iPod Bench

Inside every iPod

Pick an iPod for a drawing of what is inside, the battery and storage facts, the usual faults and the mods that are documented for it. Where we could not confirm something, the page says so.

Open the interactive iPod Bench

• iPod 1st generation (2001 to 2002). The one with the mechanical scroll wheel and a FireWire port. We could not find a teardown we trust for it, so we have not drawn its insides.
• iPod 3rd generation (2003 to 2004). Four touch buttons in a row above a touch wheel, and the first dock connector. It opens like a book, from the right edge.
• iPod 4th generation (2004 to 2005). The first click wheel, and a monochrome screen. The case opens at the right edge, like the 3rd generation.
• iPod photo and iPod with color display (2004 to 2005). A 4th generation iPod with a color screen. It opens, charges and takes the same battery as the 4th generation.
• iPod mini (2004 to 2005). An aluminum tube with a Microdrive inside. It has no snap-fit halves: the plastic ends come off and the whole inside slides out.
• iPod video (5th generation) (2005 to 2006). A plastic front clipped to a curved metal back. The battery and headphone jack stay with the back.
• iPod video (5.5 generation) (2006 to 2007). The 5th generation again, with a brighter screen and a search function. Opening and parts are the same.
• iPod nano (2nd generation) (2006 to 2007). An anodized aluminum bar with its flash memory soldered to the logic board. There is no storage to swap, but the battery can be.
• iPod classic, 2007 and 2008 (6th generation) (2007 to 2008). A metal front and metal back held by 13 clips. iFixit rates the opening Very High. Every iPod classic shares the model number A1238.
• iPod classic, 2009 (7th generation) (2009 to 2014). The last click wheel iPod. Inside it is the same as the 2007 and 2008 classics, in a single 10.5 mm case.