Teardown of Fourth-Generation iPad Reveals LG Display, A6X Chip, Lightning Connector

[carmenodie]

Tim Cook is an idiot bringing out an iPad so close to the release of the last one. The thrill is gone. He's a greedy dude.

[croooow]

Originally Posted by ipedro

Doesn't look like they used the extra space in this revision.

The space saved by the lightning port is really for smaller devices (iPods and iPhones, maybe even the iPad Mini)

Once the iPad is really refreshed (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, It has a faster chip, but many will not notice) and it is redesigned, that little bit of extra space may benefit the full size iPad as well.

Originally Posted by Allegrotechie

The quality of the articles here on Macrumors really sucks recently. What the fūck, no **** there's a lighting connector, and there an LG display because both Samsung AND LG make displays, it just a 50 50 chance on who makes yours. Reveals A6X? WOW you don't say! And a lightning connector! Well holy motherfūcking ****! I can't believe this!
Can't believe I spent 25 bucks for a Demi-God account, I thought I was supporting a good website..

Haven't they always featured iFixit's tear downs for each new product, even if there isn't much changed from the previous generation? People do like to see the small differences. No one is claiming that there is a surprise to be found in the 4th iPad.

Originally Posted by carmenodie

Tim Cook is an idiot bringing out an iPad so close to the release of the last one. The thrill is gone. He's a greedy dude.

It is pretty smart to bring the newer iPad out now for Christmas shopping: selling iPads with a 30 pin connector do not help the iPhones and iPods with the lightning connectors.

They could have just changed the dock on the 3rd generation iPad but they had the new chip so selling a "brand new" iPad at this time of year is even better for Apple: All the iOS devices are now "new." People want to buy the newest thing.

"Greedy"? His job is to keep Apple successful, to keep people going to the Apple store to buy their products. Didn't Steve Jobs do the same thing? Apple has always made incremental changes: the first iPhone could have had 3G and a better camera, but doing that would make the 2nd/3rd generation phones look lame.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by carmenodie

Tim Cook is an idiot bringing out an iPad so close to the release of the last one. The thrill is gone. He's a greedy dude.

It's incredible. So you are moaning because Apple improves a product? Tim Cook is greedy because Apple releases an improved product, at the same price as the previous one? I really would like to know what is going on in some people's mind. Strike that, I wouldn't, it would just be too scary.

[MacBH928]

So when is the cycle of the iPads now? March or September?

[Menopause]

Originally Posted by theanimaster

Image

Heil!

[chucknelson]

Originally Posted by LarryC

I realize that this is probably a non-issue, but as inexpensive as RAM is these days, why only 1GB of RAM? I remember when they finally went from 512MB to 1GB in the iPhone, RAM is ridiculously cheap these days and Apple certainly charges enough for their products it seems as though 1GB is not enough.

I can't find sources right now, but I remember reading somewhere that RAM has more implications than just cost. Keeping a charge on more RAM can cost battery life as well, which we all know Apple doesn't like to do.

[croooow]

Originally Posted by kingmohd84

So when is the cycle of the iPads now? March or September?

It can change at any time.

Maybe they will do two iPads a year. Maybe they stick with Oct/November, only Apple knows.

[iSunrise]

Originally Posted by iChrist

Frack that.

LG display is an automatic pass. After seeing the sad state of LG screens firsthand in the rMBP, I'm not buying this second rate crap.

The Samsung screens on the iPad 3 were perfectly color accurate against my calibrated Eizo screens. LG is a warm mess.

.

I was also pretty impressed by the color accuracy of the screen on my iPad 3. Since I also own an Eizo CG243W, I know what you´re talking about.

I am not sure about what screen the iPad actually has, though, since you have to open it up to be sure (or do you have a site, where I can check that with the SN?). My colors are slightly on the cold side, about 7000 Kelvin I would guess, since my Eizo runs 6500K.

