Gadgetory

the iPad air is the thinnest and lightest version of Apple's full-sized tablet it also has a faster processor better front-facing camera and as I'll show you today a completely flip-flopped internal hardware layout I'm Bill Detweiler and this is cracking open the 2013 iPad air is thinner narrower and slightly shorter than the iPad 4 it also weighs nearly half a pound less Apple didn't upgrade the AERS Retina display rear-facing camera 802 11 ny5 or the home button no touch ID sensor here but they did give it the company's new 64-bit a7 processor their m7 motion coprocessor an upgraded FaceTime HD camera and a new battery they also redesigned the internal hardware layout which changes slightly how you crack open the air compared to previous iPads so let's get to it to begin opening the air I use the heat gun set on low to loosen the adhesive that holds the front panel to the aluminum case then starting from the lower left corner I use the series of the thin tools to gently pry the panel off be very careful around the lower right corner and along the right edge there are several thin ribbon cables here that connect the front panel to the motherboard now I won't be able to completely remove the panel till I take out the display so I'll fold it over facedown for now next to come out are the screws that hold the LCD in place and then the display itself I can now disconnect the front panel from the motherboard and give us our first unobstructed view of the device's internal hardware to facts jump right out first and not surprisingly given the placement of the front panels connector cables Apple flipped the internal hardware layout the battery is now on the left and the motherboard is on the right also the SIM card slot and cellular components have been moved to the lower right corner lastly the air has a slightly smaller two cell battery unfortunately that battery and all the other components including the motherboard and their connector cables are held to the metal case with a lot of adhesive forcing them loose could damage them and I want to put this unit back together in working order not destroy it so at this point I'm going to call it a day when it comes to performance and design Apple is definitely moving the ball forward with each iPad iteration and the air is no exception but when it comes to repair ability they're actually going backwards now I know most consumers don't usually care about how easy their devices are to fix but I've seen enough cracked screens broken LCDs and waterlogged devices to know that people often do care when faced with a costly repair now for more information on the iPad air including real-world tests and pricing check out Tim Stevens's full CNET review to see more teardown photos and read my full Hardware analysis go to TechRepublic comm forward slash cracking open I'm Gil Detweiler thanks for watching