iFixit tears open the new iPad, finds an old iPad inside

Look! It's a new iPad! It's a cheaper iPad! It's ... an iPad Air?

That's what iFixit concludes in its teardown of the new iPad. Eagle-eyed observers may have noticed a striking resemblance between it and the original iPad Air's outer appearance when the new Apple tablet was unveiled. As it turns out, the similarities run more than skin deep.

A peek inside the new iPad reveals a virtually identical design, down to the exact placement of its components. The two devices even use the same type of display, which lacks the laminated display tech and anti-reflective coating found on the iPad Air 2. The only noticeable differences the iFixit team found were a slightly larger WiFi module, smaller microphone and speaker holes, and a missing mechanical lock switch on the new iPad. Otherwise both tablets look exactly the same.

Aesthetic similarities aside, the new iPad does differ from the older one in several respects. One is its upgraded Apple A9 processor. Another is the inclusion of Touch ID in the display. Double the amount of RAM, as well as a higher-resolution rear camera, help to further distance it from its predecessor.

As usual with each teardown, iFixit also mentions the new iPad's repairability. Unfortunately, the tablet scored a paltry 2 out of 10 (where 10 is easiest to repair).

The new iPad was officially revealed earlier this month. It is available for order from Apple, both online and in its retail stores.

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