The new Apple iPad
iFixit has conducted a teardown of Apple’s new iPad by breaking open the coveted new gadget to see what’s inside. As well as the dual-core Apple A5X processor with integrated quad-core graphics, it reveals that Apple has upped the ante with a bigger battery to the tune of 42.5 watt hours to boost processing power.
iFixit’s CXO flew to Australia this week to be among the first to get his hands on the new tablet computer.
“Getting inside the iPad is as tricky as we expected, knowing how tough it was to get into the iPad 2. The front panel is glued to the frame,” iFixit said.
“We carefully used a heat gun to loosen the adhesive, worked to budge the panel with some guitar picks and plastic opening tools, and finally gently lifted it off with some heavy duty suction cups.”
What’s inside the new iPad
- Dual-core Apple A5X processor with integrated quad-core graphics
- 9.7-inch LED backlit in-plane switching LCD with 2,048 × 1,536-pixel Retina display. iFixit’s unit is made by Samsung; we hear that Sharp and LG may be supplying panels at a later date.
- 16, 32 or 64GB Toshiba NAND flash memory
- 5 MP HD rear-facing camera
- 1GB DRAM comprised of two 4Gb Elpida LP DDR2 parts
- Broadcom BCM4330 802.11a/b/g/n Baseband/Radio with Integrated Bluetooth 4.0+HS
- Qualcomm MDM9600 3G and 4G wireless modem (not the expected 2nd generation MDM9615)
- Qualcomm RTR8600 multi-band/mode RF transceiver for LTE bands
The new iPad’s gigantic battery
“Next to the logic board is a gigantic battery, which takes most of the space inside the iPad. While the iPad 2 housed a formidable 25 watt hour Li-ion battery, the iPad 3 has upped the ante to the tune of 42.5 watt hours,” iFixit said.
“Its 3.7 volts and estimated 10 hours of use (nine with cellular data network) are comparable to that of the iPad 2, but Apple put the extra 17.5 watt hours to good use, powering the greatly improved CPU and GPU. The additional capacity was accomplished by increasing the physical size, not with new battery technology,” iFixit said.
