Video: iFixit Teardown of Apple Studio Display Reveals Densely Packed Components

BY Chandraveer Mathur

Published 30 Mar 2022

Apple Studio Display internals

After much anticipation, iFixit finally took apart the Apple Studio Display that launched at the Peek Performance event earlier this month. The display wasn’t well-received by reviewers due to teething troubles with the 12MP FaceTime camera, non-detachable power cable, and non-user-replaceable stand. But does it score high on iFixit’s repairability index?

The teardown of Apple’s first standalone monitor since the Pro Display XDR reveals a dense arrangement of power supply circuitry, a mainboard, two fans, and ribbon cables connecting everything together. The layout of components appears denser than an iMac, although components are arranged in a similar fashion.

It is no surprise that the components are so densely packed. For one, the Studio Display doesn’t have an external power brick. Requisite hardware is built into the display, including cooling fans. The cooling is also required for the included A13 Bionic chip and 64GB of storage used to power the FaceTime camera, deliver firmware updates, and run iOS 15.4. Internally, there are no telltale signs why the FaceTime camera has quality issues, but Apple promised to fix the issue with an upcoming software update.

iFixit lauded Apple for the engineering that went into integrating the power supply circuitry within the display. The teardown discovered another interesting fact. The Apple Studio Display uses the same 24-inch 5K display panel as the 5K iMac. However, the Studio Display chassis is around 50 percent thicker.

iFixit noted that the speakers deliver “impressive” performance for a display. On the downside, they are held in place with glue, making repair and replacement more challenging. The teardown notes that the Studio Display’s construction is an “impressive testament to Apple’s ability to solve problems.”

If you have a few minutes to spare, we highly recommend you check out iFixit’s teardown video: