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teardowns

iPhone 5 reveals Qualcomm, SanDisk as big winners

Apple is sticking with most of its component providers for the latest iPhone, an IHS iSuppli teardown shows, but it has made some "critical changes" and updated most chips.

A physical teardown by IHS, released today, shows Apple is using parts from many of the usual suspects -- Samsung, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Murata, Dialog, Texas Instruments, STMicro, Cirrus Logic, Avago, Skyworks, NXP and AKM.

But it also has made some additions, like flash memory maker SanDisk, and almost every component has been updated. And IHS' supplier list indicates a reduced reliance on Samsung, the chip and handset maker that … Read more

Apple's A6 chip sports 3-core graphics

We learn a little more about the Apple processor inside the iPhone 5 every day. Today, the focus is the graphics processing unit.

UMB TechInsights has looked inside the chip, and review site Anandtech has followed up with an analysis claiming a 3-core GPU, which is likely a PowerVR SGX 543MP3 running at 266MHz, according to the chip-review site.

All of this makes for a fast A6 chip. Preliminary benchmarks show roughly twice the performance of Apple's A5.

Note that though the A5X chip in the third-generation iPad has a quad-core GPU (one more GPU core than the A6), … Read more

Inside the iPhone 5: Bigger battery, easier to repair

The iPhone 5 is a departure in many respects from the 4S, including easier screen replacement and a retro unibody back design, according to iFixit.

The teardown and repair site is in Melbourne, Australia, has taken the apart the new iPhone. And UMB TechInsights has done its own teardown, focusing on Apple's new A6 chip.

Key differences as cited by iFixit:… Read more

iPhone 5 gets the teardown treatment

Just what's lurking inside Apple's latest iPhone?

There's not a whole lot of mystery given that Apple's own promotional video for the device shows a cutaway of the battery, circuitry and other parts.

That hasn't stopped iFixit from taking a brand new device -- fresh from a just-opened Australian store -- and breaking it down to the component level.

In years past this practice was, perhaps, a bit more interesting, in part because Apple did not list its suppliers. That changed with this year's annual Supplier Responsibility Report, which included a standalone list of … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 teardown shows rigid, repair-friendly design

After cracking open Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 last year, I criticized Samsung for making the tablet feel flimsy and using tamper-resistant screws on the unit's back cover. Samsung addressed both my concerns in the 10-inch Note, but there's still one component that's tough to fix.… Read more

How to replace a broken screen on your iPhone

Crack the front panel on your iPhone and you have three choices: live with it, buy a new one, or get it fixed.

If you have AppleCare+ or another warranty that covers accidental damage, the choice is easy. Get your phone fixed or replaced under the warranty. If your iPhone isn't under warranty, you don't want to buy a new one, and you're ready to tackle a challenging, but satisfying, do-it-yourself fix, here's a guide for replacing the entire display assembly.

Should you try this fix? Before you jump into this DIY project, I suggest you … Read more

Google's Nexus 7 costs $152 to build, iSuppli says

The components that make up the Google's entry-level Nexus 7 cost roughly $152, according to a teardown study by IHS iSuppli.

The results, which were first reported by AllThingsD, suggest the possibility of a minor profit from the device, which will retail for $199 and come with 8 gigabytes of storage. It goes on sale this month.

A 16GB model, which sells for $249, costs $159.25, with the higher storage making the difference. iSuppli told AllThingsD that Google would most likely break even on the 8GB model and record a profit on the 16GB one.

The Nexus 7 … Read more

Google Nexus 7 teardown shows big honking battery

The enterprising folks at iFixit have torn the Google Nexus 7 tablet apart to show you its innards, revealing a buxom battery and a surprising lack of annoying proprietary screws.

Known for pulling new technology apart and revealing the silicon-scented odds and ends within, the iFixit teardown gives you an inside glimpse at Google's Android Jelly Bean-powered tablet, including the 7-inch display and motherboard.

Read more of "Google Nexus 7 teardown shows off honking great battery" at Crave UK. … Read more