Difficult-to-repair Surface Pro built more like an ultrabook than a tablet

Takeaway:  Cracks open the difficult-to-repair Microsoft Surface Pro and shows you how it’s built more like a laptop or ultrabook than a tablet.

When Microsoft built the Surface Pro, they packed the power of an ultrabook in the body of a tablet. Unfortunately, they also made the device nearly impossible for an end-user or even an in-house tech to service and repair. On this week’s episode of Cracking Open, I take you inside the Surface Pro.

More ultrabook than tablet

From a hardware standpoint, Microsoft’s Surface Pro is more like an ultrabook or convertible laptop than a tablet.

The 10.6″ display, has a true 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080. It has stereo speakers, a microSD card slot, a full-size USB 3.0 port, a mini DisplayPort, and two 720p cameras. On the inside, it has a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 CPU with HD 4000 graphics, 4GB of 1,600MHz DDR3 RAM, and a 42 Wh battery.

The Surface Pro comes in 64GB and 128GB models, and I strongly recommend getting the larger one. In a statement to CNET, Microsoft said that out of the the box, the 64GB Pro has only 23GB of available storage.

Given its laptop-like hardware, it’s not surprising that the Surface Pro weighs a hefty two pounds, which is significantly more than other tablets. Like the Surface RT, the Pro is well-built and feels sturdy in your hands. Unfortunately, it’s also much more difficult to disassemble and service.

Cracking Open Observations

• Difficult, time-consuming to open: The Surface Pro’s front panel/display assembly is held to the tablet’s body with very strong adhesive. To open the device, you’ll need to use a heat gun, hair dryer, or other method to heat the adhesive tape and release the panel. This is a slow, tedious process. It took me nearly an hour. But if you rush, you risk damaging the tablet.
• Too many internal screws: I was glad to find that most internal components were held in place with screws. This usually makes disassembling a device easier than if parts are attached with glue. But Microsoft went a little crazy with the screws. There are dozens of them, and they range in size from Torx T2 to T5. I highly recommend cataloging the location of the screws as you remove them.
• Replaceable battery: The Surface Pro’s 42Wh Li-ion battery isn’t soldered to the motherboard and can be replaced. Unfortunately, there’s so much glue holding it to the back cover, thats it’s difficult to remove.
• Modular components: Most internal parts, such as the headphone jack and volume button assembly, speakers, keyboard connector, power connector, and cameras are separate components and can be replaced individually.
• Fused front panel and display: Like the Surface RT, the LCD and front glass panel are basically fused together and separating them isn’t practical.

Bottom Line

After cracking open the consumer-targeted Surface RT, I hoped that Microsoft would make the more business-targeted, and nearly twice as expensive, Surface Pro easier to disassemble and service. They didn’t.

In fact, they took one of worst tablet design elements (a glued on front panel) and married it with one of the worst laptop elements (an over abundance of screws) to create a device that’s more difficult to 

There’s no denying that Microsoft is making a bold effort to bridge the gap between tablets and laptops with this device. But as Jason Hiner wrote in his TechRepublic review, the Surface Pro “doesn’t quite stand out enough at either function.”

Internal Hardware

Our Surface Pro test unit had the following hardware:

• 10.6″ Color TFT active matrix LCD (LTL106HL01-001)
• LG Escalade 7.4V, 42Wh Li-ion battery
• Delta Electronics KDB04105HB DC Brushless fan (x2)
• 64GB Micron RealSSD C400 mSATA
• 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U Processor
• Intel Mobile HM77 Express Chipset
• Marvell Avastar 88W8797 MIMO Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/FM wireless chip
• Winbond 25X05CL Serial Flash
• Winbond 25Q64FV Serial Flash
• Novatek NT96132QG46
• Fairchild Semiconductor FDMS7608S 30V Dual N-Channel PowerTrench MOSFET
• Micron 1,600MHz DDR3 (4Gb 3AEI2 D9PXV x8 - 4GB total)
• Infineon SLB 9635 TT 1.2 Trusted Mobile Platform (TPM) Security Chip
• ITE Tech IT8519G
• Winbond 25X40CL Serial Flash
• Atmel UC256l3U 32-bit AVR microcontroller
• Atmel MXT1386E Touchscreen Controller
• Atmel MXT154E Touchscreen Controllers
• ON NCP6132A Dual Output 3 Phase & 2 Phase Controller with Single SVID Interface
• Realtek ALC3230 Audio Codec

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HTC One X teardown reveals an internal design that isn’t DIY repair friendly

By Bill Detwiler

Takeaway: Bill Detwiler cracks open the HTC One X, finding an internal design that isn’t exactly DIY repair-friendly and a difficult-to-replace battery.

