Exposing the guts of Apple's second-gen iPod shuffle
Apple Computer's new iPod shuffle digital music player is held together primarily by four screws and some mild adhesive, as show in a disassembly performed by the folks over at iFixIt.
The top and bottom of the player are capped by two thin, white plastic strips, which are secured by mild adhesive that can be relieved with some heat from a hair dryer and use of a spudger tool.
Underneath the top cap lies a shuffle / loop switch and a power switch that connects to the main logic board. It too can be removed with help from a spudger tool.
Once the switch mechanism has been removed, both ends of the player will have a retaining bracket exposed, each attached by two Phillips #00 screws.
After removing both sets of screws and prying off the retaining brackets with a spudger, the main logic board can be pushed out and separated from the player's aluminum enclosure.
According to the iFixIt disassembly guide, the top of the board includes five button sensors, an Apple logo-stamped ARM chip (No. 337S3300 844A N05WDK01 0642 ARM), and a data ribbon cable leading to the headphone / dock jack on the other side.
The top cap of Apple's second-gen iPod shuffle | Photo: iFixIt
Two switch components inside Apple's second-gen iPod shuffle | Photo: iFixIt
Separating the logic board from casing | Photo: iFixIt
On the bottom of the board, Apple has done an impressive job of packing functionality into the headphone jack. "The dock plug has three conductive strips, plus the ground post," said iFixIt. "It's safe to assume that the plug is multi-modal and switches between USB, analog audio, and possibly power modes."
iFixIt presumes that it should be easy for a third-party developer to make a small USB adapter that restores the memory-stick functionality to the new shuffle, as the player currently requires a dock (included) for connectivity.
The top of the main logic board | Photo: iFixIt
The bottom of the main logic board | Photo: iFixIt
Disassembly of second-gen shuffle complete | Photo: iFixIt
The shuffle's Li-ion polymer battery is soldered onto the logic board, while the headphone / dock / power jack and memory chip are nestled beneath the headphone jack component.
Without disrupting the main logic board, the player disassembles into 12 individual components, including the four screws and the enclosure, which appears to be a solid piece of molded aluminum.
The top and bottom of the player are capped by two thin, white plastic strips, which are secured by mild adhesive that can be relieved with some heat from a hair dryer and use of a spudger tool.
Underneath the top cap lies a shuffle / loop switch and a power switch that connects to the main logic board. It too can be removed with help from a spudger tool.
Once the switch mechanism has been removed, both ends of the player will have a retaining bracket exposed, each attached by two Phillips #00 screws.
After removing both sets of screws and prying off the retaining brackets with a spudger, the main logic board can be pushed out and separated from the player's aluminum enclosure.
According to the iFixIt disassembly guide, the top of the board includes five button sensors, an Apple logo-stamped ARM chip (No. 337S3300 844A N05WDK01 0642 ARM), and a data ribbon cable leading to the headphone / dock jack on the other side.
The top cap of Apple's second-gen iPod shuffle | Photo: iFixIt
Two switch components inside Apple's second-gen iPod shuffle | Photo: iFixIt
Separating the logic board from casing | Photo: iFixIt
On the bottom of the board, Apple has done an impressive job of packing functionality into the headphone jack. "The dock plug has three conductive strips, plus the ground post," said iFixIt. "It's safe to assume that the plug is multi-modal and switches between USB, analog audio, and possibly power modes."
iFixIt presumes that it should be easy for a third-party developer to make a small USB adapter that restores the memory-stick functionality to the new shuffle, as the player currently requires a dock (included) for connectivity.
The top of the main logic board | Photo: iFixIt
The bottom of the main logic board | Photo: iFixIt
Disassembly of second-gen shuffle complete | Photo: iFixIt
The shuffle's Li-ion polymer battery is soldered onto the logic board, while the headphone / dock / power jack and memory chip are nestled beneath the headphone jack component.
Without disrupting the main logic board, the player disassembles into 12 individual components, including the four screws and the enclosure, which appears to be a solid piece of molded aluminum.
