macnn
07/10/2008, 10:55am, EDT
Thursday, July 10th
Photos reveal construction of iPhone 3G
The iPhone 3G has substantial differences within its hardware beyond 3G and GPS chips, one of the first teardowns shows. A model obtained early from New Zealand reveals, for example, that unlike the first iPhone, the glass and LCD in the display are separate, mimicking the construction of the iPod touch. The display assembly is also no longer used to anchor miscellaneous components, but rather just the main board.
Apple has merged the logic and communications boards together instead of stacking them, and perhaps critically for repair teams and home upgraders, the battery is no longer soldered, making it easier to remove. Chips so far remain mostly unidentified, but the phone does use Intel NOR flash and Skyworks power management.
[via iFixit]
, 
, 6
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
Top
subscribe to comments
for this article
Blue IC boards
Is there any significance to the colour of the circuit boards? I notice that Apple seems to use IC boards that are blue, rather than the usual green, brown, red, pink, or even yellow. Do the colours mean anything...?
Re: blue IC boards
@Flesh,
Not at all. PCB is PCB.
color of boards
No. The color has no significance. Apple used to use different colors to designate different levels of prototype boards, but the color now is simply so that the board looks good in teardowns like this.
Re: Construction
So with the battery no longer soldered does that mean it is now user replaceable? Also any comment(s) on the 2 screws on the bottom? After taking them out, anything else you needed to do to get the case apart?
missing the point
I think the REAL news here is that the iPhone can be opened just be loosening 2 tiny screws, which will make things a hell of a lot easier.
Where is the battery?
Buried under all the circuit boards? I doubt the average user would be comfortable enough to pull all that stuff out to change a battery.