When in doubt, use a hacksaw.
The cool cats at iFixit have taken it upon themselves to crack into the newly-released HomePod to find out what’s inside.
The outfit, which used an actual hacksaw to crack the smart speaker open, discovered an A8 processor, seven tweeters, six far-field microphones, and a high excursion woofer. The speaker dynamically adapts to its placement in a room to improve audio output and to create a stereo-like sound from a single unit.
After physically destroying the HomePod’s body, iFixit found they had to to slice the fabric mesh outer skin, then cut through the inner body with a saw.
It’s unknown as to what Apple’s technique is to open the HomePod without damaging the outer body.
During the teardown, iFixit found an extra microphone that’s most likely used for tuning the woofer alongside a 14-pin connector that’s thought to be used for diagnostics. The HomePod also features a large magnet to drive its high-excursion woofer.
Based on the trouble iFixit went through to get inside the HomePod, it’s possible that Apple’s repair process is to simply replace them. That seems plausible considering an out of warranty repair costs US$279—about 80% of the $349 price of a new one.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
If you’ve managed to snag a HomePod, please let us know what you make of it in the comments.
Via The Mac Observer and iFixit