With the new Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote going on sale, the iFixit team has published its teardown of both devices. The new Apple TV 4K looks like its predecessor but comes with a faster A12 Bionic chip for better performance and improved connectivity (HDMI 2.1).
The Apple TV 4K is made entirely of plastic. It is also relatively easy to access the machine’s internals since the bottom panel is held in place using clips. Just like the previous Apple TV 4K, this one too has a fan inside it. However, it is connected to the logic board using metal contact pins instead of a cable. Once you remove the logic board, you gain access to the heatsink, and that’s about it.
There’s not much to the new Apple TV 4K, and repairing it should be relatively easy if you have the required tools. Unsurprisingly then, the new Apple TV manages to score 8 out of 10 in iFixit’s repairability score.
The new Siri Remote, however, is an entirely different story altogether. Opening the remote itself is a task, with iFixit having to remove the buttons and Clickpad with brute force. The only good thing is that the new Siri Remote’s relatively small 1.52 Wh battery is not glued in place, which makes it easier to replace. Opening the remote is a difficult process due to its tight tolerances, though, which means replacing its battery without a visit to Apple’s service center is going to be quite a challenge.
The iFixit team has also published its teardown of the 24-inch iMac.