After Hours

Apple iPod Nano 6th Generation (2010) Teardown

By // September 13, 2010, 8:32 AM PST // billdetwiler

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  • Cracking Open the Apple iPod Nano 6th Generation

    In September 2010, Apple unveiled the 6th generation iPod Nano (Model: A1366). The new Nano is a significant departure from previous versions--resembling the new iPod Shuffle more than older Nanos.

    As with the iPod Shuffle, the Nano isn't designed to be easily disassembled. But if you're working on a device that's already broken and out of warranty, you might not have anything to lose.

    To disassemble the iPod Nano, you'll need a Phillips #00 or #000 screwdriver, a thin metal blade or plastic spudger, and a hair dryer or heat gun.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Box

    The iPod Nano comes in a box that's remarkably similar to the one for the 4th generation iPod Shuffle--released the same year.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • 8GB and 16GB versions available

    The 6th generation iPod Nano is available in seven colors and two memory sizes (8GB or 16GB). The 8GB Nano sells for $149 (US). The 16GB version costs $179 (US).

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Box contents

    The headphones, data/charging cable, and product documentation are located under the iPod Nano.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Headphones and dock connector to USB cable

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Front

    The redesigned 6th generation iPod Nano measures 1.48 inches high, 1.61 inches wide, and is 0.35 inches deep--including the rear clip.

    It also features a new touchscreen that supports Apple Multi-Touch gestures and can display photos. Video playback is not supported, and the new Nano lacks a camera.

    According to the Nano's technical specifications, the color TFT display measures 1.54-inches (diagonally) and has a resolution of 240x240-pixels at 220 pixels per inch.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Back

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Top

    On the top edge of the iPod Nano are the volume controls and the Sleep/Wake button.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Bottom

    Apple's 30-pin dock connection and headphone jack are located on the bottom edge of the iPod Nano.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Display sticker

    A removable sticker illustrates the iOS-like icons used by the iPod Nano's GUI.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Clip

    Like the 2010 iPod Shuffle, the Nano has a large clip on the back.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Heating the touchscreen adhesive

    Unlike the 4th generation iPod Shuffle, the 6th generation iPod Nano's enclosure has no visible entry points. Assuming that the touchscreen was held on with adhesive, I heated the Nano to soften the glue. You could use a heat gun for this task, but I prefer a hair dryer for gadgets like the Nano. Heat guns can get very hot, very quickly. Too much heat can ruin sensitive components.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Pry the touchscreen away from the enclosure

    With the adhesive softened, I used a very thin metal blade to gently pry the touchscreen away from the iPod Nano's enclosure. Take care when doing this not to insert the metal blade or plastic spudger too far into the Nano. You don't want to damage the internal components.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Our first look inside the iPod Nano

    The touchscreen is attached to the logic board via a thin ribbon cable--located along the side below the volume buttons.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Touchscreen ribbon cable

    Take care not to damage the display's ribbon cable when prying it loose from the enclosure. We'll need to disconnect the cable before completely removing the screen.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Metal shield

    A metal shield covers the logic board and most of the components inside the iPod Nano.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Removing the first shield screw

    There are two screws that hold the metal shield to the iPod Nano's enclosure. I used a Phillips #000 bit to remove these and the other screws inside the Nano.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Second shield screw

    The second screw is located in the corner opposite the first.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Metal shield - Front

    With both screws removed, you should be able to left the shield away from the iPod Nano's aluminum enclosure.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Metal shield - Back

    The side of the shield facing the battery and logic board is covered with a black material.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Metal shield removed

    With the shield removed, we get our fist look inside the 6th generation iPod Nano. After taking with photo, I disconnected the TFT display and headphone control button cables from the logic board.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • TFT Display removed

    The iPod Nano's TFT display is connected to the logic board with two connectors. Using a thin plastic blade, you should be able to pop both connectors free without using too much force.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • TFT display - Front

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • TFT display - Back

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Display removed

    The space inside the iPod Nano's enclosure is almost evenly split between the battery and logic board.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Removing the logic board screw

