14 DAY TRIAL // The iPad 4 didn’t escape iFixit’s operation table, falling victim to one of the company’s comprehensive teardowns. Joining the iPad mini in allowing its chips to be taken out for the sake of science, the iPad 4 bears a lot of resemblance to the third-generation model, both inside, and out.
iFixit notes the obvious discrepancies (some of which have already been confirmed by Apple), such as the more powerful A6X chip with insane graphics performance, the 1GB of RAM soldered to the logic board as two Elpida chips, and the improved cameras.
iFixit says the front-facing camera is slightly thicker than the one found in the previous model. However, it fits into the same space. The same goes for the mini dock connector called Lightning.
They also found that the iPad 4 they disassembled had its screen manufactured by LG Display, not Samsung (as found in the iPad mini). And the logic board was notably of the same size as the one used in the iPad 3. Naturally, the layout of the chips is different. For the full teardown (with photos), visit the repair shop’s site here.