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iFixit has got its hands on the new Google Nexus 7, and you know what that means — its innards have been splayed for all to see.
The result? Like the original Nexus 7, it’s pretty repairable, except for the fact you’ll need a heat gun to prise off the screen. But let’s be honest, it’s more an excuse to see what’s inside this doohicky. So let’s take a look.
Side by side with its predecessor, the new Nexus 7 is thinner, narrower, and a little taller. The back doesn’t have the same texture as the original, and the Nexus logo has switched from horizontal to running vertically up the back. There’s also that rear camera in the top corner.
All you need to crack open the device is a plastic tool.
Once in, you’ll see a massive battery, and an inductive charging coil — the first of its kind iFixit has seen in a tablet. On top of that is the NFC module, for pairing devices by just tapping them together.
Freeing the battery didn’t seem to cause too many problems, despite the sticky adhesive. It actually has a lower power consumption than the battery on the original Nexus 7, but goes for an hour longer, which is not only very handy for us punters, it’s also better for the environment.
The chip boards come out no trouble. We get a good look at the real hardware, including the Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core CPU that’s the tablet’s brains. Then we’re onto the speakers and the Wi-Fi antennas.
Done and done. Overall, the Nexus 7 scores seven out of 10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. Are you looking forward to the new Nexus 7? Is it enough of a step on from the original? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
