HomePod Teardown Reveals Hidden 14-Pin Connector, 16GB Storage, and Very Low Repairability

[pdaholic]

16 GB of flash...that we can't use. Is the OS really that bloated?

 

[davie18]

16 GB of flash...that we can't use. Is the OS really that bloated?

Could be for other uses though, for example future apps.

 

[lec0rsaire]

At the end of the day it’s the right tool for the job, if that’s a 10 buck Bluetooth speaker or a 5 buck jelly strap watch then it’s the perfect tool. It’s not a pose off or dick measuring contest for most folks (unless you are a dicktaker of the USA or NK, that is)

Dick measuring? Passion for fine watches has nothing to do with showing off. In fact it's something nice to pass down to one's sons.

 

[DeeEss]

I was so excite about this Homepod. I couldn't believe it when I first got it going. It's crap. The sound quality is very average and not nearly loud enough. I am truly gobsmacked Apple released this.

This is a total failure in my opinion and it's going back to the shop.

 

[MacOSExustio]

They have special robot to dissemble iPhone and recycle each part

Is it possible to actually recycle the silicon itself to recover the plastic (casing), silicon (obviously), aluminum (conductive paths), various trace metals (I suppose maybe every few thousand atoms count - if you're talking about recycling millions of chips), and whatever is used in the solder outside the chips (or more likely below)? In other words, is TOTAL recycling possible?

 

[Piggie]

Is it possible to actually recycle the silicon itself to recover the plastic (casing), silicon (obviously), aluminum (conductive paths), various trace metals (I suppose maybe every few thousand atoms count - if you're talking about recycling millions of chips), and whatever is used in the solder outside the chips (or more likely below)? In other words, is TOTAL recycling possible?

I'm sure pretty much anything every made can be recycled if enough time, effort and money is put into the task.

Or course, the idea before any of that is to make sure any device can has as long a lifespan as practically possible and is easily reparable in the most cheapest and easiest way so that less new devices that use more resources need to get manufactured in the 1st place.

 

[urtules]

Is it possible to actually recycle the silicon itself to recover the plastic (casing), silicon (obviously), aluminum (conductive paths), various trace metals (I suppose maybe every few thousand atoms count - if you're talking about recycling millions of chips), and whatever is used in the solder outside the chips (or more likely below)? In other words, is TOTAL recycling possible?

Yes, it’s close to 100% recycling. https://www.apple.com/environment/resources/

 

[ouimetnick]

Really there should be no need to ever repair these because of damage caused by users.

The chance of you damaging them is reduced drastically by the fact it's a product that'll remain still 99% of the time for most people. How often do you manage to cause any damage at all to a TV, for example? SO I wouldn't really worry about the low repair-ability

I don’t see this as something people need to be self-repairing. It’s not like a phone or computer. Not every electronic device is intended, or desirable, to be accessible for user repair. I would imagine in most cases a typical user couldn’t even source a component with which to repair — nor have the expertise to identify the failed component.

Well its a good thing the HomePod sits on a table or shelf and doesn't move for its entire life. These repairability ratings are stupid. For mobile devices and laptops, sure, accidents happen and you would like to know if you can easily replace a battery or screen if something happens, but for a shelf-top speaker, come on. If you drop it and break it, suck it up and buy another one.

Of course you are going to get people that are going to move these things around the home all the time and bring them to friends, using them the way they would normally use a wireless Bluetooth speaker, and then they will drop it in a pool or on concrete and cry.

Damn, these posts aged like milk. It seems that some users are reporting that their launch day HomePod has failed. I’ve seen some fail due to a dead internal power supply and some that brick during an update. Some become unresponsive and when resetting them, they go into a boot loop with blinking volume controls.

Meanwhile this is a stationary device that doesn’t get moved. My iPod HiFi from 2006 still works though.

I’ve bought 3 HomePods new and added AppleCare. Also bought 3 broken ones on eBay. Fixed one.. took a power supply from a bricked unit and put it in one with a dead power supply. Not easy to work on, but it’s still amazing at how Apple crammed so much technology and electronics inside.