iFixit tears iPad Mini asunder, finds very small screws

Interested in seeing all the adorable little parts inside Apple's smallest iPad yet? iFixit's already got its hands on one and has a currently-in-progress teardown going on, should that be your kinda thing. And what's the verdict? Well, the teardown is still happening, but as of right now, there are some good signs. For one, the LCD and front glass are separate components, making replacement of individual components a possibility (and making a repair less expensive). And that LCD is once again of the Samsung variety, confirming Apple's continued relationship with its legal adversary. As iFixit points out, Apple "often relies on multiple supplies for a single component," so it's possible that your teardown of another Mini will yield a different LCD manufacturer. More tidbits found inside thus far: confirmation of stereo speakers (a big change from the regular iPad's mono setup). The teardown points out that the Mini's Lightning charging port (significantly smaller than the previous 30-pin port) is likely what's making space for that extra speaker. As for a final repairability rating, iFixit's still giving it a "?" out of 10, so keep an eye out for that final number -- the teardown is fully complete at this point, though, with two positives (LCD/glass not fused, battery not soldered to anything) and two negatives (tons of adhesive, lightning connector soldered to logic board).

[Image credit: iFixit]

Filed under: Apple

iFixit tears iPad Mini asunder, finds very small screws originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.