Slashdot Mirror
iPad Mini Teardown Reveals a Frankenstein of Components From Different iPads (arstechnica.com)
The updated fifth-generation iPad mini has been torn apart by iFixit, revealing an "amalgamation of components and designs from other iPads -- the internals of a previous iPad mini, the camera system of an iPad Pro, and the exterior design of an iPad Air," reports Ars Technica. From the report: iFixit has published its teardown of the new, fifth-generation iPad mini -- the first update to Apple's smaller-sized tablet since 2015. The iFixit team -- which sells gear for repairing and servicing gadgets and uses these teardown series to promote said gearâ"noted that the iPad mini looks on the outside like a smaller version of the new iPad Air. But on the inside, it's an updated iPad mini 4, the team wrote.
On opening the tablet up, iFixit discovered a 19.32Wh battery -- the same capacity as the previous-generation iPad mini. But there are some notable changes. The front-facing camera module has been updated to a 7-megapixel Æ'/2.2, like the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. That's a marked improvement over the iPad mini 4. There's also Apple's A12 Bionic system-on-a-chip (the same found in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR) with 3GB of LPDDR4X DRAM. The updated microphone array has been moved near the selfie cam, and new ambient light sensors support the True Tone feature, which adjusts the white balance of the display based on ambient light conditions for user comfort. The repair site gave the 2019 iPad mini a score of two out of 10 for repairability. "The only positive cited was that a single Phillips screwdriver can deal with all the screws in the device," Ars reports. "However, replacing the battery is 'unnecessarily difficult,' there's adhesive everywhere, and removing the home button (no small feat) is required in order to replace the screen."
On opening the tablet up, iFixit discovered a 19.32Wh battery -- the same capacity as the previous-generation iPad mini. But there are some notable changes. The front-facing camera module has been updated to a 7-megapixel Æ'/2.2, like the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. That's a marked improvement over the iPad mini 4. There's also Apple's A12 Bionic system-on-a-chip (the same found in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR) with 3GB of LPDDR4X DRAM. The updated microphone array has been moved near the selfie cam, and new ambient light sensors support the True Tone feature, which adjusts the white balance of the display based on ambient light conditions for user comfort. The repair site gave the 2019 iPad mini a score of two out of 10 for repairability. "The only positive cited was that a single Phillips screwdriver can deal with all the screws in the device," Ars reports. "However, replacing the battery is 'unnecessarily difficult,' there's adhesive everywhere, and removing the home button (no small feat) is required in order to replace the screen."
The first story is still on the front page.
The reveal of a demo device is nothing. At apple's size they spend a lot of money building out the assembly lines and buying the machines and those need to be used for years to make the devices profitable. And even if they don't make a part, they need to sign contracts with suppliers that last years.
I remember some of the original hockey puck apple TV's had CPU's that were basically rejects from what got used in iphones but were good enough for something else. Still have to pay to have them made, why junk them?
Fuck off -- not all of us have money to spend $500+ on something that's designed to be disposable. Especially not when we can buy a Thinkpad refurb for $200.
Wow, amazingly enough, nobody is forcing you to buy an iPad mini
iTODDLERS BTFO
Similar to the episode with the Newton Message Pad - Apple's first foray into handheld computing power. It was one slick puppy with the look of the black icon from the movie 2001 and a double hinged door that opened to the screen and wrapped around the back of the device with a reassuring click. The hi-tech green screen was able to handle graphics, text, and to translate human handwriting to text. Even the writing device was a work of art. Outrageously expensive but obviously worth it from the design ethics and fine craftsmanship.
But wait, was it really that great? Inside was another story with hand-soldered subsections, a wonky battery setup (this is one reason that we can't have removable batteries any more- these sucked), a terrible I/O port design and other problems. They never quite finished the engineering or the production process.
I have two of these historic devices available at a reasonable collector's price . . .
...omphaloskepsis often...
When the iPad my wife gave me started to die, I ditched it and bought a Samsung Tab A 10.1" tablet and never looked back.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
Nobody is forcing stupid Crapple to pollute the environment with disposable cheap shit garbage.
Fix your act, or else go out of environment polluting business for good.
