No need to break or dissemble your Kindle Fire HD to see what's under the hood of Amazon's newest tablet. Folks at iFixit have explored the electronic innards of the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD (entry-level price at $199 at Amazon.com). The teardown of the Fire HD (i) confirms the specs released by the retailer, including the dual-core OMAP 4460 processor, 1GB of RAM, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Dolby audio, (ii) reveals that the device is simply not a tweaked version of its predecessor, and (iii) discloses that the 1280 x 800 HD IPS display is built by LG, and that the flash memory is supplied by Samsung. iFixIt gave the device a 7 out of 10 for repairability, noting that it is quite easy to access and replace the battery, but pointed that repairing a broken front glass would be costly as the LCD panel and the glass are fused together.
What Else You Need To Know
- Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.
Other sources
In the case of the revamped Kindle Fire, the fixable design is the main surprise -- despite being skinnier than its ancestor, the tablet is easy to open and its components (usually) easy to replace.- John Fingas, engadget
This means that Amazon went back to the drawing board and started a fresh when it designed and manufactured the Kindle Fire HD.- Gary Sims, Android Authority
- Engadget
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Amazon Kindle Fire HD torn down, proves an easy fix
In the case of the revamped Kindle Fire, the fixable design is the main surprise -- despite being skinnier than its ancestor, the tablet is easy to open and its components (usually) easy to replace.
- Other
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iFixit confirms that new Kindle Fire HD is a completely redesigned tablet
The battery in the Kindle Fire HD is a 3.7 V, 4400 mAh, 16.43 Wh Li-ion battery that, as expected, takes up most of the space in back half of the case. Amazon reckons that the battery will last 11 hours, but since this battery has the same power as the original Kindle Fire it is more likely to be around 8 to 9 hours.
- Geek
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Kindle Fire HD teardown reveals easy to repair tablet
The battery dominates the insides and has been encased in metal to both protect it and offer the tablet more strength.
- Into Mobile
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Kindle Fire HD Gets iFixit Teardown, Scores High on Ease of Repairability
Amazon found a way to keep their tablet easily fixable while making the overall device slimmer than the Nexus 7.
- SlashGear
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Kindle Fire HD 7 gets teardown and components detail
The good news for repairers out there is that the back panel is relatively easy to remove, the battery isn’t held with adhesive, and the simplicity of the entire machine means you’ll be able to take it apart with ease.
- Other
- Ifixit opens up the Kindle Fire HD, says it's easy to fix