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HomePod Teardown Reveals Hidden 14-Pin Connector, 16GB Storage, and Very Low Repairability

iFixit has completed an exhaustive teardown of the HomePod (https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/HomePod++Teardown/103133) and found that, while the speaker appears to have a simple design on the outside, it will likely be extremely difficult for customers to complete do-it-yourself repairs.





<img src="(http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2018/02/homepod-drawstring.jpg)" alt="" width="650" height="488" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-620697" /><center>HomePod's mesh has a drawstring</center>


The teardown experts, who admit there might be a better way to open the HomePod that they've yet to learn, were forced to use a variety of tools to gain access to the internal components, including a heat gun, a guitar pick, a knife, and after all else failed, even a hacksaw and an ultrasonic cutter.





Underneath the rubber foot, iFixit found a hidden 14-pin connector that they speculate is probably used to test or program HomePods on pogo pins during assembly in Taiwan. Given the port sits below a layer of strong adhesive, it's unclear if it will be used for any other purpose, such as diagnostic testing.





<img src="(http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2018/02/homepod-14-pin-port.jpg)" alt="" width="651" height="488" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-620698" /><center>HomePod's hidden 14-pin port</center>


Digging further, the team found the HomePod has an Apple A8 chip, as advertised, likely paired with 1GB of RAM layered underneath. There's also a 16GB flash storage chip from Toshiba, although users can't store songs on the speaker directly, as music must be streamed from Apple Music or an AirPlay source.





HomePod also has a two-part power supply, composed of an inner block handling the AC/DC conversion, and an outer ring distributing power to all eight of the speakers. The seven tweeters each have a conductive screw post.





<img src="(http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2018/02/homepod-teardown-3.jpg)" alt="" width="651" height="486" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-620696" />


In the end, the teardown concludes that the HomePod is very durable, but extremely difficult to open. This might explain why Apple is charging $279 to replace the HomePod entirely (https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/09/homepod-repair-fees-without-applecare/) if it is damaged, unless only the power cable is damaged, in which case Apple charges a more reasonable $29 fee (https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/12/apple-homepod-power-cable-repairs/) to have it repaired.





<img src="(http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2018/02/homepod-teardown-2.jpg)" alt="" width="636" height="390" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-620694" />


There's also AppleCare+ for HomePod (https://www.macrumors.com/2018/01/23/applecare-for-homepod-will-cost-39/), which adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $39 in the United States, plus the upfront cost of the plan. But even then, it still appears that Apple is simply replacing damaged HomePods outright beyond power cable repairs.

<div class="linkback">Related Roundup: HomePod (https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/homepod/)</div><div class="linkback">Tags: iFixit (https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ifixit/), teardown (https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/teardown/)</div><div class="linkback">Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Buy Now) (https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#HomePod)</div>
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Source: HomePod Teardown Reveals Hidden 14-Pin Connector, 16GB Storage, and Very Low Repairability (https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/12/homepod-teardown-ifixit/)