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iPad 10 Teardown Reveals Why Device Isn't Compatible With Apple Pencil 2

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Do-it-yourself repair website iFixit today shared a video teardown of Apple's new 10th-generation iPad, providing a closer look inside the tablet and revealing why the device lacks support for the second-generation Apple Pencil.


The teardown reveals the internal layout of the iPad, including its two-cell 7,606 mAh battery, logic board with the A14 Bionic chip, and more.

As suspected, the teardown shows that components for the iPad's landscape-positioned front camera occupy the space where the wireless charging coil would have been located for the second-generation Apple Pencil. As a result, the device is only compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil, with an adapter required for pairing and charging.

iPad-10-Battery-Pull-Tabs.jpg
Image Credit: iFixit​

iFixit also confirmed that the iPad has stretch-release battery pull tabs like the fifth-generation iPad Air and the sixth-generation iPad mini, making it easier for repair shops and customers to replace the battery. In comparison, the ninth-generation iPad and many other older iPads have completely glued-in battery cells.

iFixit was disappointed that the iPad's USB-C port is soldered to the logic board and noted that Apple's self-service repair program does not currently offer parts, manuals, or tools for iPads, making it harder for customers to complete their own repairs.

Apple released the 10th-generation iPad in late October. Key new features include a 10.9-inch display with slim bezels, flat edges, A14 Bionic chip, USB-C port, Touch ID power button, landscape-positioned FaceTime camera, 5G support on cellular models, Wi-Fi 6, and a new two-piece Magic Keyboard Folio accessory with a row of function keys. Pricing starts at $449, while the ninth-generation iPad remains available for $329.

Article Link: iPad 10 Teardown Reveals Why Device Isn't Compatible With Apple Pencil 2
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/12/01/ipad-10-teardown-ifixit/
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Tim Cook: We've got a ton of excess Apple Pencil inventory, figure out how to sell them
Marketing: We need to generate demand for 7+ year old device
Engineer: We could enable it's use in the upcoming iPad
Marketing: Make sure the design has an excuse as to why it can't use the New Pencil, or we will look greedy
Tim Cook: cha-ching
 
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vegetassj4 said:
Tim Cook: We've got a ton of excess Apple Pencil inventory, figure out how to sell them
Engineer: We could enable it's use in the upcoming iPad
Marketing: Make sure the design has an excuse as to why it can't use the New Pencil, or we will look greedy
Tim Cook: cha-ching
Click to expand...
Hate to say this but that is probably what happened. Spot on! Apple hates wasting extra inventory and they don't have the courage to lower the prices of old-generation stuff either :(
 
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It still doesn't make sense to ship two redesigns -- USB C charging; landscape camera -- without a better solution than "Gen 1 Pencil + series of non-included adapters." If it's purely an industrial design problem, I'm positive that a company with Apple's resources could figure out a solution to getting Pencil 2 support to work with the camera module. It's a supply chain thing (we want this to use Gen 1 pencil, we need to get rid of them) then it should use lightning, so, you know, you can charge it.

It doesn't seem like "a good customer experience" is even a consideration in this product's equation at all. That used to be what Apple was best at selling.
 
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You don't need a teardown to find out "why" it is not compatible. Of course the necessary components would not be there, come on. If they tell you it's not compatible, then it means they didn't make it compatible. The real issue is not why it is incompatible, but why they didn't MAKE it compatible.
 
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geartau said:
so they're going to keep producing 1st gen pencils considering this 10th gen iPad basically extended the life of 1st gen pencils?

weird take.
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I don't think Apple is producing as much. They have leftover inventory in China that they are trying to get rid of. It's so dumb.
 
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Of course the space is occupied. Apple wouldn’t have left it empty…

The right thing to do would be to move the camera off center and use Center Stage to make it feel more “center” like they already to, but from a much better vantage point. This would have allowed the wireless charging coil to stay in its normal spot so the pencil doesn’t look “off center” when sitting on the iPad. With the off center camera being hidden behind the bezel.

I expect this is what Apple will likely do with the next iPad Pro. They just went this route for two reasons. Firstly to make you want to buy the more expensive iPad since the charging is wonky with the Gen 1 pencil. Secondly, it keeps them from having to make iPad Pro owners pissed they don’t have landscape camera and Pencil support.
 
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geartau said:
where? opposite end is where you connect the case/keyboard
top and bottom have speakers/button.
Click to expand...
They could've still put it on the bottom where the case connects. You just wouldn't be able to charge the pencil while the case is connected. Small price to pay for supporting a much more improved version of the Pencil. Not to mention, the Pencil charges so fast and last so long that it's not really a big sacrifice.
 
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TheYayAreaLiving 🎗 said:
Hate to say this but that is probably what happened. Spot on! Apple hates wasting extra inventory and they don't have the courage to lower the prices of old-generation stuff either :(
Click to expand...
That was the whole case with them iPod Touches. Before, they stated if someone's going to sabotage one of their products (devices for testing, for children or otherwise very light iOS users), they'd rather they themselves be the one to do that. Later on, they announced iPod Touch line is getting canned, and it turns out they only kept selling them because they had to liquidate their inventory of parts and casings for that product line.
 
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jbellanca said:
Never should have moved the camera to the long side. Totally breaks FaceTime that way. Remember Steve Jobs sitting on the sofa reading thew NY Times in 2010? That's how the iPad's meant to be held for FaceTime.
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The best place for the camera would be in the corner (top right in portrait mode) that way it would be optimal in landscape or portrait and would not have a biased orientation.
 
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jbellanca said:
Never should have moved the camera to the long side. Totally breaks FaceTime that way. Remember Steve Jobs sitting on the sofa reading thew NY Times in 2010? That's how the iPad's meant to be held for FaceTime.
Click to expand...
Except iPads have evolved a lot since then. Using an iPad with the Magic Keyboard for instance, makes the person looks weird and off axis because the camera is on the left.
 
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Spaceboy88 said:
This may sound crazy, but couldn't Apple...you know...just moved the wireless charging coil to a different part of the iPad? 🤯
Click to expand...
It seems like Apple decided with the amount of time they had to do a refresh to go the simplest route possible. When the iPad Pros get a side camera they'll spend the time involved in properly rethinking it, but I can understand that they likely know how many people use the Pencil on the base iPad and since it wouldn't be a feature regression like it would on Pencil 2 devices, it was the path of least resistance.

Is it as good as an iPad with Pencil 2 support? Nope. But I think they made the right choice in that the more rational camera placement is a much more important feature to most people.
 
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