As it did with previous iPads, iFixit was able to get its hands on the new iPad mini a couple days before the official launch and is now taking it apart. The tear down is still in progress, but there are a few things we learned already.
As Phil Schiller clarified yesterday, the new iPad mini has stereo speakers. iFixit suggested “the reduction of connector size (30-pin to Lightning) left just enough space to squeeze a second speaker into the device.” iFixit also found some improvements in terms of repairability:
As pointed out in the tear down, Apple appears to utilize Samsung display manufacturing due to the Samsung display driver IC. However, there is not recognizable marking on the display itself. Other iPad mini units could very well include displays from Sharp or elsewhere, but it looks like Samsung isn’t totally out of the picture for iOS device displays.
A few of the components found inside the iPad mini so far include:
-This is a 3.72 V, 16.5 Whr, 4400 mAh battery -Broadcom ICs marked BCM5976C0KUB6G. -Samsung W1235 S6TNMR1X01 Display Driver -SM4031 DA1232 SMCP043 -416R 8227 -HDU 2YC 34 -Murata 339S0171 Wi-Fi module.
-Apple A5 processor -Hynix H2JTDG8UD2MBR 16 GB NAND Flash -Apple 343S0593-A5 -Apple 338S1116 is unknown at this time, and was also seen in the iPod Touch 5th Generation. It appears similar to the Apple 338S1117 found in the iPhone 5) -Fairchild PCHPS FDMC 6676BZ -Fairchild BC7BE F0MC 6683
