Teardown of Retina iPad Mini Reveals A7 Chip, LG Display, Larger Battery

[MacRumors]

The experts at iFixit have performed another one of their usual high-quality teardowns on Apple's new iPad mini with Retina display, revealing that while the device is nearly unchanged visually from the original iPad mini, it features a number of internal upgrades such as an A7 chip and M7 motion coprocessor alongside the new high-resolution display.

Notably, a number of parts in the iPad Mini with Retina Display appears to be very similar to those found in the iPad Air, including similarities in the display driver, M7 coprocessor, NAND flash storage, Wi-Fi module, and audio amplifers between the two devices. However, the Retina iPad Mini appears to be using a different A7 processor than the 1.4 GHz variant found in the iPad Air, with the APL0698 part in the iPad mini matching the 1.3 GHz A7 found in the iPhone 5s rather than the 1.4 GHz APL5698 part seen in the iPad Air. The Retina iPad mini's slightly slower A7 chip was revealed in benchmarks done on the device yesterday.

The main feature of the device is of course the 2048 x 1536 resolution display, which appears to be manufactured by LG. Apple has been said to be turning to Samsung as a display supplier for the iPad mini due to low yields from LG and Sharp, but it is clear that at least LG is providing some panels for the launch batch. The new iPad mini also carries a significantly larger battery than the 16.3 Whr battery found in previous iPad mini, with the new tablet's battery measured at 24.3 Whr. That extra battery capacity in large part goes toward supporting the new Retina display, with the device offering the same 10-hour battery life as the previous generation.

As is tradition for iFixit's teardowns, the company has assigned a repairability score to the iPad mini with Retina display based on the accessibility of the various components. As with the iPad Air, the firm rates the Retina iPad mini's repairability at just 2 out of 10, with the firm again assessing positive points for easy LCD accessibility and a non-soldered battery, but the amount of adhesive and hidden screws used to hold the device together make repair extremely difficult.

Article Link: Teardown of Retina iPad Mini Reveals A7 Chip, LG Display, Larger Battery

 

[darkslayer13]

Yup, looks like an apple product to me.

 

[citi]

LG display. Wait for it, wait for it...

 

[troop231]

Surprised to not see unicorns in there

 

[Tankmaze]

I'm gonna go with the air, got bigger display and battery.

 

[maflynn]

So being the low-powered A7, how much impact will that be on performance?

 

[newdeal]

So being the low-powered A7, how much impact will that be on performance?

in real life, None. Apps are still being designed to run on iPhone 4 as it was just recently discontinued. The iPad Mini with the A5 is still for sale and is 5x slower than this. Developers have to code for the lowest device so in the real world it makes no difference since this is far faster than the slowest devices that until recently were still sold.

 

[Vanilla35]

So being the low-powered A7, how much impact will that be on performance?

The iPad Air's geekbench score puts it at 6-13% higher than then Retina Mini's.

Both are within ~10% of the iPhone 5S

~~~So even more now than ever an iPad is looking like just an iPhone with a larger screen

 

[DipDog3]

Wow that is a huge difference in battery size!

 

[neilmacd]

I'm always amazed at how small the logicboard's are that drive these things

 

[Rossatron]

let me guess, it got a (-6) in repairability score, right?

 

[DipDog3]

let me guess, it got a (-6) in repairability score, right?

No it got a 2/10. Which may as well be a -6, because even a tech-savvy person shouldn't try and repair it.

 

[codeboye]

Wow that is a huge difference in battery size!

Yeah, that's what she said!

 

[maflynn]

in real life, None. Apps are still being designed to run on iPhone 4 as it was just recently discontinued. The iPad Mini with the A5 is still for sale and is 5x slower than this. Developers have to code for the lowest device so in the real world it makes no difference since this is far faster than the slowest devices that until recently were still sold.

The iPad Air's geekbench score puts it at 6-13% higher than then Retina Mini's.

Both are within ~10% of the iPhone 5S

~~~So even more now than ever an iPad is looking like just an iPhone with a larger screen

Great thanks, that puts my mind at east since I have on order

 

[iMaven]

Screen the guy is holding has a yellow tint.

 

[Preclaro_tipo]

A7 Chip and on-die storage for TouchID

Does anyone know what the inside of the A7 chip looks like on the non-iPhone 5S devices?

I thought the touchID required on-die space. What happened to that space?

Is there evidence that the Touch ID made it or almost made it to the iPad Air or iPad Mini?

 

[Menneisyys2]

in real life, None.

Not true. With apps / algorithms using the CPU at 100% (e.g., long-running local pathfinder algorithms, software HD video decoding etc.), you will see the appr. 7% difference.

 

[prism]

Not true. With apps / algorithms using the CPU at 100% (e.g., long-running local pathfinder algorithms, software HD video decoding etc.), you will see the appr. 7% difference.

Not only that, if the rMini suffers from the same throttling "feature" as the 5s, which was pointed out in Anand's review of the Air, it is going to be significantly more than 7%!

 

[Carmenia83]

Great improvements, but I'm holding out for Touch ID hopefully next gen. I've gotten so used to it on my 5s already that I catch myself holding the home button on my current iPad waiting (like an idiot) for it to unlock lol.

 

[Cinch]

cheap and toxic glue

Dear Jony Ive,

A Swiss watch is not held together by glue.

Best regards,

A Lover of Aesthetics

 

[Shanpdx]

How long it takes to charge iPad mini

anyone tried yet? from 0 to 100%?

 

[darkslide29]

I don't like their stupid scores. They talk about it as if it actually means anything besides how much money can be put into their own pockets from selling spare parts to consumers.

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anyone tried yet? from 0 to 100%?

I didn't even think of that before buying. I hated how long my iPad 3 took to charge. Now you've got me nervous.

 

[Squilly]

It's quite amazing (to me) that most of the tablet is the battery, even less room to cram in the rest of the parts now. Just waiting for Graphene batteries to come....

 

[darkslide29]

Great improvements, but I'm holding out for Touch ID hopefully next gen. I've gotten so used to it on my 5s already that I catch myself holding the home button on my current iPad waiting (like an idiot) for it to unlock lol.

Also a little bummed about no Touch ID. I am coming off an iPad 3, and for the life of me could not decide if I wanted to try a mini or stick with the full size. Or wait for Touch ID.

I decided to get the mini to get a taste of what it's like. If I hate it, I can get the touch ID air next year, (or upgrade to the mini and get cellular too!).

I am fascinated by the fact that most people I know who went mini don't want to go back to full size. Granted, small sample of a few people I know, but still interesting to me.

 

[Shanpdx]

I didn't even think of that before buying. I hated how long my iPad 3 took to charge. Now you've got me nervous.

yup i want to know that before buying. the iPad mini charges very fast. not sure about the iPad mini retina display though.