All current Eizos actually use an LG display. I don´t think that everything LG builds is considered crap right out of the box. It certainly has something to do with Apple´s quality requirements/quality control and nothing with LG as a manufacturer.

Apple wants to make money, the more output they get, the more for them to sell. There are a lot of customers out there that don´t even know anythng about color accuracy, etc., they just wanna own it.

I am anxiously awaiting a review from displaymate on the screen of the iPad 4. I wouldn´t be surprised, though, if it´s actually the same screens they have used for the iPad 3, because Apple clearly just updated the hardware, but re-uses much of the iPad 3 components or modified them slightly.

[jarred125]

Originally Posted by CoreForce

AppleTalk was there in every Mac - and was replaced by USB in the end.

AppleTalk is not and never was a port. It was a suite of networking protocols developed by Apple, so how in the world is it being replaced by a USB port?

[runonthespot]

Originally Posted by iChrist

Frack that.

LG display is an automatic pass. After seeing the sad state of LG screens firsthand in the rMBP, I'm not buying this second rate crap.

The Samsung screens on the iPad 3 were perfectly color accurate against my calibrated Eizo screens. LG is a warm mess.

.

Surely color calibration is a QA concern, and a function of the setup of the LCD, so should be the same for Apple products regardless of the manufacturer?

[ftaok]

Originally Posted by jarred125

AppleTalk is not and never was a port. It was a suite of networking protocols developed by Apple, so how in the world is it being replaced by a USB port?

He meant ADB. It was Apple's version of the serial port, I think.

[xofruitcake]

Originally Posted by carmenodie

Tim Cook is an idiot bringing out an iPad so close to the release of the last one. The thrill is gone. He's a greedy dude.

huh??? How is he greedy? He is selling Ipad 4 with upgraded parts at the same price as Ipad 3. So he is giving the new customer a bargain...

[paulrbeers]

Originally Posted by CoreForce

AppleTalk was there in every Mac - and was replaced by USB in the end.
FireWire was there in every Mac - and was replaced by USB in the end.
Lightning is now introduced
Thunderbolt will be there in every Mac - and will be replaced by ... guess what.
.

First off, As already pointed out AppleTalk was a network protocol. I think you mean ADB (Apple Desktop Bus).

Secondly, all of your above examples were not dropped by Apple, but by the entire PC industry. For example, ADB was Apple's version of PS/2. Even PC's no longer come with the PS/2 ports instead relying on USB. Firewire has been on many PC's and still are today, but they are also being dropped on more and more PC's. You generally have to go to high end models to still get Firewire. Again it is an industry push to move away from Firewire (although truthfully in the PC world it never really gained a lot of adoption). Thunderbolt was just rolled out to PC's 6 months ago. Right now it is a high end PC option. Time will tell if it will be like Firewire (my guess it will be, since the point is a high speed low latency connection that will be mainly used by high end users whereas your normal consumer will just use USB).

Ether way, all of your "points" are nothing more than the industry standards shifting over time. Yes Apple is usually the first to dump ports they deem no longer necessary where as the PC world will hold on to a port well past it's usability, but then again this is the difference in mindset between Macs and PC's. PC's are expected to maintain backwards compatibility for 10+ years.... Partly why the software is so bloated....

[JHankwitz]

Originally Posted by dweezle3

So Apple relies only on it's main competitor for it's top quality retina display, yet decides to have a less competitive, not threatening company produce it's lesser displays? Where's the logic in that?

I hope that decisions Apple makes relies on more than how much of a competitor the supplier might be. I'd be more concerned about quality, delivery, and price than what or how many other products or components the supplier is making.

[WestonHarvey1]

Originally Posted by macfacts

LG's retina displays for the macbookpros are terrible, they have IR (image retention, like screen burn in)

https://discussions.apple.com/thread...t=255&tstart=0

True, but the LG panels have more consistent color and backlight. It's still give and take.