    A single Phillips screw hold the logic board to the aluminum enclosure.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Lift the battery out of the enclosure

    Like the 4th generation iPod Shuffle, the 6th generation Nano has a battery that's soldered to the logic board. Adhesive holds the battery to the enclosure, but I was able to pry it loose without damaging it or the wires.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • 30-pin connector tape and rubber gasket

    A small strip of black tape and a rubber gasket are attached to the enclosure and the 30-pin connector on the logic board. To remove the logic board, you'll need to pull the tape away from the logic board, enclosure, or both. I pulled the tape away from the logic board and left it attached to the enclosure.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Logic board and battery - Front



    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Main chips

    On the front of the main logic board are four chips of interest, with the following markings:

    ?Apple
    339S0104
    YGC7 1028
    K4X51323P1
    YRF 008A3 ARM
    N2N24M03 1031


    ?33753907
    1025
    A 04
    629749

    A2L

    121Z
    J0FG

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Logic board and battery - Back

    The iPod Nano's has a 3.7V, 0.385 Whr Lithium-ion battery. We'll need to remove that white sticker to get a better look at the Nano's memory chip.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Storage chip

    The large storage chip dominates the back of the iPod Nano's logic board. Our 8GB model had a chip with the following markings:

    SanDisk
    0501-008G
    CHINA
    0276D3P14S

    Two other chips have the following markings:

    338S0783-B1
    10298HLT

    0650
    D0YF
    028

    The marking on a fourth Apple chip were obscured by a crusty substance that I didn't want to scrape off.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Enclosure with headphone jack and control button contacts

    With the battery and main logic board removed, we can detach the exterior clip and remove the headphone jack / control button assembly.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Black tape

    This photo shows the black tape and rubber gasket that is still attached to the enclosure (top of image).

    Another strip of black tape covers the contacts for the control buttons (bottom of image).

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Clip screws

    Like the 4th generation iPod Shuffle, the Nano's external clip is attached to the enclosure with four Phillips screws. Three of the screws are readily visible, but one is hidden under a ribbon cable on the headphone jack and control button contact assembly.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Clip - Inside

    The iPod Nano's spring-loaded clip is nearly identical to the one on the 4th generation iPod Shuffle.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Clip - Outside

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Removing the control button contact tape

    I was able to pull the the black tape away from the control button contact assembly and the iPod Nano's enclosure without tearing it.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Control button contact tape

    I'll put the tape back when I reassemble the iPod Nano.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Headphone jack and control button contact assembly screws

    Four tiny Phillips screws hold the headphone jack / control button contact assembly to the iPod Nano's enclosure. I was able to remove them with a Phillips #000 bit.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Removing the headphone jack and control button contact assembly

    With the screws removed, you can pull the control button contact / headphone jack assembly away from the iPod Nano's aluminum enclosure. Some of the ribbon cables are held against the enclosure with adhesive, so take care not to rip them during the removal.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Headphone jack and control button contacts removed

    Unlike the 4th generation iPod Shuffle, the Nano's headphone jack and control button contacts are part of a single unit. The Shuffle's jack was attached directly to the logic board.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Headphone jack and control button contacts



    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Empty enclosure

    There not much left in the enclosure.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Completely disassembled

    With its sealed case and soldered battery, the 6th generation iPod Nano wasn't really designed to be serviced--especially not by the average consumer.

    I should be able to reassemble this Nano, but I doubt the seals will ever be as tight as they were from the factory. I wouldn't recommend cracking open your Nano unless you're prepared to break it.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Cracking Open the Apple iPod Nano 6th Generation

In September 2010, Apple unveiled the 6th generation iPod Nano (Model: A1366). The new Nano is a significant departure from previous versions--resembling the new iPod Shuffle more than older Nanos.

As with the iPod Shuffle, the Nano isn't designed to be easily disassembled. But if you're working on a device that's already broken and out of warranty, you might not have anything to lose.

To disassemble the iPod Nano, you'll need a Phillips #00 or #000 screwdriver, a thin metal blade or plastic spudger, and a hair dryer or heat gun.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

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By Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop supp...