iFixit Digs Into M1 iPad Pro in New XDR Display Teardown

iFixit has started one of its traditional teardowns on the 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro, which began arriving to customers on its May 21 launch date. iFixit's teardown delves into the new "XDR" mini-LED display, which is one of the iPad's major new features.


The ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ features new 5G antennas at the sides to enable 5G connectivity, and there's a 10566 mAh (40.33Wh) battery inside.

As for the display, it's slightly thicker than the Liquid Retina display from the prior-generation ‌iPad Pro‌ (0.5mm), and "quite a bit heavier." Unlike a traditional LED display, the mini-LED display in the ‌iPad Pro‌ features a giant grid of tiny LEDs that introduce the contrast and quality improvements seen in the 2021 ‌iPad Pro‌.

There are 2,596 local dimming zones in the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌, and each one is a square with four tiny LEDs inside. The non-XDR ‌iPad‌ display, meanwhile, uses a single strip of LEDs along one side, so this inside look at the display gives a great explainer on what's different between the 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ and the 2021 12.9-inch version.

iFixit shared a YouTube video opening up the ‌iPad Pro‌, and the full teardown with photos, writeup, and repairability score isn't yet available, but it should be coming in the future.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
New MacBook Pros Launching Tomorrow With These 4 New Features 2

M5 MacBook Models to Use New Compact Camera Module in 2025

Wednesday July 17, 2024 2:58 am PDT by
Apple in 2025 will take on a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for future MacBook models powered by its next-generation M5 chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in his latest investor note on unny-opticals-2025-business-momentum-to-benefit-509819818c2a">Medium, Kuo said Apple will turn to Sunny Optical for the CCM in its M5 MacBooks. The Chinese optical lens company...

Top Rated Comments

A MacBook lover Avatar
41 months ago
So I went and checked out an M1 iPad display in person. In dark mode, at its highest brightness, I couldn’t see any of the clouding people posted online. It looked identical to my iPhone 12 Pro display in dark mode on its highest brightness.

I hate how people intentionally lie, and photoshop images to make them look nothing like reality. It sickens me honestly.

It makes me sad, because I actually believed it until I saw it in person. This display is perfect.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mazz0 Avatar
41 months ago

2017 12.9 is 677 grams (1.49lbs)
2021 12.9 is 682 grams (1.50lbs)
2020 12.9 is 643 grams (1.41lbs)

Dang the 2021 is marginally heavier than the 2017, although pretty much the same.

I would say you're splitting hairs there comparing weight of 2020 vs 2021, but... the 2017 was always heavy feeling so it seems it has returned
That’s a strange order you’ve put those in!
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
41 months ago

So I went and checked out an M1 iPad display in person. I’m dark mode at its highest brightness I couldn’t see any of the clouding people posted online. It looked identical to my iPhone 12 Pro display in dark mode on its highest brightness.

I hate how people intentionally lie, and photoshop images to make them look nothing like reality. It sickens me honestly.

It makes me sad, because I actually believed it until I saw it in person. This display is perfect.
Just because you didn't see it in person, that doesn't mean everyone else was lying or purposefully exaggerating, although some may have done so.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spyguy10709 Avatar
41 months ago

Any word on Wi-Fi 6E support ?

If I was AAPL, I'd include it & NOT specify it, so that it could be "Field Tested" by AAPL (& select others) BEFORE officially releasing products with it !

50/50 chance is includes Wi-Fi 6E support !
that's not how the FCC works.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thadoggfather Avatar
41 months ago

That’s a strange order you’ve put those in!
its sorta how my brain is operating today: making no sense
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
timerickson Avatar
41 months ago
I only buy products with a coolness factor of 10/10
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)