iPod touch tear-down with high-quality internal photos

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple's sleek, touchscreen-based iPod Touch player looks a lot like the iPhone, but a fresh disassembly has revealed a surprising number of internal differences, including a more easily repairable display component.



Once again, props go out to iFixIt for being first to to the punch with its tear-down of the new Apple video player. The firm says it plans to sell replacement parts for the Touch, just as it does for other iPods, iPhones, and Apple's notebook lines.



The tear-down



At 8mm thick and 4.2 ounces, the iPod Touch is smaller and lighter than the iPhone, which measures 11.6mm and weighs in at 4.8 ounces. The Touch is also 0.2 inches (5 mm) shorter than its older cousin.



Similar to the new iPod nano, the Touch's rear panel is shiny (scratch-prone) aluminum and is secured to the face of the unit via metal tabs.











The iPod Touch doesn't need a large speaker or microphone, so the battery occupies a larger portion of the internals than the iPhone's battery.







There are no wires connecting the rear panel to the iPod. Apple uses an elegant contact connection to make assembly and disassembly easier. (The circled points are contacts for the WiFi antenna.)







The large, but thin battery is soldered to the logic board, like the iPhone and many of Apple's recent iPods.







The iPod's huge touch-display lies beneath the battery, while the logic board is beneath the metal shield at the top of the image (under the 2D barcode). According to iFixIt, the Touch's battery is 54.0 x 64.1 x 2.8 mm, while the iPhone battery is 43.6 x 50.5 x 5.4 mm. That puts the volume of the Touch battery (9588 mm^3) at 81 percent of that of the iPhone (11780 mm^3).







Near the top of the logic board, Apple has sandwiched several components, including a company-branded ARM chip and the stacked Toshiba -- not Samsung -- flash chips.







Lifting the logic board up reveals a small antenna connect board that contacts the antenna.











In the below photo, iFixIt rotated the logic board upwards and used a spudger to pry up the printed circuit board (PCB) underneath the logic board. This board likely houses the components for processing touch screen input, the firm says. Also apparent from the image is a Foxconn stamp on the dock connector. Apple has used the Taiwanese manufacturer extensively to assemble its iPod lines.







The Touch's display processing board is attached near the bottom of the primary logic board. The ribbon cables are soldered into each board, so you cannot easily replace just one of the boards . You can also see the headphone jack on the lower-right side of the logic board. Apple has decided to integrate it into the logic board, which may make repair more difficult, according to iFixIt.







The image below shows the top of both boards. You can see the Wolfson chip to the left of the flash memory. This is interesting, notes iFixIt, because the iPod Classic has a Cirrus audio chip, which has caused some initial concerns about audio quality. The iPod touch should not suffer from these problems, the firm says, as the Wolfson chip is the same as that in the iPhone, WM8758BG.



The Toshiba flash has part # TH58NVG5D4CTG20. Since iFixIt's Touch model was an 8 GB iPod, each of those stacks has 32 Gb (4 GB) of memory.



The Apple-branded ARM has chip markings 339S0029ARM 8900B 0731 NOKCYY2, while the on-stack memory has markings K4X1GA53PE-XGC3 YME097N6 731. The K4 indicates this is Samsung memory, so iFixIt believes the chip is probably Samsung manufactured just like the iPhone.



A comparison of Touch and iPhone processor markings. Touch: 339S0029ARM 8900B; iPhone: 339S0030ARM 8900B (very similar) Touch: 0731 (manufactured week 31 of 2007) iPhone: 0719 (week 19 of 2007). Touch: NOKCYY2 iPhone: NOD4BZ02.



iFixIt says the last number is probably a lot id, which explains why they are so different. But in general, the iPod Touch and iPhone processors are very, very similar.







The Touch's display attachment is completely different from the iPhone, and is attached to the front of the iPod by 16 Phillips #00 screws. On the iPhone, the display and front bezel are fused together with very strong adhesive which makes it impossible to separate the display from the from glass.



iFixit believes the Touch's display design will make for easier repairs, as removing the display is very doable. "The LCD just comes right out after you remove the screws."







The touch-screen LCD picture on the left, and display bezel on the right.







iFixit's iPod touch take-apart guide. iFixIt also recently tore down Apple's new iPod nano and iPod Classic.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 40
    I love how so many people were complaining about no being able to replace batteries on the iPhone and then Apple goes ahead and continues on to the iPod Touch and does the same thing. I love it! Even iPods for the longest time have been equiped with a non-replaceable battery. Just goes to show you that Apple doesn't care how many of you guys complain about it because they have very high hopes and expectations of the device that has worked well for them in the past.
  • Reply 2 of 40
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    Quote:

    the Touch's battery is 54.0 x 64.1 x 2.8 mm, while the iPhone battery is 43.6 x 50.5 x 5.4 mm. That puts the volume of the Touch battery (9588 mm^3) at 81 percent of that of the iPhone (11780 mm^3).



