iFixit Shares 10.5-Inch iPad Pro Teardown

Wednesday June 14, 2017 5:54 AM PDT by Joe Rossignol
iFixit has published a 10.5-inch iPad Pro teardown that provides a closer look at the tablet's internal design.


For the most part, the inside of an 10.5-inch iPad Pro looks similar to the 9.7-inch model it replaced, with only a few minor differences.

In the Wi-Fi version, for example, iFixit discovered some mysterious plastic blocks where the LTE antennas might be found in cellular models. It speculates the blocks are there to add support to the display assembly.


In the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, Apple has affixed the display cables down the center of the device, which puts them out of harm's way when prying open the display. The display cable bracket is affixed with standard Phillips screws.

The teardown confirms the 10.5-inch iPad Pro has 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR4 RAM from Micron Technology, with flash storage supplied by Toshiba, which is currently selling its NAND memory division that produces those chips.


iFixit awarded the 10.5-inch iPad Pro a very low repairability score of 2 out of 10 due to Apple's continued use of strong adhesives for the display, logic board, speakers, ribbon cables, and other components.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Tags: iFixit, teardown
Buyer's Guide: 10.5" iPad Pro (Don't Buy)
38 comments


Top Rated Comments

(View all)
Avatar
Sunday Ironfoot
17 months ago

For the most part, the inside of an 10.5-inch iPad Pro looks similar to the 9.7-inch model it replaced, with only a few minor differences:- Macrumors quote

And Same 4GB Ram from 2015

Innovation.....LOL


9.7" iPads (include the Pros) have always had 2GB. It was the 12.9" version that shipped with 4GB.
http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_ipad_pro_9_7-7984.php
Rating: 13 Votes
Avatar
JeffyTheQuik
17 months ago

And every tablet and smartphone available today.
[doublepost=1497446309][/doublepost]
Out of curiosity, how could you tell there was increased RAM the moment you picked it up?

It weighed 2GB more... :D
Rating: 13 Votes
Avatar
willmtaylor
17 months ago

For the most part, the inside of an 10.5-inch iPad Pro looks similar to the 9.7-inch model it replaced, with only a few minor differences:- Macrumors quote

And Same 4GB Ram from 2015

Innovation.....LOL

If you can't see the innovation of what the iPad Pro is and can do, then you're either trolling, too spoiled, or too jaded. I'm no fanboy, but look at what such a thin device is capable of and look at the competition. SMH.
Rating: 12 Votes
Avatar
macs4nw
17 months ago
Each and every one of these teardowns continues to boggle my mind as to how much sophisticated technology we can now pack into such a diminutive package..... amazing really.
Rating: 12 Votes
Avatar
RightMACatU
17 months ago
LPDDR4 RAM while a MacBookPro has LPDDR3 RAM... Am I missing something here? :confused:
Rating: 8 Votes
Avatar
barkomatic
17 months ago
I could tell it had more RAM the moment I picked one up to check it out at an Apple Store last night. I currently have a 9.7 inch Pro and didn't expect to see much of a difference--but there was sadly. I say sadly because I'm tempted to get one even though my current iPad is a little over 1 year old. I must be strong.
Rating: 7 Votes
Avatar
Brad9893
17 months ago

LPDDR4 RAM while a MacBookPro has LPDDR3 RAM... Am I missing something here? :confused:


Yes. Apple's A10X that is in the iPad Pro supports LPDDR4 RAM, so naturally Apple included it. On the other hand, Intel processors do not support LPDDR4 at all, so Apple had to fall back on LPDRR3 as they were not willing to compromise on battery life and put in regular DDR4.
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
CarlJ
17 months ago

LPDDR4 RAM while a MacBookPro has LPDDR3 RAM... Am I missing something here? :confused:

Yes, you're missing that Apple specifies and designs the ARM-family CPUs in their iOS devices, so they can get exactly what they want, while they rely on Intel for the x86-family CPUs in their Macs. Intel didn't deign to make exactly the CPUs Apple wanted for the MBP in terms of speed, memory capabilities, power use, and heat dissipation, so they had to pick and choose from among Intel existing offerings.

This, more than anything else, is likely to push Apple towards an eventual ARM-based Mac (not a hard switch, to start, just an additional choice). Apple doesn't like chafing under anyone else's arbitrary (to Apple's point of view) restraints. Imagine them building an ARM-based chip with 4x or 8x the cores of the iPad chips - they'd be real screamers for non-monolithic Mac apps.
[doublepost=1497459228][/doublepost]

I agree. I was impressed with not only the 12.9 iPad having 4 GB Ram back in 2015, but now they added 4 GB to the 10.5 iPad as well. Both of these iPads are powerhouses. With the 120 HZ refresh rate and 4 GB of Ram, iOS 11 is that much stronger when it launches in September.

My original iPad Air is getting nervous and doesn't want me reading any more of this.
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
Avieshek
17 months ago

9.7" iPads (include the Pros) have always had 2GB. It was the 12.9" version that shipped with 4GB.
http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_ipad_pro_9_7-7984.php

1600MHz. It's same.
[doublepost=1497448142][/doublepost]

If you can't see the innovation of what the iPad Pro is and can do, then you're either trolling, too spoiled, or too jaded. I'm no fanboy, but look at what such a thin device is capable of and look at the competition. SMH.

Compete with yourself, not others.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
WarDialer
17 months ago

For the most part,the inside of an 10.5-inch iPad Pro looks similar to the 9.7 inch model it replaced,with only a few minor differences

And Same 4GB Ram from 2015

Same,everything same,looks similar That's what called Innovation.....these days.


Clearly its exactly the same, to a moron.

What is an iPad? A large display. What did Apple do to the display tech? Made it have extremely fast response time that can dynamically change based on use (iOS 11 benefits more I guess). So it can scale performance up or down based on use. Saving power when some clod reads Huffington Post and fuming about Trump, and scrolling smoothly when needed. Of course that benefits all apps not just web pages, unbeknownst to ignorant commentators. Apple Pencil is more responsive for drawing/interaction on screen as well.

The CPU is faster/more powerful as is the graphics. Again the iPad is really just a large display surface so that always helps everything it does. Also twice the RAM. So improvements for software developers to really make use of. And the hardware is standardized across both sizes now. Again a benefit for developers to target essentially one iPad platform now.

Cars all still have four wheels and steering wheels, thats whats called innovation these days. Lets ignore Tesla and hybrids and 6 cylinder engine cars that dynamically turn off cylinders while idling at a stop light, air bags, self-parking, auto nav, internal WiFi hotspots - the cars all look basically the same when you pop the hood or sit inside one. Pff what innovation.
Rating: 4 Votes
[ Read All Comments ]