Items tagged with Teardown
Apple recently refreshed its iPad Pro line with faster hardware and new features, and while many things are different, one thing remains the same—they are difficult to crack open and repair, should the need arise. That's par for course these days and not endemic to Apple, of course. The latest generation iPad Pro is just another example of how DIY repairs are not really feasible for the average consumer, as indicated by a teardown of the tablet. As they often do, the folks at iFixit got their hands on the new gadget and promptly stripped it naked, taking apart the tablet until the premium...
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Apple recently updated the Mac Mini, its entry-level desktop that had not seen a significant upgrade since 2014, and the refreshed box packs quite the punch on paper—it pairs up to an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor with as much as 64GB of RAM, with storage options topping out at 2TB. The Mac Mini is also somewhat easy to service and upgrade, depending on the specific component, a teardown analysis reveals. The 2018 Mac Mini comes housed in the same chassis as the previous generation. Some people speculated that Apple might refresh the form factor as well, specifically by switching...
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After years of letting its popular MacBook Air languish without any meaningful updates, Apple finally updated the ultra-portable notebook late last month. While the overall wedge-shaped chassis is familiar, the new MacBook Air features a completely redesigned inner layout. Given that the new 2018 MacBook Air is now shipping to customers, it should come as no surprise that the teardown experts at iFixit have put the laptop on the operating table. What they found is that the MacBook Air is using Apple's third-generation butterfly key mechanism for the keyboard. While...
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Fancy yourself a new generation iPhone? From a cost standpoint, the iPhone XR is the most sensible of the new models, though it's still not exactly cheap—pricing starts at $749 (as opposed to $999 for the iPhone XS and $1,099 for the iPhone XS). As with any high dollar smartphone, the thought of cracking it open for delicate repairs may seem gut wrenching. In this case, however, a teardown analysis of the iPhone XR reveals that some types of DIY repairs are at least feasible. That depends on your skill level, of course, along with your willingness to take matters into your hands. These things...
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Google's Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL handsets are both solid options in the Android space, with overall strong performance and killer cameras for taking crisp photos. Anyone who buys one of Google's new phones will hopefully never have cause to crack it open for repairs, but should the need arise, how does it fare? A new teardown analysis answers that question in detail. Both phones are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 4GB of RAM. Built-in storage checks in at 64GB or 128GB, with no microSD card slot to add more. As for the cameras, there is an 8-megapixel shooter on the front for...
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Apple has begun shipping the first wave of iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max smartphones to customers, and the former has already been disassembled (complete with video footage). Right off the bat, getting inside the new iPhone XS is a bit harder compared to last year's iPhone X. If you recall, the iPhone X is IP67 rated for water/dust resistance, while the iPhone XS family bumps that up to IP68. As a result, the seals holding the display into place are stronger, making removing it more of a hassle (although not impossible). The other thing of note is that the L-shaped battery from last...
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 officially went on sale last week (read the HotHardware review here), and it brings an incredible wealth of features to the table, along with an enormous price tag ($999+). But for those that are hip to the idea of an S Pen-equipped flagship phone, there are deals to be had. With that being said, now that the Galaxy Note 9 is out in the wild, it means that the gadget repair gurus at iFixit have given the smartphone the teardown treatment. We're now privy to a plethora of high-resolution shots and a step-by-step process on how to disassemble this mobile...
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The expectation when purchasing a pricey augmented reality headset (or any augmented, virtual, or mixed realty headset, really) is that you'll never need to take it apart to troubleshoot a faulty component. Nevertheless, it is nice to know you can, should the need or desire to arise for any reason. And that is the case with the Magic Leap One, as a new teardown analysis reveals. Magic Leap's AR goggles recently launched to developers with a $2,295 starting price. That's obviously way above what consumers expect to pay for an AR headset, but considering it's a developer release (more specifically,...
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Initial impressions of Microsoft's smaller Surface device, the Surface Go, are overwhelmingly possible with several reviews heaping on the praise. There is a lot to like about a more portable and affordable Surface. There are also compromises that come with form factor. Those compromises are highlighted in a new teardown analysis that reveals a sticky situation for DIY repairs. If you have the right tools, cracking open the Surface Go is not that difficult, though you will have to wrestle with adhesive right from the get-go. One thing that works in the Surface Go's favor, however, is its smaller...
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If you have any aspirations of buying a 2018 MacBook Pro and performing repairs on your own (should the need arise) think again. As with many of Apple's products, the MacBook Pro is intentionally designed to keep users from mucking around inside. Apple is not alone in this regard, of course, but a recent teardown of the MacBook Pro highlights just how difficult it is to service one of these machines. It's not all bad—gaining access to the guts isn't terribly difficult, though you will need a special tool to remove the six pentalope screws on the bottom. Once you've done that, the bottom cover...
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The Essential Phone introduced the concept of a notched a display, which Apple later popularized with its iPhone X. After that, several notable Android Phones from various manufacturers followed suit, and so a trend was born. Not everyone is crazy about the notch, though. In fact, many people downright despise it. Enter a company called Vivo, which introduced the Nex with an all-screen display that drops the notch. In place of a notch, the front-camera cleverly pops up from the top. A recent teardown of the Nex reveals exactly how this clever solution is implemented. We'll get to that in a moment,...
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Tesla has made a big name for itself in a relatively brief time as the go-to company for high-tech and long-range electric vehicles. Tesla's cars look very good on the outside, but what about the parts under the skin that we can’t see? Engineering company Munro & Associates has taken Tesla's latest car, the Model 3, and torn the car apart to see how well it is built. According to the engineering firm, where Tesla truly excels is in the battery pack and related power electronics. Munro & Associates went so far as to say that it was "shocked" by the advanced techniques that Tesla...
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Dell’s XPS 15 2-In-1 is a unique hybrid convertible, premium ultrabook in a couple of respects, partly because of its high quality Dell XPS series machined aluminum and hybrid carbon fiber construction, along with its beautiful 15-inch, 400 nits, near bezel-less Dell Infinity Edge display. However, the machine is also powered by a unique processor that marks the first collaboration of its kind by two archrivals in the PC processor arena, both Intel and AMD. Otherwise known as Kaby Lake G, the new Intel 8th Gen Core Series with integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega M graphics is a potent hybrid...
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Growing up, if something broke, you took out some tools and fixed it. These days, however, things are different. It's not that consumers don't have a knack for fixing things, or desire (I believe there are many that still do), but we're living in a sophisticated electronics age with devices that are increasingly difficult to repair. It's refreshing, then, that HTC's Vive Pro bucks the trend, as revealed in a teardown analysis. More often than not, it seems when the folks at iFixIt get their paws on a premium electronic device, it's a scary endeavor for anyone sitting on the sidelines. Need an example?...
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