A month after releasing the Titan II Windows Phone handset, HTC is back with its highly anticipated Android phone–the One X. In this week’s episode of Cracking Open, I show you what’s inside the HTC One X and why it can be a real pain to work on.

Our U.S. version of the One X had a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor (MSM8960), 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 4.7″ HD super LCD (1280 x 720 resolution), 802.11 b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth, a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. It measured 5.15″ (H) x 2.55″ (W) x 0.3″ (D) and weighed 4.6 ounces.

Full teardown gallery: Cracking Open the HTC One X

Cracking Open observations

• Single-piece back cover: Given that the One X and Titan II look alike and are both from HTC, it seemed logical that they would have a similar internal design and be cracked open in roughly the same manner. But no. Unlike the Titan II, which has a three piece cover held on with screws, the One X has a single piece cover which snaps onto the device’s frame. I used a thin metal tool to pop the cover loose from the display/frame assembly and then lifted the display and frame away from the cover.
• Not a Titan II clone: The One X may look like the Titan II on the outside, but it’s different on the inside. The main circuit board is mounted above the battery and partially protected by an internal cover. The board extends along the phone’s left edge and eventually meets up with a smaller board, which houses the phone’s docking connector contacts.
• Not DIY repair friendly: Instead of conveniently placing the battery and display assembly connectors on the side of the motherboard that faces the phone’s outer cover, the One X’s designers put connectors on both sides of the board. This arrangement makes it difficult to re-attach the connectors when you’re putting the phone back together, and it means you’ll need to remove the motherboard to replace the battery. Why HTC did this on the One X when they didn’t do it the Titan II is beyond me?
• U.S. version lacks quad-core processor: The U.S. version of the One X has a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor. Which, I find a bit disappointing as the European variant has a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. But, the loss of raw processing power may have an upside. The One X’s Qualcomm chip contains both the application processor and a 3G/LTE modem. This eliminates the Tegra 3’s need for a separate LTE modem chip. Given that both variants have a battery with the same capacity (1,800 mAh), U.S. buyers may get better battery life. And as CNET’s Brian Bennett notes, the One X “flies through Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC’s Sense overlay with oomph and agility.”

Bottom Line

Despite its lack of a quad-core processor and microSD card slot, and my complaints about its internal design, the One X gives U.S. Android fans a lot to be happy about. As of this writing, it’s available for between $149 and $199 (with a two-year AT&T contract) or $629 without.

Internal hardware

Our HTC One X test unit has the following hardware:

• 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor (MSM8960)
• Samsung K3PE7E700D-XG2 8Gb LP DDR2 Mobile DRAM (1GB)
• 16GB Samsung KLMAG4FEJA-A002 storage chip
• 4.7″ WVGA display (1280 x 720)
• 8MP rear-facing camera
• 1.3MP front-facing camera
• 3.7V, 1,800 mAh Li-Ion battery (BJ83100)
• RTR8600 multi-band/mode RF transceiver for LTE bands (RTR8600 AFN907.0 E520200A)
• SWr GMD44
• NXP 44506 14 11 ZSD1324
• Invensense MPU-3050 MPU-3050 Triple Axis Gyroscope with Embedded Digital Motion Processor (MPU-3050 Q4S453-D1 EL 1203 K)
• Silicon Image SiI9244 MHL transmitter for HD audio and video (924480 PFR974A 10K2206)
• Qualcomm WCN3660 dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM radio combo chip (WCN3660 PFN634G6 A201002)
• Qualcomm PM8921 power management IC
• Avago ACPM-7251 Multi-Mode, Multi-Band CDMA/LTE/UMTS power amplifier (ACPM-7251 K1208 FC008)
• Avago A5052 K1206 EK020
• 77707-3 16839.1 1202 MX
• 77703-2 69436.1 1208 MX
• Synaptics S3202A touch controller (S3202A 2091AD AC3G684)
• Audience earSmart A1028 Voice Processor (A1028AOF NAP268.0011 1144G)

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Galaxy Tab 7.7 teardown reveals lots of Samsung’s homegrown hardware

By Bill Detwiler

Takeaway: Bill Detwiler cracks open the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and finds an Android tablet packed with Samsung’s own hardware.

