With tablets taking a turn toward ever-tighter form factors and packaging -- witness the excitement surrounding the just-launched Amazon Kindle Fire -- we thought it would be interesting to go back and look at a recent teardown of the sector's still-champion, the Apple iPad 2.
UBM TechInsights, our sister organization, conducted a teardown of the Apple iPad 2 3G version just before it was launched in March. In terms of its main chip, the 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor that powers the iPad has specifications comparable to those of the NVidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor studied in the Motorola Xoom. So we assume that CPU costs are comparable for each manufacturer (approximately $15-$20 per processor).
The A5 is a very big integrated circuit, with a processor die size of 12.1mm x 10.1mm. You'll recall that the Apple A4 used in the original iPad was a package-on-package with the processor and its supporting memory stacked one capsule atop another, and it had a processor die size of 7.3mm x 7.3mm.
Click the image below to view a slideshow of the iPad 2 3G in various stages of disassembly.
The white version -- it also comes in black -- of the Apple iPad 2 3G.
Based on analysis performed by our UBM TechInsights Lab and Process Analysis personnel, we can say that the A5 in the iPad 2 is definitely manufactured by Samsung using its 45nm process. UBM TechInsights used optical die and SEM cross-section images to analyze important features such as die edge seal, metal 1 pitch, and logic gate and SRAM transistor gate measurements. These features were then compared to other manufacturers in our database, including other Samsung 45nm parts. The Apple A4 processor was also fabricated using Samsung’s 45nm process.
We were able to estimate the cost of manufacturing an iPad 2 by using part component pricing and past manufacturing history to speculate and estimate component costs. From that, we were able to estimate that the iPad 2 has an approximate cost of $270 for bill of materials (BOM). Apple's volumes and platforming will certainly factor in keeping BOM costs competitive to their tablet competition.
Whereas products such as the Motorola Xoom were designed to challenge the iPad by improving on the processor (such as utilizing the NVidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor), Apple is responding by introducing the Apple A5 dual-core processor in use in the iPad 2. Essentially, Apple is telling the tablet market that if dual-core is what you want, then dual-core is what you will get.
On the 3G front, before the iPad 2 was released, we speculated that Apple might take a design cue from the Verizon iPhone 4 (and Motorola Xoom) by selecting a Qualcomm multimode-ready radio. Our suspicions proved to be correct in that it turned out be the exact same radio as found in the iPhone 4 and Motorola Xoom, operating on the Verizon network in the CDMA band.
Here's a list of iPad 2 technical specs.
Processor: A5 - 1GHz dual-core processor.
Display size: 9.7 inches.
Resolution: 1024 x 768.
Storage: 16GB/32GB/64GB.
Front and rear camera: VGA (front), 720/30p video (back).
Cellular band: Quadband HSPA or CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A.
WiFi/Bluetooth: 802.11a/b/g/n & 2.1 + EDR.
Three-axis accelerometer.
Gyroscope.
For further reading:
UBM TechInsights' complete teardown report on the Apple iPad 2 can be purchased here.
Information on UBM TechInsights' subscription service for tablet product teardowns can be accessed here.
UBM TechInsights' teardown report on the RIM PlayBook tablet can be accessed for free here.
The Samsung Galaxy teardown from DesignCon is posted here.
Most devices have some type of controls to prevent overheating/combustion, but on very rare occasions, a battery could catch on fire. But really, it's rare.
Mostly, a battery will simply get too hot, melt all the components in the device and the plastic becomes a puddle! (I'm kidding.)
Lots of people charge devices overnight because it's so convenient. Unfortunately, it really is best to remove a device from the charger as soon as it's fully charged, rather than keeping it plugged in for hours. I try to charge my devices during the day with a USB cable attached to my computer, and remove them when they are competely charged.
Dealing with batteries actually takes a little thought. For example, people who use their laptops as their main computers often never turn them off. They just shut the lid for sleep or hibernation. It's generally a good idea to let the laptop fully discharge at least once a month, and then fully charge it.
However, there are some devices/batteries which, if completely discharged for a long time, might not ever charge again!
Spontaneous combustion! And here I thought I was being virtuous by recharging as Nicole does nightly. I wonder how many other risks are inherent in batteries we use for everyday devices?
The topic of batteries for mobile gear seems so very boring and yet it appears to be a vital -- perhaps the most vital -- element of form factor.
Then again, too much charging isn't good, is it? I charge my phones overnight.
@Nicole, you are right. Overcharging is dangerous. If overheated or overcharged, batteries may suffer thermal runaway and cell rupture. In extreme cases this can lead to combustion.
Hmph. So all of our excitement about shrinking batteries was misplaced?
Now that there are more methods to charge batteries on the go, I guess it matters less that they drain quickly. Then again, too much charging isn't good, is it? I charge my phones overnight. I guess that's bad. I don't know! Help us, Alan Reiter!
I'm definitely not thrilled with the battery on my iPhone, so I'm a little surprised to read such a positive comment about Apple and battery life, Brian. Perhaps they finally got it right with the iPad? Not sure. I do think if you're not going to allow people to buy new batteries you should at least give them the courtesy of equipping their devices with really fantastic ones. But that would defeat the purpose of building a device that is meant to be replaced in a year or so. ;)
Battery life was the iPod killer (before "iPAD Killer" became the phrase for the latest competitor to the iPod, iPad, and iPhone). Back in the early iPod days, people were upset that the battery couldn't be changed and that it ran down too quickly.
I never had that problem, but I know that Apple was on it, and while it's not glitzy, I wonder if battery management is one of the core competencies Apple has over its competitors. The Android devices power down so quickly that many of the 4g phones simply can't even stay powered on for a full day even if they are never used.
My HP Touchpad stays powered longer than my Samsung Android tablet but the iPad outlasts both of them combined, and it's the thinnest of the three.
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In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M.
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Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator. READ THIS eBOOK
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M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet David Weldon In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M. CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet David Weldon In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M. CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet David Weldon In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M. CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet David Weldon In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M. CLICK FOR MORE
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