Comments
Look at all the wasted space around the headphone jack! There is NO reason Apple couldn't include a dual-layer DVD burner
it's the heatsink
yeah, anybody out there got any details about the spring clip? if it's flimsy, i don't want it--i can buy a strong spring clip and attach it to my 1G Shuffle.
i got mine this morning, very happy with it and nothing flimsy about the clip, i just had to use it today and went for a walk (yes i'm vain), i had the shuffle clipped to the bottom of my top, it looks good, works well, and does not slip..... now when will that vPod come out ???http://forums.appleinsider.com/image...s/1biggrin.gif
That's where Apple is getting it's cost and power consumption gains from.
It looks more like an aluminium extrusion than 'Aluminum moulding'. They're squeezed from a die in long lengths of iPod and then chopped to size in the same way window frames and bike parts are made. It's probably cheaper than plastic injection moulding and quite possible more environmentally friendly too. At least the casing is recyclable.
It's a pity the innards aren't more easily accessible though for that day when the battery dies and it needs replacing or recycling.
A pity it's not got the new headphones too.
- that would be a good stocking filler for Xmas!
- plus since it's promoted as a clip-on fashion accessory, I think a variety of colours would make a lot sense
the clip is strong enough. but, i looked at two demo models at the store, and they both had spongy clips that didn't always snap back into place.
the spring mechanism looks fragile and weak. i wonder how long it'll last. hmm.
but, i love it!
yeah, anybody out there got any details about the spring clip? if it's flimsy, i don't want it--i can buy a strong spring clip and attach it to my 1G Shuffle.
Yeah, I have the new 2G shuffle. The spring clip doesn't feel bad, and it is very functional. It has a lot of hold but it is true that it is a little less springy then you'd expect.
I've worked out with it and it's never fallen off. The only problem is that on the end of a sleeve it bounces around more than an ipod on a strap would.
And remember, the thing weighs practically nothing. It doesn't need an industrial strength spring. In fact, I have tested it to see if I could just drop it, and it just dangled there and didn't even pull out the earbuds. If you use behind the head or standard headphones you have even less to worry about.
Finally, it works best when it's clipped over a seam, like at the bottom of a t-shirt or on the sleeve. Or a jeans pocket.
Bottom line is, even when jogging and working out, it has never fallen off.
I wonder how long Zune will take to get to this size ... ha.
It's a pity the innards aren't more easily accessible though for that day when the battery dies and it needs replacing or recycling.
It's an $80 player. It will last 2-3 years. If the battery dies, you can get a replacement from Apple, but they throw in a free player to go with it.
It's an $80 player. It will last 2-3 years. If the battery dies, you can get a replacement from Apple, but they throw in a free player to go with it.
Yes, but that doesn't change anything about how easy it is to remove and replace or recycle the battery be that yourself that's doing it or Apple or some other 3rd party. Many of these will just end up as landfill because it's commercially not viable to remove the battery easily.
Yes, but that doesn't change anything about how easy it is to remove and replace or recycle the battery be that yourself that's doing it or Apple or some other 3rd party. Many of these will just end up as landfill because it's commercially not viable to remove the battery easily.
It may not be personally viable for individuals to remove the battery and seperate it from the other components (aluminum tube being the only significant piece), but it looks to me to be commercially viable if there were a market for these batteries and Apple took the position that recycling aluminum and batteries were in its corporate interest, even if it was a cost line in the budget.
This is where a simple 1% tax or a standard, defined deposit (like the 5-cent deposit for bottles) could be reasonably added-on for such devices so that their price reflected the true cost of the device and included the labor for recycling materials. We either pay now or pay later.
I wonder how long Zune will take to get to this size ... ha.
about 2 years :-)
(Shrinking down WiFi so that we can deliver it in this size for under $100 is the challenge. And where would we put the screen?)
about 2 years :-)
(Shrinking down WiFi so that we can deliver it in this size for under $100 is the challenge. And where would we put the screen?)
Not that big a challenge. You can get WiFi Mini SD cards now. Why you'd want WiFi in an iPod Shuffle class device is perhaps another question.