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iPod Nano 4th Generation Teardown

Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.

We disassembled this iPod on September 10, 2008.

The iPod Nano 4G!
Many of the new Nano's features are software-based, but there are still a lot of exciting changes inside.
We're excited to see exactly how they integrated the curved glass into the case.
Of course we had to get the orange one.

Standard contents included. You have to fork over $80 to get the fancy new headphones with the volume control.
We're working on the disassembly now.
By the way, we'd like to congratulate Apple on their environmental progress. The one aspect they forget to mention is ease of repair to ensure reuse. Fortunately, we've got you covered there.
We'll be making a Fixit Guide for the new Nano soon. Stay tuned!

The Nano family, minus the 3rd Gen. The new Nano's screen is almost twice the height of the original Nano's.

Apple says it's the "thinnest ever." Sure, if you've got a micrometer. But the curved case sure feels nice!

The top of the Nano, after removing the plastic top bezel.
This design is very similar to the 2nd Gen Nano, including the incredibly tiny and difficult-to-remove Phillips screws.

No surprises here, just like the other end, except one extra screw.
The 3.2 mm wide dock connector looks pretty big compared to the iPod. Apple's not going to be able to make their iPods much thinner without a new dock connector.

Unfortunately, just like every other Nano, this iPod wasn't designed with serviceability in mind. Sliding the insides out of the casing proved quite difficult.
We'll be working on finding a better way to get into this iPod, but for now we'd recommend keeping your new Nano in one piece.
slide the insides out until the very lowest connector is visible, about 1/4 of an inch. Be sure to undo this connector before sliding the inides out as seen in the picture.

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