2012 iPad given initial teardown

(Update 2: more details) Following the new iPad's Australian launch, iFixit has been conducting a teardown of Apple's tablet. The early look so far validate rumors surrounding the design, proving that Samsung is the initial LCD supplier and that a different display connector sits inside that prevents simply swapping in an older screen. Even more so than before, the inside is dominated by the three-unit battery, with the mainboard just a fraction of the inside.

Examination of the chipset had just started, although it's already known to include 1GB of RAM for the A5X processor. A new, likely Qualcomm-made cellular chipset will be necessary and may be split into two parts, one the sake of the dual-carrier HSPA+ 3G and another just for LTE-based 4G.

More details should be coming soon, although iFixit is currently under heavy strain and may take some time to finish identifying every chip inside the new iPad.

Update: The iPad in question had its A5X chip built in the very first week of the year. iFixit also reminded users that the processor is faster, clocking at about 200MHz faster than the original A5. Whether it's a static or dynamic clock speed isn't clear.

Update 2: The teardown has finished and shows that Apple is using Qualcomm's MDM9600, a first-generation chip, to handle LTE. Two memory chips confirm the 1GB of RAM. iFixit has given the new iPad a low two out of ten score for repairability, since the front glass is still tough to remove and it's overall not intended to be repaired in the field.

Middle photos: new display connector, Samsung-identifying codes

By Electronista Staff

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gadgets, Qualcomm, ARM, Apple, iFixit, iPad, A5X