    Is it too early in the morning for me or is that backwards? Seems to me that that makes the iPhone 81% of the Touch.
  • Reply 3 of 40
    I think somebody has either messed up the measurements, or messed up the maths. The touch has a larger battery than the iPhone, I know that much.
  • Reply 4 of 40
    The iPod touch battery is about half as thick as the iPhone battery...
  • Reply 5 of 40
    The key word is "thinner."



    Larger doesn't mean crap; sure the touch is wider and longer, but it is half the thinness of the iPhone.



    -=|Mgkwho
  • Reply 6 of 40
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GQB View Post


    Is it too early in the morning for me or is that backwards? Seems to me that that makes the iPhone 81% of the Touch.



    The numbers work out to 9,661.92 for the iTouch, and 11,889.72 for the iPhone, if the dimensions given are correct.



    I don't know why my multiplication is off from theirs, assuming they used those dimensions to calculate from, but mine are correct.



    Whether the battery dimensions were reversed, I don't know.
  • Reply 7 of 40
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post


    I love how so many people were complaining about no being able to replace batteries on the iPhone and then Apple goes ahead and continues on to the iPod Touch and does the same thing. I love it! Even iPods for the longest time have been equiped with a non-replaceable battery. Just goes to show you that Apple doesn't care how many of you guys complain about it because they have very high hopes and expectations of the device that has worked well for them in the past.



    While there always be complaints, I don't think the iPhone complaints would be so bad if they didn't charge extra for a loaner, for battery replacement or warranty work. It looks like they charge for the loaner even if you bought Applecare.



    I think most people can live without a music device for a week, but a week without a phone is a different matter, most people seem to just forgo land lines and such now.
  • Reply 8 of 40
    buckbuck Posts: 293member
    So no place for bluetooth in there, eh?
  • Reply 9 of 40
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    While there always be complaints, I don't think the iPhone complaints would be so bad if they didn't charge extra for a loaner, for battery replacement or warranty work, even if you bought Applecare.



    I think most people can live without a music device for a week, but a week without a phone is a different matter, most people seem to just forgo land lines and such now.



    I agree with that. It's probably a liability or insurance thing though.
  • Reply 10 of 40
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Buck View Post


    So no place for bluetooth in there, eh?



    Doesn't appear to be and that frankly is very sad. I was certainly expecting more out of this device, may very well have to wait for an updated iPhone.



    Dave
  • Reply 11 of 40
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    Doesn't appear to be and that frankly is very sad. I was certainly expecting more out of this device, may very well have to wait for an updated iPhone.



    Dave



    Like what ? Make the coffee ? Walk the dog ?



    Back on planet earth, we tend to have more realistic expectations of a device that us called, and marketed as, an iPod
  • Reply 12 of 40
    buckbuck Posts: 293member
    Quote:

    Like what ? Make the coffee ? Walk the dog ?



    How about music-vibration mode?
  • Reply 13 of 40
    The battery is soldered to the logic board? Am I the only one who sees the "Do not heat above 60C/140F" warning on the battery?
  • Reply 14 of 40
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gee4orce View Post


    Like what ? Make the coffee ? Walk the dog ?



    Back on planet earth, we tend to have more realistic expectations of a device that us called, and marketed as, an iPod





    Yeah, its other worldly to have bluetooth stereo headsets that could connect to an ipod touch with bluetooth.
  • Reply 15 of 40
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Avor View Post


    The battery is soldered to the logic board? Am I the only one who sees the "Do not heat above 60C/140F" warning on the battery?



    Why would you want to heat this above 140°?
  • Reply 16 of 40
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    While there always be complaints, I don't think the iPhone complaints would be so bad if they didn't charge extra for a loaner, for battery replacement or warranty work. It looks like they charge for the loaner even if you bought Applecare. I think most people can live without a music device for a week, but a week without a phone is a different matter, most people seem to just forgo land lines and such now.



    I've lived without a landline for over a decade, but I also saw reports indicating that a large majority of people still have them. Does anyone have statistics (or know where to find them) about percentages of people without landlines?
  • Reply 17 of 40
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JimDreamworx View Post


    I've lived without a landline for over a decade, but I also saw reports indicating that a large majority of people still have them. Does anyone have statistics (or know where to find them) about percentages of people without landlines?



    I've never understood giving up your landline. When we had a power blackout here a few years ago, the cells quickly became inoperative. But, if you plugged a phone that didn't need separate connection to the power line, it would work just fine.



    The same thing for VOIP. If your internet connection is down for whatever reason, so is your phone.



    It's like insurance. you only need it when you need it. But when you need it, you need it, as Yogi would say.



    I prefer using it when at home.
  • Reply 18 of 40
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    Touch me...how can it be...believe me...the sun always shines on TV.
  • Reply 19 of 40
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    I think most people can live without a music device for a week, but a week without a phone is a different matter, most people seem to just forgo land lines and such now.



    Now why would they be without a phone? Oh, I guess those that switched to AT&T did so without getting one of the FREE PHONES. That's their fault not Apples/AT&T. Remember that you can put the iPhone SIM card in another phone just not the other way around. So if they we're smart and got the free phone then they have a backup.
  • Reply 20 of 40
    this should be in the iPod thread? no?
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