Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
iPad Mini Teardown Reveals Samsung Display Driver, A5 Chip, Stereo Speakers
iFixit is currently working on a teardown of the iPad mini, revealing the internal components of the device for the first time.
One interesting development is the discovery of a Samsung display driver chip. It is unclear, however, whether this means that Samsung is also responsible for the display itself, as the codes found on the back of the display do not provide immediate evidence of its manufacturer. Display production had been reported to be split between AU Optronics and LG, with Samsung being left out on the iPad mini.
iPad mini's A5 chip
The teardown has also reached the logic board, revealing the A5 chip powering the device. The A5 chip found in iFixit's model carries date codes indicating that the package was put together in the 31st week of 2012, which would correspond to the end of July or the beginning of August.
iPad mini's stereo speakers
iFixit has also confirmed that the iPad mini contains stereo speakers, although the relatively small spacing between the two speakers means that the benefit of stereo sound will be marginal under most scenarios.
iFixit's teardown is still underway, and we will update this post with any additional observations of interest that may surface.
One interesting development is the discovery of a Samsung display driver chip. It is unclear, however, whether this means that Samsung is also responsible for the display itself, as the codes found on the back of the display do not provide immediate evidence of its manufacturer. Display production had been reported to be split between AU Optronics and LG, with Samsung being left out on the iPad mini.
iPad mini's A5 chip
The teardown has also reached the logic board, revealing the A5 chip powering the device. The A5 chip found in iFixit's model carries date codes indicating that the package was put together in the 31st week of 2012, which would correspond to the end of July or the beginning of August.
iPad mini's stereo speakers
iFixit has also confirmed that the iPad mini contains stereo speakers, although the relatively small spacing between the two speakers means that the benefit of stereo sound will be marginal under most scenarios.
iFixit's teardown is still underway, and we will update this post with any additional observations of interest that may surface.
Related Roundup: iPad mini 5
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
[ 100 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
84 months ago
So it's a small iPad 2. Unless you want a smaller tablet, an iPad 2 refurb is a better choice IMHO.
How many times are people going to say this? It's not specifically a better choice because it's bigger.
84 months ago
So it's a small iPad 2. Unless you want a smaller tablet, an iPad 2 refurb is a better choice IMHO.
Your statement makes zero sense. Do you not understand that the iPad "Mini" is intended for people that want a smaller tablet?????? This seems to be a foreign concept to many people in this forum. How is an iPad 2 refurb a better choice for someone that is shopping for an iPad Mini? Will the iPad 2 fold up somehow?
84 months ago
I'm gonna reattach one ear to the other side of my head for better stereo reception.
84 months ago
So it's a small iPad 2. Unless you want a smaller tablet, an iPad 2 refurb is a better choice IMHO.
84 months ago
So it's a small iPad 2. Unless you want a smaller tablet, an iPad 2 refurb is a better choice IMHO.
The entire point of this device is that it's a smaller tablet. If you don't want a smaller tablet, of course a bigger tablet is a better choice.
84 months ago
I'm gonna reattach one ear to the other side of my head for better stereo reception.
A dramatic move, bur probably the only way to perceive the stereo output.
Minimal separation....kind of useless, IMO. :D
84 months ago
So it's a small iPad 2. Unless you want a smaller tablet, an iPad 2 refurb is a better choice IMHO.
I actually think they should kill off the iPad 2. Its still more expensive than the mini brand new and only marginally cheaper than the retina, and it lacks Siri. It sticks out like a sore thumb. Seems like a solution looking for a problem to me.
84 months ago
A dramatic move, bur probably the only way to perceive the stereo output.
Minimal separation....kind of useless, IMO. :D
You could get two stethoscopes and only use one of the two earpieces of each.
You could place a wedge between the speakers and direct sound to each side.
You could get two microphones and transmit each one's signal to a separate ear.
You could place the Lightning port on the bridge of your nose.
You could buy three minis, disable the left speaker on one, the right on another, and watch the third while holding the other two up to the corresponding ear.
Seriously, I am sick and tired of people saying you won't be able to hear stereo from one of these things without the use of headphones; clearly, there are many simple ways to do so.
[ Read All Comments ]
In April 2019, Google announced the launch of a free, ad-supported version of its YouTube Music streaming service for use with Google Home and other smart speakers that feature its voice-activated...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Aukey to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a pair of the Key Series B80 Earbuds, which are wireless and connect to your devices using...
Netflix has begun testing a new feature on mobile that allows select users to "Play a Popular Episode" of certain TV shows, without having to scroll through and pick which one they want to...
Bose this week quietly announced AirPlay 2 support for its line of "BoseSmart" smart speakers. The audio company revealed the added functionality via its official Twitter account and...
Earlier this week, rumors suggested Amazon would launch a free, ad-supported music service, and today, Amazon indeed announced the debut of a free music option for Amazon Alexa users.
Alexa...
BlackBerry Messenger, aka BBM, is set to shut down on May 31, 2019, BlackBerry announced today. Prior to when the iPhone launched and for several years afterwards, BBM was a key communication method...
Instagram has considered hiding the like count on images uploaded to the social network, which would prevent people from seeing how many people have tapped the "heart" icon on each photo.
...
