O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: Take Apart

  • Engineer adds wired USB-C connection to AirPods, removes need for Lightning charging case

    Engineer adds wired USB-C connection to AirPods, removes need for Lightning charging case

    This could come in handy.

    Hardware prototyping consultant Ken Pillonel has done it again, this time adding wires and a USB-C connector to a set of AirPods, bypassing the need for its charging case.

    The AirPods and AirPods Pro earbuds, which are not designed to be serviced or repaired because no internal components can be accessed without damage to the device, making them a disposable item, were viewed as something of a tongue-in-check project to raise awareness about these repairability issues, and encouraging consumers to think more about simply buying a non-consumable pair of wired earbuds rather than Apple’s wireless offering.

    Here’s the project in action:

    In 2022, Pillonel undertook a similar project to highlight repairability issues with Apple’s lightning connector by adding one to a Samsung Galaxy A51. He is also responsible for several other innovative projects that have captured the Apple community’s interest in recent years, including adding USB-C ports to AirPods, AirPods Pro, and the iPhone X.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors

  • iFixit teardown notes smaller heatsink in new M2-based MacBook Pro notebooks

    iFixit teardown notes smaller heatsink in new M2-based MacBook Pro notebooks

    A recent teardown has shown that Apple’s new M2 Pro and M2 Max-based MacBook Pro note feature a considerably smaller heatsink due to supply chain issues.

    According to recent reports by iFixit and MaxTech, the new MacBook Pro’s revised thermal architecture appears to be caused by the reduced overall footprint of the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max SoCs inside the device, as noted by iFixit and Max Tech.

    The ‌M1 Pro‌ and M1 Max MacBook Pro models contained two, large memory modules, but the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max MacBook Pro models contain four slimmer memory modules. Even though the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max dies are physically larger than those of the ‌M1 Pro‌ and ‌M1 Max‌, the SoCs as a whole take up less space.

    The new notebooks do not require as larger a heatsink as that used in the previous generation and it’s not immediately clear if this significantly impacts thermal efficiency.

    The reason for the change and the use of smaller memory modules appears to have stemmed from supply chain issues. The entire SoC is mounted on a substrate, so four smaller modules allow Apple to use a smaller substrate, making a saving on materials and reducing complexity as a result.

    Dylan Patel, Chief Analyst at SemiAnalysis, offered the following comment to iFixit:

    ABF substrates were in very short supply when Apple made the design choice. By using four smaller modules rather than two larger ones, they can decrease routing complexity within the substrate from the memory to the SoC, leading to fewer layers on the substrate. This allows them to stretch the limited substrate supply further.

    The M2 and M2 Max-based MacBook Pro notebooks offer up to 20 percent better CPU performance and 30 percent better GPU performance than their predecessors. Since the chips continue to be based on TSMC’s 5nm process, some users have noted that Apple may have made thermal tradeoffs in order to deliver improved performance.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors, iFixit, and Max Tech

  • Apple expands Self Service Repair program to eight additional countries

    Apple expands Self Service Repair program to eight additional countries

    If you’re looking to work on your Apple products from home, the Apple Self Service Repair program has now launched in eight additional countries following its U.S.-only debut this past April.

    The program lets customers access repair manuals, purchase genuine Apple parts, and rent the tools needed to carry out DIY repairs.

    The countries are:

    Belgium
    France
    Germany
    Italy
    Poland
    Spain
    Sweden
    UK

    Apple promised the program would expand to more countries “throughout 2022.” The program offers repair manuals and genuine Apple parts and tools through the Apple Self Service Repair Store. Customers who wish to complete their own repairs will be able to perform many of the most common repairs for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, and Mac notebooks with Apple silicon.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac

  • iFixit posts teardown of 10th-generation iPad, notes space constraints that prevent use of second-generation Apple Pencil, other changes

    iFixit posts teardown of 10th-generation iPad, notes space constraints that prevent use of second-generation Apple Pencil, other changes

    The cool cats at iFixit shared a video teardown of Apple’s 10th-generation iPad, which offered a closer look at its components and an explanation as to why the tablet lacks support for the second-geernation Apple Pencil.

    The teardown reveals the internal layout of the iPad, including its two-cell 7,606 mAh battery, logic board with the A14 Bionic chip, and more.

    The teardown also shows that components for the iPad’s landscape-positioned front camera occupy the space where the wireless charging coil would have been located for the second-generation Apple Pencil. As a result, the device is only compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil, with an adapter required for pairing and charging.

    The 10th-gen iPad also features stretch-release battery pulls tabs, as seen in the fifth-generation iPad Air and the sixth-generation iPad mini. These tabs make it easier for repair shops and customers to replace the battery. In comparison, the ninth-generation iPad and many other older iPads have completely glued-in battery cells.

    iFixit also noted that the iPad’s USB-C port is soldered to the logic board and that Apple’s self-service repair program does not currently offer parts, manuals, or tools for iPads, making it harder for customers to complete their own repairs.

    The 10th-generation iPad was released in late October and offers new features such as a 10.9-inch display with slim bezels, flat edges, A14 Bionic chip, USB-C port, Touch ID power button, landscape-positioned FaceTime camera, 5G support on cellular models, Wi-Fi 6, and a new two-piece Magic Keyboard Folio accessory with a row of function keys. Pricing starts at $449, while the ninth-generation iPad remains available for $329.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and iFixit

  • Regulatory filings point to larger batteries on AirPods Pro 2 earbuds

    Regulatory filings point to larger batteries on AirPods Pro 2 earbuds

    Sometimes it’s the regulatory filings that tell you the really good stuff about a new product.

    According to a series of regulatory filings, the longer battery life of the AirPods Pro 2 batteries can be attributed to physically larger batteries.

    Compared to the first-generation AirPods Pro, Apple says that the second-generation model features an additional 1.5 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation enabled for a total of six hours. Listings on the 3C database spotted by MySmartPrice reveal that the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 earbuds feature a battery capacity of 49.7mAh. This is an increase of 15 percent over the 43.24mAh capacity of the first-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌.

    The new batteries offer a capacity of 523mAh, an increase of just 4mAh over the previous model. Per Apple, the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌’s ‌MagSafe‌ Charging Case provides an additional six hours of battery life for a total of 30 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled.

    The new AirPod Pro units also feature the H2 chips and skin-detect sensors, which also help to prolong battery life thanks to better efficiency.

    If you’ve gotten your hands on the new AirPods Pro 2 earbuds, please let us know about your experience with them in the comments.

    Via MacRumors and MySmartPrice