iFixit yesterday announced that it has completed teardowns of the GSM and CDMA versions of the iPad 2, joining the teardown of the Wi-Fi version performed on launch day earlier this month. Rather than posting an extensive walkthrough of each model, iFixit focused on the few areas in which the various models differ from one another, related of course to the cellular connectivity needs or lack thereof.
The most obvious physical difference between the 3G models is the micro-SIM card slot along the upper left edge of the GSM model, required for providing the device with subscriber information. The micro-SIM card slot itself is actually attached to the headphone jack cable on the GSM model, while the CDMA model lacks the slot entirely as subscriber information is instead hosted directly on the WWAN board inside the device.
Given the differences in frequencies used for the GSM and CDMA network standards, it is also unsurprising that the two 3G iPads offer slightly different antenna configurations, with the CDMA version offering one more antenna than the GSM version, similar to the iPhone 4.
And finally, the three iPad 2 variations also exhibit differences in their logic boards, with the 3G models containing WWAN board extensions housing the hardware supporting cellular connectivity. Unsurprisingly, the CDMA model contains essentially the exact same chips, including the Qualcomm MDM6600 baseband chip, as the CDMA iPhone 4. The GSM model, on the other hand, primarily relies on Infineon chips for its connectivity.
Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week.
Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far.
Apple Intelligence for Siri
Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker.
In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again.
This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead.
There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event:
...
Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19.
"Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech.
iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech
In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products.
Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year.
Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2.
HomePod mini 2
In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the imminent Apple product "launch" that is widely expected to be the fourth-generation iPhone SE.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
In a social media post on Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of...