Cracking Open the Amazon Kindle Fire

Cracking Open the Amazon Kindle Fire

\n\tThe Kindle Fire is Amazon’s entrant into the rapidly growing tablet market. Having launched the original Kindle e-book reader in 2007, the company is no stranger to mobile devices. But, the Fire is Amazon’s first true tablet.

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\n\tWe’ve cracked open nearly every Kindle that Amazon’s put out, and couldn’t wait to get our hands on the Fire. Follow along as I cracked open the Amazon Kindle Fire.

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\n\tFor an my analysis of the hardware inside the Kindle Fire, check out my blog post, “Kindle Fire teardown: No-frills tablet filled with TI hardware.”

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\n\tPhoto by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
\n\tCaption by: Bill Detwiler

Amazon Kindle Fire: Standard Kindle brown cardboard box

\n\tAs of this writing, the Kindle Fire is available directly from Amazon for $199.00 (US).

Amazon Kindle Fire: Box contents

\n\tIncluded with the Kindle Fire are a power adapter and quick start card.

Amazon Kindle Fire: Quick specs

Amazon Kindle Fire: Headphone jack, Micro-UCB connector, power button

Along the bottom edge of the Kindle are the 3.5mm headphone jack, Micro-USB port, and a power button.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Amazon Kindle Fire: Speakers

Along the Kindle Fire’s top edge are two speaker ports.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Amazon Kindle Fire: Back

Amazon Kindle Fire: Prying off the back cover

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the back cover

Amazon Kindle Fire: Front panel assembly and back cover

Amazon Kindle Fire: Back cover

Amazon Kindle Fire: Internal hardware

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the battery

Amazon Kindle Fire: 3.7V, 4,400 mAh Li-ion battery pack (Model: 3555A2L)

Amazon Kindle Fire: Disconnecting the motherboard connectors

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the speaker assembly screws

Amazon Kindle Fire: Speaker assembly

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the touchscreen connector screws

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the motherboard screws

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the motherboard

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the power button screws

Amazon Kindle Fire: Power button

Amazon Kindle Fire: Separating ribbon cables from the internal frame

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the internal frame screws

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the internal frame

Amazon Kindle Fire: Internal frame

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the LCD panel screws

Amazon Kindle Fire: Removing the LCD panel

Amazon Kindle Fire: 7" HYDIS HV070WS1-101 LCD panel (1024 x 600 at 169 ppi)

Amazon Kindle Fire: Front panel and digitizer

Amazon Kindle Fire: ILITEK touchscreen controller (2107QS001K A95B9F695 A2135B010-20)

Amazon Kindle Fire: Motherboard - Front

Amazon Kindle Fire: Motherboard - Back

Amazon Kindle Fire: Ambient light sensor

Amazon Kindle Fire: WLAN antenna

Amazon Kindle Fire: 512MB Elpida B4064B2PB-8D-F RAM chip

Amazon Kindle Fire: 1.0 GHz dual-core Texas Instruments 4430 OMAP application processor (mounted under the RAM chip)

\n\tThe 1.0 GHz dual-core Texas Instruments 4430 OMAP application processor is mounted under the RAM chip.

Amazon Kindle Fire: 8GB Micron NAND flash chip (IRAI8 JW686)

Amazon Kindle Fire: Texas Instruments TWL6030 Fully Integrated Power Management IC (6030B107 19ZCMX9L)

Amazon Kindle Fire: Texas Instruments SN75LVDS83B FlatLink 10-135MHz Transmitter (16C4TJT LVDS83B)

Amazon Kindle Fire: Jorjin WG7310-30 Wi-Fi SiP Module (contains Texas Instruments WL1270B IEEE 802.11b/g/n chip)

Amazon Kindle Fire: Texas Instruments WS245 4-Bit Dual-Supply Bus Transceiver (SN74AVCH4T245)

Amazon Kindle Fire: Texas Instruments AIC3110 Low-Power Audio Codec

Amazon Kindle Fire: Motherboard markings "DA0KC1MB8F0 REV: F"

Amazon Kindle Fire: Motherboard markings "MODEL KC1"

Amazon Kindle Fire complete teardown

\n\tFor an my analysis of the hardware inside the Kindle Fire, check out my blog post, “Kindle Fire teardown: No-frills tablet filled with TI hardware.”