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iFixit’s latest teardown takes a look at Apple’s new iPod Touch and finds that despite internal changes, the device received the same repairability score as its higher-capacity counterparts.
Apple quietly introduced its latest iPod Touch last week. The fifth-generation, 16GB iPod Touch features the same 4-inch Retina Display and dual-core A5 processor as the 32GB and 64GB versions but loses the rear-facing camera and LED flash.
The 16GB iPod Touch’s slimmer design weighs about 3 ounces, is 4.86 inches tall, and is 2.31 inches wide. The gadget costs $229, less than its higher-end counterparts at $299 and $399.
In iFixit’s latest teardown, considering the fact the new iPod is “less revolutionary” than the majority of Apple releases — such as the iPad Mini — the iFixit team has focused on the differences between the new model and its recent predecessors.
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After loosening the adhesive securing the front panel to the rear case, the team removed internal screws from the mainframe. iFixit found that the 16GB iPod Touch has a new model number considering its lack of the camera and wrist strap and is dubbed the A1509. The location of the microphone has also changed and is now adjacent to the power button rather than being placed next to the camera. With the exception of the flash memory — which is lower than the older 32GB and 64GB models — the logic board is basically the same.
iFixit
A combination of clips and adhesive made opening the case difficult, and the assortment of cables connected to the logic board — running over the top and connecting on the bottom — makes it “difficult to remove the board or disconnect the cables,” according to the team. Many components are soldered together as in the case of previous iPod Touch models, and so repairing singular components is no easy task. However, notches which hold the battery in place makes it fairly easy to remove this component.
As with previous iPod Touches, the fifth-generation 16GB iPod Touch received a poor repairability score of three out of 10.
