iFixit

iPhone 6s Plus teardown reveals a 165 mAh battery downgrade versus last year’s iPhone 6 Plus

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

After taking apart the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s, repair wizards over at iFixit have now disassembled its bigger brethren, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus (model A1687/A1634) After popping the handset open, the iFixit team immediately discovered a largely unchanged layout from the iPhone 6 and a slightly smaller battery versus last year's iPhone 6 Plus.

In line with the rumors, the battery inside the iPhone 6s Plus is of a 2,750 mAh variety, representing a modest 165 mAh downgrade versus the iPhone 6 Plus battery rated at 3.82 V and 11.1 Wh of energy, for a total of 2915 mAh.

Is iPhone 6s waterproof? iFixit has the answer

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 30, 2015

So, is the new iPhone 6s waterproof or not? A lot of ink has been spilt following a video that showed an iPhone 6s surviving being submerged in bowls of water for over an hour. People have been wondering whether the poster had used Liquipel to protect their device from water damage or if Apple has in fact done something to improve water resistance of the new iPhones.

iFixit was wondering the same so they set out to put this debate to rest once and for all. So then, is the new iPhone waterproof or not? Read on to find out.

Apple’s new Taptic Engine inside iPhone 6s blasted with X-rays, captured in action on video

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 25, 2015

When Apple says that a redesigned vibrator inside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, branded as the Taptic Engine, gives you “real-time feedback” in the form of subtle taps, the company is not exaggerating. The new oscillating mechanism, now enclosed with its own aluminum shell, reaches its full power in just one cycle (and stops just as quickly) versus ten or more oscillations for most other smartphones.

This allows for a more precise level of haptic feedback to accompany the new Peek and Pop deep-presses provided by 3D Touch. As part of iFixit's detailed teardown analysis of the new iPhones, the repair wizards have blasted the Taptic Engine with X-rays to show it in action.

iPhone 6s teardown: smaller battery, heavier display, fewer chips and same repairability

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 25, 2015

Repair wizards over at iFixit have performed their teardown routine by prying open the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s (model A1688/A1633) in an effort to identify its components, analyze their internal layout and calculate the device's repairability score.

While the new phone does feature a slightly smaller battery due to a heavier display with additional capacitive sensors, Apple's new Taptic Engine and a bigger 'A9' system-on-a-chip, the device packs in fewer chips overall and has the same repairability score as last year's iPhone 6.

Teardown: new Apple TV + Siri Remote

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 22, 2015

Following the teardown analysis of Apple's fourth-generation iPad mini, repair wizards over at iFixit have torn apart the new Apple TV and its Bluetooth-based Siri Remote with touch trackpad.

The new box has a high repairability score thanks to a fairly modular design and just a few major components, which simplifies repair. It's also a half-inch taller and more than fifty percent heavier than the third-generation model.

On the inside, it features a beefier heatsink and power supply to support the speed monster that is the dual-core A8 microchip with 2GB of RAM, clocked at 1.8GHz.

Teardown reveals iPad mini 4 has 2GB of RAM, smaller battery and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 18, 2015

A teardown analysis performed by repair experts iFixit has confirmed that the iPad mini 4 (model number A1538) ships with two gigabytes of RAM, twice as much as the previous-generation and the same amount of RAM found inside the iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

In addition, the device sports a fully laminated 2,048-by-1,536 pixels LED-backlit LCD IPS screen, an improved eight-megapixel iSight camera out the back, faster Touch ID and a thinner 19.1 Wh rechargeable lithium-polymer battery of lesser capacity.

iPod touch 6th generation receives the teardown treatment

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

The iPod touch 6th generation may have taken forever to finally arrive, but it took almost no time for the boys and girls over at iFixit to give it a proper teardown.

As we noted in yesterday's full review of the 6th-gen iPod touch, this device is a marked improvement over the previous generation, and features the same powerful A8 processor as the iPhone 6, and double the RAM of the 5th-gen iPod touch. But that's not all that's new in this refresh. Be sure to check out iFixit's teardown for a full breakdown of all of the music player's components.

Apple Watch teardown exposes Taptic Engine, Digital Crown, battery and more

Cody Lee ∙ April 23, 2015

Customers in Australia and other time-forward countries began receiving their Apple Watch orders earlier today, and the folks at iFixit have acquired a 38mm Sport Apple Watch, and have begun their customary teardown process.

After prying the display off, the team gained access to the battery—which at 205 mAh is tiny compared to the Moto360's 300 mAh battery—the new Digital Crown and Taptic Engine, and yes—the mysterious diagnostic port is still there.

iFixit tears down, dissects new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

iFixit has released a series of tear downs based on the new laptops Apple introduced at its "Spring Forward" media event on Monday. While we're still waiting for the new MacBook to be examined once it's released, the updated MacBook Pro and MacBook Air that are now available have been opened and dissected.

iPad mini 3’s ‘hastily glued’ Touch ID Home button makes screen repairs difficult

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 24, 2014

Following their analysis of the iPad Air 2's innards, repair experts over at iFixIt have now perfumed their ritual teardown dance with Apple's iPad mini 3. As you know, the iPad mini 3 is basically the iPad mini 2 with the addition of Touch ID and a gold color option so there isn't much to be analyzed here.

That being said, iFixIt was able to make a few noteworthy observations regarding the new tablet's repairability. Specifically, they found that Apple engineers glued the Home button bracket to the front panel assembly, making Touch ID and Home button repairs difficult.

iFixit finds smaller battery, reworked internals in iPad Air 2 teardown

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

As the new iPads begin arriving in stores and on doorsteps, iFixit has gotten its hands on an iPad Air 2 and performed its usual teardown ritual. Upon popping the tablet open, the team discovered a more powerful processor, 2GB of RAM, and a smaller battery.

The processor is of course the new A8X, which is similar to the A8 in the iPhone 6 but with improved graphics. The RAM is comprised of two 1GB Elpida F8164A3MD sticks placed on either side of the A8X, and the battery is of the 27.62 Whr; 7,340 mAh variety.

iPhone 6 Plus teardown reveals 1GB of RAM, high-capacity battery

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

We've still got a good 8 hours or so before the iPhone goes on sale here in the US, but it's already begun flying off the shelves in Australia. And as usual, the folks over at iFixit were on hand at the launch to grab one of the new iPhone 6 Plus models for their customary teardown.

After popping the handset open, the team discovers what it says is a very similar layout to the iPhone 5s, albeit a much bigger battery. In line with the rumors, the battery is rated at 3.82 V and 11.1 Wh of energy, for a total of 2915 mAh—nearly double the capacity of last year's 5s.