This shouldnâ(TM)t be surprising that apple decided to make these unrepairable. There is no financial upside, no legal requirements and as for being green, just needs to be recyclable.
Its time to require better warranties for these products with ten year repair promise.
A frankenstein computer is a computer somebody had cobbled together with parts from other computers. This was often done when somebody was low on money (or didn't want to waste money), and wanted a computer that met their needs. I've built and used a few frankenstein PCs in my life
The Ipad Mini is just using previous designs used in other iPads. Unless Apple is now building new iPads out of salvage components, I don't consider this a frankenstein machine.
This is sustainable development. Why bother re-designing new shit when the old stuff is fine?
The title implies that component re-use is a bad thing. When has it even been bad to re-use components that work?
Hope it was not a surprise that Apple's entry level iPad Mini 5 is recycling components from Apple's other tablets. In fact, if you recall the Mini's 2 through 4, those models were in a way a letdown because 3 was basically the same as 2 plus a fingerprint reader. The 4 wasn't much different. Nonetheless, I think the 5 is going to be a success because its SoC and storage options are a solid improvement over the previous models, and there is a large number of consumers who like the mini form factor.
Apple constantly brags about how "green" they are and yet much of their products are completely not repairable or at best a huge expense to do so. Which means many will forgo the repair and simply buy a new model. Apple is certainly not innovative or doing anything that other technology are doing. In fact Apple products as a whole are worse for the environment. But Apple does do PR very well and they have brainwashed plenty of customers who defend Apple to the core.
Frankenstein huh? Talk about bias in an article. So every single component in the iPad mini - the camera, CPU, battery, etc - is supposed to be custom engineered for that one device only, otherwise it gets a derogative "Frankenstein" moniker? That's pretty ridiculous. Taking the better, newer, tried-and-true components from other high-end Apple products and integrating them into the mini to refresh it is supposed to be a *good* thing.
Now as for the repairability, yeah, that's ridiculous on Apple's part, but the negativity over using components like a CPU or camera that is also used in other devices is about as common-sense and expected as can be.
Better known as 318230.
We can't afford this garbage going to landfill. The planet can't support it. They need to be forced to make their devices repairable
Components do not "belong" to a certain device. They are components and are intended to be fitted together in any way possible and desired.
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
Still Have a 2nd Gen mini. Slow compared to newer mobile phone but the form factor is comfy at times. I am tempted to get a Apple pencil compatible device now that prices lower. Used devices can get some salvage value and a cheaper way for getting a device though obsolescence sooner for that savings.
Very lame of them not to offer USB-C, since that's what they've moved to on their iPad Pro and MacBook lines.
1. Have you met msmash? Do you two ever talk?
2. Do you read Slashdot?
https://hardware.slashdot.org/...
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Nobody is forcing stupid Crapple to pollute the environment with disposable cheap shit garbage.
Actually, there are TWO parties twisting Apple's arm here. The first is that god-like class of folks called 'shareholders', who as a group have the power to make the bravest CEO quake in his or her boots. The second is that sheep-like bunch of people called consumers, who let themselves be brainwashed into "needing" the latest shiny as cheaply as possible. The latter make the former possible; the former pay the advertisers and other propagandists, who make the latter possible. I say 'chicken', you say 'egg'...
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
Nobody is forcing stupid Crapple to pollute the environment with disposable cheap shit garbage.
Fix your act, or else go out of environment polluting business for good.
At least Apple is trying to do something about that:
https://www.cultofmac.com/477603/apple-wants-devices-made-recycled-renewable-materials/
1) iPad is a computer
2) iPad is a disposable computer
3) iPads usually don't get repaired - just get replaced
4) Apple has an interest in making iPads as efficiently as possible - ability to repair is not a prime objective
5) iPad has subsystems which can be mixed and matched to make new iPad models
Which of the 5 is anything deserving of the crisis 'Frankenstein' headline? iFixIt doesn't like if it's much harder to have a successful repair.
We should expect new electronics models to be a mix of older components and a few newer components, nothing to see, move along...
He also spams soylentnews.org with the same postings constantly.
I can only assume he's a shill like that pasquale guy used to be here as well as others have been in the past.