Like almost all Apple products, the new HomePod isn’t very easy to get inside to let users execute repairs, but an iFixit teardown revealed the new smartspeaker is built to last. The mesh that covers the device has a net-like layer on either side of tiny wiry coils between, creating a covering that lets sound escape without letting dust inside. The top display is powered by an LED display that features a diffuser to provide the more cloudy, smoother look, and the same center array lights the plus and minus volume control symbols, with light being routed through guides and up through the symbol cutouts.
Inside is an A8 chip that serves as the heart of the device, likely above 1 GB of RAM underneath — although even iFixit couldn’t get under the A8 chip to have a peek.
The system also has 16 GB of internal flash memory, but getting a look at the speakers required the use of a hacksaw. A giant magnet in the base allows the HomePod to create deep, loud sound without increasing the size of the cone (and the device).
Further up, the seven tweeters are attached with gold screws that double as power delivery conduits, and tiny folded horns in front of the tweeters help control the direction of the sound and increase efficiency.
To keep all the pieces together with so much vibration occurring in such a small space, the device is absolutely filled with glue, sticking down every surface and even coating the threads of parts that are screwed together. That makes the HomePod very difficult to repair, but iFixit seems confident that the device is very durable.
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