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Cracking open the Apple iPad 3G

By // May 19, 2010, 12:28 AM PST // billdetwiler

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  • Apple iPad 3G: Front

    TechRepublic's Bill Detwiler cracked open the Apple iPad 3G for a look at the hardware inside the Apple tablet. You can also watch a video of the process in the TR Dojo blog.

    Click to enlarge the image.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Main screen

    From the front, the Apple iPad 3G is nearly identical to the iPad Wi-Fi. The only visible difference is the black, plastic strip that runs along the devices top edge.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Back

    A black, plastic strip runs across the top of the Apple iPad 3G. One of the cellular antennas and the device's GPS antenna are mounted behind this "RF window."

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G 16GB version

    Our Apple iPad 3G test unit was a 16GB version.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G and iPad Wi-Fi

    This photo shows the Apple iPad 3G (right) and iPad W-Fi (left). Other than the black, plastic strip along the top of the iPad 3G, the back of both devices are identical

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Left side

    The Apple iPad 3G's SIM card slot is located along the device's left side.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: SIM card slot

    You can remove the SIM card using a small, straightened paperclip.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: microSIM card

    The Apple iPad 3G uses a microSIM card. The card is significantly smaller than a traditional SIM, but the metal contacts are the same.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Right side

    As on the Apple iPad Wi-Fi, the right side of the iPad 3G contains the screen rotation lock switch and the volume up/down button.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Top

    Along the top of the Apple iPad 3G, you find a black, plastic strip, which extends down the back of the device. As noted earlier, this plastic strip conceals one of the iPad 3G's cellular antennas and the GPS antenna.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Bottom

    Along the bottom of the Apple iPad 3G, you'll find the data port and speaker grill.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Removing the front glass panel

    I cracked open the Apple iPad 3G using the same techniques as I used on the original iPad Wi-Fi.

    I insert a thin metal blade between the metal case and the front panel assembly's black rubber gasket. Then, I slowing and gently worked my way around the left side of the case releasing and/or breaking the metal clips that hold the front panel to the metal case. Once enough of the clips where pried loose, I was able to lift the left side of the front panel away from the metal case.

    To completely separate the front panel from the metal case, you must disconnect four cables. The iPad Wi-Fi had three cables.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Inside

    With the two halves separated, we get our first good look at the hardware inside the Apple iPad 3G. I wasn't surprised to an internal layout nearly identical to the iPad Wi-Fi.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Metal case

    Within the Apple iPad 3G's metal shell, are the main logic board and 3G communications board (mostly covered by metal EMI shields), the batteries, Wi-Fi and Bluetooh card, antennas, headphone jack, microphone, speakers, On/Off button, volume up/down button, screen rotation lock switch, and microSIM card slot.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad Wi-Fi: Metal case

    Looking at the metal case on the Apple iPad Wi-Fi, the empty spaces for the microSIM slot and the 3G communications card.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G and iPad Wi-Fi disassembled

    This image shows the Apple iPad 3G next to the iPad Wi-Fi. It's much smaller than the other images as it was created for the video of me cracking open the iPad 3G.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Metal case top

    At the top of the Apple iPad 3G's metal case, you can see the inside of the black plastic "RF window". Attached to this plastic strip are one of the cellular antennas and the GPS antenna.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Metal case top

    Most of the main logic board and 3G communications board are covered with metal EMI shields.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Metal case bottom

    At the bottom of the Apple iPad 3G's metal case, we find one of the Wi-Fi antennas, the speaker assembly, data port, and the contacts for the home button. Along the left side, is the microSIM card slot. The black connector strip that runs down the center of the battery assembly, attaches the components at the bottom of the device to the main logic board. Under the connector, you also find the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication cards. A second antenna is mounted behind the battery assembly.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Metal case bottom

    Another view of the bottom of the Apple iPad 3G. Like the iPad W-Fi, the data port and speaker grill are located here.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Front panel

    The Apple iPad 3G's front panel assembly is nearly identical to the one on the iPad Wi-Fi. The only difference is the new antenna and cable.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Front panel cables

    The front panel assembly has four cables. Starting with the round cable at the bottom left of this picture and working your way across the top and to the right, you'll find the display cable, an antenna cable new to the iPad 3G, the ambient light senor and cable, and on right side the ribbon cable for the digitizer.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: New antenna

    The Apple iPad 3G has a thin cable in the upper-right corner of the front panel that does not exist on the iPad Wi-Fi.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Front panel bottom

    At the bottom of the Apple iPad 3G's front panel assembly, you find the Home button.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Front panel Home button

    A closer look a the backside of the Home button on the Apple iPad 3G.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: CPU, RAM, and other chips

    With the EMI shield removed, we can see the core of the iPad 3G. As on the iPad Wi-Fi, we find the 1GHz Apple A4 processor, two Samsung NAND flash memory chips, the Broadcom I/O controller, and chips from Texas instruments and NXP.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Cracking open case damage

    Cracking open the Apple iPad 3G left a few scratches on our test unit's metal case.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Metal clips

    The Apple iPad 3G's front panel is held to the metal case with plastic tabs and several metal clips. As I did when disassembling the iPad Wi-Fi, I broke several of these clips when opening the iPad 3G.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G: Internal rubber cushions

    The two small rubber cushions help separate the front panel assembly from the metal case. They came off during this cracking open.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Apple iPad 3G disassembled

    Here is the iPad 3G disassembled. As I did on the iPad Wi-Fi, I stopped here and was able to reassembled the iPad 3G in working condition.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

Apple iPad 3G: Front

TechRepublic's Bill Detwiler cracked open the Apple iPad 3G for a look at the hardware inside the Apple tablet. You can also watch a video of the process in the TR Dojo blog.

Click to enlarge the image.

Photo credit: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

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About Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Managing Editor 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...