Those wacky folks at iFixit are up to their teardown antics again, tearing down Apple’s iPad mini with Retina Display. They found a larger battery, which seemed to the major contributor to the device’s added thickness, an A7 processor, M7 motion co-processor, and of course, the dazzling Retina display, made by LG.
The device shares many components with other iOS devices in Apple’s lineup. Similarities with the iPad Air include the M7 co-processor, Wi-Fi module, audio amplifiers, and NAND flash storage. Notably, the mini uses the same 1.3GHz A7 processor that is found in the iPhone 5s in place of the slightly faster 1.4 GHz variant used in the iPad Air. We knew this yesterday, as benchmarks ran on the Retina iPad mini revealed the slightly slower chip.
While reports have indicated that Apple is turning to Samsung to increase production of the 2048 x 1536 resolution display used in the Retina model of the mini, the screen in the device torn down by iFixit is from LG Display, so LG was apparently able to turn out at least some acceptable panels for the launch.
The battery in the new device is significantly larger than last year’s non-Retina model, with the new power source measuring in at 24.3 Whr, compared to the previous 16.3 Whr battery in the original mini. The larger battery is needed to power the higher resolution display, while continuing to provide the 10-hour battery life found in the previous generation of mini.
The iPad mini with Retina Display continues the tradition of low repairability scores for Apple iOS devices, with iFixit giving the device a repairability score of just 2 out of 10. Positive points received included easy LCD repairability, and a battery that was not soldered in. Negatives included the large amounts of adhesive and hidden screws used to keep the device together.
The entire teardown play-by-play pr0n can be enjoyed at iFixit.com.
