeted that this refresh means no larger screen touch this year. Would love to see him proven wrong again.
  • Reply 11 of 39
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,673member

    "media player"

     

    Funny they keep using that term to describe it, even though it's basically a freaken mobile computer.

  • Reply 12 of 39
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,834moderator
    macxpress wrote: »
    I think with iWatch coming, the iPod will go away. Its revenues are pretty much the lowest in Apple's stable every quarter and with people buying iPhones, iPads, and iWatches (assuming it will support some type of music) there really won't be a need for it since iPod is in all of those devices already. 

    They'll keep it. It's the iDevice of choice for young kids until mom and dad decide to pay up and get them a phone and upgrade the family share plan if necessary to accommodate an additional phone in the family.
  • Reply 13 of 39
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,834moderator
    agreed, however this may be the '16gb' model for the next 15+ months.  the 32, 64 (and 128;-) will likely be an A7/M7 or higher chip and I'm guessing TouchID.  

    TouchID, Mx, and the ability to interact with wearables  (I can see a new shuffle design that has a skin contact, and/or a nano with a contact enabled case with limitedmonitoring) will be the key across the board capabilities of all low end iPods).

    With rumors of the iWatch having a 2.5" display (exactly the size the latest generation iPod Nano has), I grabbed my Nano, a piece of scrap paper and some scissors and... Well, first let me say that I have small wrists for a man... and... a slightly curved 2.5" display in the rectangular form of the iPod Nano would fit very nicely as long as there's not too much bulk to the rest of the watch sitting behind the display making for a thick device like the Samsung Gear beast. So maybe that latest generation Nano was a first shot at creating the display form factor and a device Apple has been actively using internally to layout and internally user test iWatch applications. The music app and other apps available on the Nano's 2.5" display present very well and don't feel miniaturized or compromised.
  • Reply 14 of 39
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,673member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Chez Whitey View Post



    How about a 5.5" iPad touch with A7

     

    Bingo! Except for calling it an "iPad touch". It'll still be called an iPod touch. Calling it an iPad would lead to customer confusion, due to the fact that "iPad only" apps wouldn't be able to run on device with a screen that small.

  • Reply 15 of 39
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,834moderator
    malax wrote: »
    This removes any support for the argument that "because of this, there is no way that Apple is going to do 'another' iPod touch refresh in the near future."  This change is basically a marketing refresh and the elimination of an odd-ball low-end configuration.  It's easier for Apple to make 1 model of iPod touch with 3 different storage options.

    The only remarkable thing is that someone thought they needed to do a tear down in order to arrive at the obvious conclusion.
  • Reply 16 of 39
    malaxmalax Posts: 1,598member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Chez Whitey View Post





    Even though iPod touch sells declining it is still a good hook for younger pre-smart phone future customers

    You'll get no argument from me about that.  My assumption is that Apple will roll out a new iPod touch (with bigger screen, better processor, etc.) and keep this current model around as the low-end/entry point for a while.

  • Reply 17 of 39
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

    It's good that Apple lowered the prices for additional RAM, but isn't an A5 a little bit old today?

     

    THAT’S IT. THAT’S RIGHT.

     

    This IS just a hardware-clearing update. It’s in the summer so kids going to school will buy one… 

     

    Originally Posted by Chez Whitey View Post

    How about a 5.5" iPad touch with A7

     

    IPOD touch. A8.

  • Reply 18 of 39
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,273member
    Is anybody really surprised that it is the same as the larger models with just less storage?
  • Reply 19 of 39
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by mike1 View Post

    Is anybody really surprised that it is the same as the larger models with just less storage?

     

    My first response to the headline was, “Uh… yeah.” <img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />

  • Reply 20 of 39
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,301moderator
    How about a 5.5" iPad touch with A7

    The 5.5" is the iPad nano.
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