iPad mini teardown reveals stereo speakers and a display driver from Samsung

The iPad mini and its almost-perfect 7.9-inch body has been stripped off its clothes. And who else could do it better than the teardown masters at iFixit. So what did they find out? Apparently the iPad mini has two speaker grilles, and yes, it’s really the first Apple product to use stereo speakers. iFixit is also the first to spot the iPad mini’s model number, which is a A1432. In case you were wondering, the iPad 3’s model number is A1430. iFixit notes that the iPad mini is very hard to open, thanks to Apple’s repair-impeding practice of keeping iPads together with generous amounts of adhesive.

They also found out that an insulating tape is used to hold the display into the rear and that its LCD and front glass are two separate components. Under the hood, they found a Samsung W1235 S6TNMR1X01 Display Driver which means that Apple is still relying heavily on Samsung’s display technology. This, of course, opposes previously heard reports that Apple is moving away from Samsung following the patent lawsuits. Other interesting things that iFixit uncovered include a few Broadcom ICs that is also being used in the MacBook Air and a 3.78 V, 16.9 Whr, 4400 mAh battery. You can check out the step-by-step teardown of the iPad mini here.

Gene Ryan Briones
Categories: Apple
Tags: iPad mini, teardown