14 DAY TRIAL // As usual, the people at iFixit couldn’t help themselves not to dissect the fifth-gen nano as soon as they got their hands on it. Noting their findings every step of the way, the team have revealed that the device is not very different from its predecessor (obviously), while Apple has made it more difficult to open the device, forcing customers to throw it away, rather than repair it.
Below are highlights from iFixit’s report on the “iPod nano 5th Generation Teardown:”
- This is the first time Apple's had a similar exterior design for two releases in a row; - New features include a pedometer, voice recorder, voiceover, a genius mix feature, FM radio, a speaker and the video camera; - The latest nano comes in 8 and 16GB capacities, just like its predecessor; - Unlike some earlier iPods, the 5G nano’s hold switch isn't directly attached to the logic board; - Apple has redesigned the click wheel on the new nano; - You can now use a spudger to completely remove the click wheel without taking the rest of the iPod apart; - A “thick slab of glass” covering the LCD; - The camera's a separate module and not integrated into the board.
“We wish Apple would put a little effort into making iPods repairable, instead of forcing people to throw them away when they break,” the team at iFixit, who not only likes to take devices apart, but also fixes them, notes. “Recent iPods have become increasingly difficult to successfully repair,” the team adds. iFixit generally handles battery replacements and common repair tasks, but also sells tools for customers to open and repair the devices on their own.
“This iPod employs copious amounts of glue and adhesive to hold everything together. That makes it easy for Apple to put together, but hard to take apart,” iFixit says, adding that people shouldn’t try to open the fith-gen nano at home.
Other notes include the manufacturer of the nano’s flash memory (Toshiba), when and where it was made (Taiwan, week 29 of 2009), and information about the main ARM processor.