iFixit is at it again, tearing down the freshly launched Microsoft Surface RT tablet and deeming it hard to repair. In order to disassemble the new toy, the experts had to remove 17 Torx screws from under the kickstand and the camera bezel. Inside they found a Samsung battery and motherboard that was squeezed in.
The battery is actually pretty easy to replace apparently, with Microsoft gluing the battery to the inside, so you’ll need a spudger to remove it. The battery is a 7.4 V, 31.5 Wh unit that makes it larger than the 25 Wh one inside the iPad 2. However, it’s smaller than the 42.5 Wh behemoth powering the iPad 3 and God only knows what rests inside the iPad 4. The teardown also reveals the presence of stereo speakers inside the Surface, plus a mysterious third speaker.
That smaller third speaker is unbelievably enough, the one that’s supposed to procied the clicking sound of the Type Cover when connected to the slate. How cool is that? iFixit also had a surprise: the display panel is made by Samsung and it’s hugely similar to a 1280 x 800 pixel one. Microsoft says it’s a 1366 x 768 res screen and I can’t imagine they’re lying… If you want the iFixit verdict, they called it at a 4 out of 10 when it comes to repairability, so it’s best left to the experts to fix your slate, if it even breaks down.