[JHankwitz]

Originally Posted by token787

The same battery? Then it may have the same heat issues.

What heat issue? Show me any elictrical device that doesn't heat up when used. Basic laws of physics mandates heat generation whenever there's electron flow.

The only "heat issue" I'm aware of is when I place my Dell laptop on my dining room table to use, and it leaves a burn mark on the varnish after a half-hour. I use my iPad for hours on my lap and can barely feel it getting warm over time. iPads dont have a "heat issue". They get warm like every electrical device, but it's certainly not an "issue".

[frayne182]

inb4everyonebuysLGeverything

[JHankwitz]

Originally Posted by CoreForce

Another evidence that Lightning is driven by Marketing, not technical challenges, neither customer demand.
It will soon fall into the same fate of history with AppleTalk, DisplayPort, FireWire, Thunderbolt, ...
Looking into the big history of Apple Peripheral connectors that failed miserable, I would be very conservative about investing in those. Both as a vendor and a user. And that's the fate it has.

Rapid evolution is not failure. All great success is built on lessons learned. Risks taken is directly proportional to success achieved.

[WestonHarvey1]

Originally Posted by JHankwitz

What heat issue? Show me any elictrical device that doesn't heat up when used. Basic laws of physics mandates heat generation whenever there's electron flow.

iPad 1 and iPad 2 do not get noticeably warmer. There's a reason why people started talking about it with the iPad 3 and not before. Wether or not it's an "issue" is up to you. It's certainly a change.

[NIKKG]

No point in getting the ipad 4 right now, might as wait till March, I'm pretty sure the ipad 5 is gonna be redesigned to be like a bigger ipad mini with stereo speakers and have a slimmer, lighter design. Best to wait it out folks.

[Mrg02d]

Originally Posted by JHankwitz

What heat issue? Show me any elictrical device that doesn't heat up when used. Basic laws of physics mandates heat generation whenever there's electron flow.

The only "heat issue" I'm aware of is when I place my Dell laptop on my dining room table to use, and it leaves a burn mark on the varnish after a half-hour. I use my iPad for hours on my lap and can barely feel it getting warm over time. iPads dont have a "heat issue". They get warm like every electrical device, but it's certainly not an "issue".

Electron flow through a resistance actually...

----------

Originally Posted by gnasher729

It's incredible. So you are moaning because Apple improves a product? Tim Cook is greedy because Apple releases an improved product, at the same price as the previous one? I really would like to know what is going on in some people's mind. Strike that, I wouldn't, it would just be too scary.

Because many suspect that the Ipad 3 from March should have had an A6X as well...If it could have, and Apple didnt put it in because they wanted to make the Ipad 4 instead, then yes they are buttheads.

[magbarn]

Originally Posted by chucknelson

I can't find sources right now, but I remember reading somewhere that RAM has more implications than just cost. Keeping a charge on more RAM can cost battery life as well, which we all know Apple doesn't like to do.

Given the infinitesimal amount of power that ram uses vs. the screen.... yeah right. It's all about profit - pure and simple.

[decimortis]

Kinda funny that most of the condescending posts about the obvious discovery of the Lightning connector are actually spelling Lightning wrong.

D.

[milo]

Originally Posted by CoreForce

Another evidence that Lightning is driven by Marketing

Have you already forgotten about the iPhone 5? And the latest nano?

It ain't rocket science. This isn't a total redesign, it's a minor swap of a couple components. When it gets a fresh update and not a spec bump you'll see the major space savings. Again, look at the iPhone 5 and especially the nano, the old 30 pin connector is bigger than the whole bottom end of the nano.

And the mini as well, right? They did the teardown on that already, the lightning port isn't the size of the old 30 pin on that, right?

[Freez]

What a pleasing layout progression.

Looks like an evolution to me just from the symmetry.

That is my kind of art - real things that leave a feeling of something intriguing.

It's a nice chip.