Samsung has raised the bar on 7-inch Android tablets with its Galaxy Tab 7.7. This week, I crack open the Tab 7.7 for a look at the hardware inside.
 
The Galaxy Tab 7.7 has a 1.4GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos 4210 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 7.7″ AMOLED display (1,200 x 800 resolution), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It measures measures 7.74″ (H) x 5.24″ (W) x 0.31″ (D) and weighs 12 ounces.

Full teardown gallery: Cracking Open the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

Cracking Open observations

•  
• Easy-open case: Despite looking a lot like the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, opening the Tab 7.7’s case required a completely different approach. Instead of starting along the tablet’s edge and working my way around the case, I started in the front, inserting a thin metal tool between the front glass and edge of the back cover. Applying gentle outward pressure, I popped the cover loose from the front panel assembly. After working my way around the case, I removed the back cover.
• Familiar Samsung internal hardware design: As with the previous Samsung tablet’s that I’ve cracked open, the Tab 7.7 has a very clean internal hardware layout. I also like Samsung’s use of snap-on connectors along the motherboard, which makes the individual components easy to detach and replace.
• Single-piece front panel/display assembly: My only complaint about the Tab 7.7’s design is front panel and display assembly design. The two components are either fused into a single piece or held together with strong adhesive. If the screen was held in place with screws, you could easily replace a cracked front panel without buying a new display and vice versa.
• Replaceable battery: The Tab 7.7’s 5,100 mAh battery is held in place with screws and attached to the motherboard with a snap-on connector. Once the case is removed, you can easily replace the battery.

• Packed with Samsung hardware: Not only does the Tab 7.7 have a Samsung Exynos 4210 processor, the unit’s LTE baseband processor, DRAM, and flash storage module are all Samsung chips.

Check out my cracking open analysis and galleries of other Samsung tablets: Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1, and Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

Bottom Line

Given all the Tab 7.7’s high-end hardware, it’s not surprising that Samsung has given the unit a high-end price. As of this writing, you can buy the Tab 7.7 for $450, with a two-year Verizon contract. Without the contract, the price jumps to $700.
Samsung definitely set the standard for 7-inch tablets with the Tab 7.7. It’s thin, powerful, has a beautiful display, and 4G support. But the high price and two-year commitment may scare away some buyers.
Read Eric Franklin’s CNET review of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 for more information on the tablet’s software features, using it as a TV remote, battery life test results.

Internal hardware

Our Galaxy Tab 7.7 test unit had the following hardware:

• 1.4GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos 4210 processor
• Samsung K3PE7E700B-XXC1 2x 4Gb LP DDR2 DRAM (1GB)
• Samsung KLMAG4FEJA-A003 16GB flash storage chip
• 7″ Plane to Line Switching (PLS) display (1,024 x 600)
• 3MP rear-facing camera
• 2MP front-facing camera
• 3.7V, 5,100 mAh Li-Ion battery (SP397281A)
• Atmel MXT768E touchscreen controller
• iM144 CEM 0D14
• Samsung CMC22000 LTE baseband processor (CMC2000 PBU674.00S-1 C1134 ARM)
• Samsung K4X51323PK MDDR2 512Mb mobile DRAM
• Yamaha YMU823-P audio CODEC (YMU823-P 1144NAJB)
• Samsung K5L2866ATE NOR based MCP
• Silicon Image 9234BT HDMI chip (9234BT PCW832D 10K2143)
• VIA Telecom CBP7.1C EVDO platform (CBP1.1C 114804 TAIWAN 2MB1405061)
• FCI FC7785 19EA
• 6323R 1193AF PH 1141
• Avago ACFM-7109 PCS/Cellular Band FBAR Quadplexer (ACFM-7109 FI135295075)
• CSR SiRFstarIV GSD4t GSP IC (SiRF GSD4T 9600B C K138AH14)
• 8903CE TI203 ITHK +
• Fairchild FDMC510P P-Channel PowerTrench MOSFET (PC2HK FDMC 510P)
• Invensense MPU-3050M 3-axis gyroscope (MPU-3050M D1Y797-J1 EI 1153 K)
• Maxim MAX8997 power-management IC for Samsung’s Exynos 4210 (MAX8997 EWW 1203 5VAZ)
• Maxim MAX8996 Dual PWM Step-Down Converter (MAX8996 EWZ 5FYBY 132)
• FCI FC7851 17BY
• Avago A5013 K1141 DK089
• A50H 11B22B1A10
• CSR 8811 Bluetooth IC (8811 A06U K14BAM23)

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