AppleInsider Staff
Most of the differences are due the iPad 3G's additional 3G / GPS functionality, said iFixIt, which also noted the following highlights from its internal examination:
- The immediate visible difference is the inclusion of a black plastic RF window on top of the iPad for better antenna reception.
- The black RF window significantly changes the opening procedure. You cannot start separating the display using the notches on the top (Ã la Wi-Fi version), since that will undoubtedly break the RF window. You have to start from the right side and gingerly proceed to the top and bottom of the iPad.
- There are actually FIVE antennas in this iPad:
- Two antennas handle the cell reception — one is in the RF window on top, the other attaches to the LCD frame.
- A single GPS antenna is also housed in the RF window on top.
- Just like the iPad Wi-Fi, there are two antennas that handle Wi-Fi / Bluetooth connectivity, one in the Apple logo and another to the left of the dock connector.
New to the 3G iPad, there's an antenna attached to the backside of the display assembly.
Apple soldered the EMI shield onto the communications board, making it challenging to show the chips.
The iPad's SIM card measures 12mm x 15mm. That's just under half the size of the standard size SIM card from an iPhone 3GS.
The iPad 3G completely torn down.
Bon Adamson
Wesley Hilliard
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
Amber Neely
35 Comments
cool..
You have to start from the right side and gingerly proceed to the top and bottom of the iPad.
When these people say "gingerly", I'll assume they mean something on par with neurosurgery.
I wonder if the 3G's WiFi signal is better and by how much.
PS: I forgot about the antenna attached to the ODD frame in the new MBPs this might make today's project a little tricker.
The only thing I keep thinking when I look at these teardown pictures is why the heck they didn't make a more useable, smaller version of the iPad at the same time? Take out one of those batteries and shrink the case (it's half empty anyway), and you'd have a paperback sized device you could actually type on comfortably while standing up which has always been one of the central and yet elusive goals of tablet computing.
Ask any real writer what they think of the iPad and they'll tell you it's really only okay for the occasional typing task. Something a bit smaller that you can actually thumb-type on would enable proper portable computing, and allow you to actually be productive instead of just watching crappy movies or play games on the couch.
The only thing I keep thinking when I look at these teardown pictures is why the heck they didn't make a more useable, smaller version of the iPad at the same time?
They have. It's called the iPod Touch. It's unlikely they'd scale down the iPad, as it'd then just be an iPod.