Steps 1–16: Teardown
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iPod touch 3rd Generation Teardown
Introduction
We got our new iPod touch 3rd Generation on the morning of September 11, 2009.
Want up-to-the-minute updates? Follow @ifixit on twitter.
Check out the YouTube video of the teardown!
Tools used in this guide
Teardown
Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.
Featured Guide
This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.
Paginated Single Page Steps
Step 1
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Teardown
The new iPod touch 3rd Generation!
It's available in three different configurations, with both the 32 GB and 64 GB sporting a faster processor and OpenGL ES 2.0 support.
We don't think anything changed on the 8 GB touch. The only thing we know for sure has changed is the price (it's now $199).
According to Phil Schiller, "$199 is the magic price point in the iPod world." However, it sure seems people don't mind paying more. Apple's already sold 20 million iPod touches, all for more than $199 each.
Step 2
We have a 32 GB touch. It looks identical on the outside, but does sport a new model number on the back, A1318. (The second gen touch was A1288).
The iPod touch didn't get nearly as much love as its smaller sibling, the new nano. There's still no camera.
For now anyway, if you want both a touch screen and a camera, an iPhone's your only option.
Step 3
We're working on getting it open. In the meantime, let's have some fun with numbers.
Retailing for $399 in the US, you'll be paying $6.23 per gigabyte for the 64 GB touch. That's no match for the $1.56 per gigabyte for the 160 GB iPod Classic.
Going back four years, the original nano was $62.25 per gigabyte, while the hard drive-based 60 GB iPod Video of that era was $6.65 per gigabyte.
Interestingly, that means that today flash is roughly equivalent to where hard drives were four years ago. In 2005, you could purchase a 60 GB iPod Video for $399, while today you can get a 64 GB iPod Touch for the same price.
Don't read too much into these numbers; there's lots of other costs and components to the iPods other than the raw storage medium.
Step 4
According to Apple, the new touch is up to 50% faster. It will be interesting to see how performance stacks up against the iPhone 3GS.
Getting this iPod open wasn't easy. Yes, we keep saying that about iPods lately. Unfortunately, there's not a single currently shipping iPod that isn't very difficult to open.
The front glass and digitizer isn't the same as on earlier touches. This is our most popular repair part on the iPod touch. We have these for both the 1st and 2nd generation, and will be adding parts for this one as soon as possible.
Step 5
We're in! No surprises yet. We'll get to the chips as soon as we can.
You can see the silver metal retaining clips on the sides of the LCD. There are four clips on the right side, and three on the left.
Step 6
You get a free mirror with every iPod touch!
A Phillips #00 screwdriver makes quick work of the screws holding the LCD assembly in the touch.
The LCD is very similar, but not identical to that of the 2nd gen touch. The connector on this display is just a tad wider.
Step 7
Let's get the logic board out...
We're skipping a few of the details, so don't use this to take apart your touch.
Step 8
It's out!
You can see the speaker sitting on top of the logic board.
You sell selected nylon 'spudger' tools by Menda, which are great, but who's the OEM for the iPod opening tools?
Did you find any indication on possible of adding GPS to ipod touch?
And what about a COMPASS those the iTouch has it?
Unless there's a dedicated GPS receiver chip in there (which I don't see), the answer is currently no until apple makes the Bluetooth serial profile available (so standalone units could be used) or someone finally ships a receiver that connects to the accessory port. Same for a compass/magnetometer.
can you give more info on this?
what do you mean by "or someone finally ships a receiver that connects to the accessory port" ?
does not work at all
Am I the only one who sees space for a front facing camera there?
Probably for the mic I wish they remembered to install
I dont understand the purpose or use of the "mirror" being removed...
So is the speaker in the 3G touch much higher quality than the one in the 2G? I have a 1G, and have always been jealous on principle, but after hearing the actual audio output from the 2G speaker, I was kind of nauseated.
I Have a 2G and the sound does suck, at the apple store, i played with a 3G For a while, and it was a little better, also, a little louder. but i didn't have my 2g to compare it.