iFixit tears down the new 7th generation iPod nano

We got a look inside the new fifth-generation iPod touch last week thanks to our friends over at iFixit. Today, they are taking apart the seventh-generation iPod nano that Apple recently unveiled alongside the new iPod touch and iPhone 5 lineups. While it did not perform quite as poorly as the iPod touch in terms of repairability, it was still unable to outperform the 7 out of 10 repairability score given to iPhone 5. We see the usual suspects inside including flash memory from Toshiba and a TI touchscreen controller. However, a quick look at the Nano’s internals shows a few anonymous, Apple-branded chips as well:

* Toshiba THGBX2G7D2JLA01 128 Gb (16 GB) NAND flash
* Texas Instruments 343S0538 touchscreen controller
* Broadcom BCM2078KUBG Bluetooth + FM radio
* NXP Semiconductors 1609A1
* 75203 23017
* 75292 98820
* 339S0193
* Apple 338S1099
* Apple 338S1146

Thanks to many components being soldered to the logic board (battery, lightning connector, headphone jack, etc.), and a battery attached to the assembly, iFixit is giving the new Nano a 5 out of 10 for repairability. Here are some of the highlights:

* The 6th Generation Nano came in at 1.48 x 1.68 x 0.35 inches, and weighed 0.74 ounces. The new 7th Generation is just over twice as tall as the 6th Gen, while also a little thinner and more narrow at 3.01 x 1.56 x 0.21 inches. At 1.1 ounces, the newest Nano only gained an extra third of an ounce.

* The battery is soldered directly to the logic board and adhered to the back of the display. Replacing it will be a doozy.

* There’s an adorable plastic pull tab underneath the battery. It’s likely there for battery removal, but we aren’t sure it’s up to the task. It seems the adhesive holding down the battery is much too strong for the feeble pull tab to break through.

* Forgoing the tab in favor of some spudgering, we’re able to pry the 3.7 V, 0.8 Wh, 220 mAh battery off the back of the display assembly. 0.8 Wh is more than twice that of the iPod Nano 6th Generation’s 0.39 Wh rating.

* The LCD and digitizer glass are not fused together, allowing replacement of either component separately.

* As in the iPod Touch 5th Generation, many of the important components—including the battery, Lightning connector, and volume controls—are soldered to the logic board. So if you bend your Lighting connector or break your volume control, you’re stuck with replacing the whole suite of components.

* Pulling out the logic board really feels like pulling out the entire iPod—the battery, button cable, Lightning connector, and headphone jack all come with it.