Kindle Voyage Teardown Highlights Repairability and Innovative Features
The Kindle Voyage is one of the hottest new releases in the current eBook reader year. It is the first eBook reader with a high 300 ppi pixel density and offers excellent contrast. However, the launch isn’t going perfectly smooth due to a quality issue with the lighting. Availability has been announced for December 16, which could mean the current problems will soon be a thing of the past.
Now, iFixit has taken the eReader apart and gives us a look inside the device. Essentially, there are two noteworthy innovations that are quite interesting (though already known). First, the Kindle Voyage features a vibration motor, similar to those found in phones or tablets. This provides haptic feedback when you press one of the PagePress buttons. However, it is not an ordinary vibration motor but is based on piezoelectric technology, which is non-magnetic, lighter, and intended to generate better haptic feedback.
Custom Hardware
The PagePress sensors are also worth mentioning. These are specially crafted pressure sensors made from carbon and silver, and it is assumed they are a form of strain gauge, where the resistance likely changes when pressure is applied. Unlike a capacitive button (like on the Tolino Vision 2), the threshold can thus be variably adjusted as to when the desired action is triggered upon pressing.
In any case, these two factors partly explain why the price for the Kindle Voyage is relatively high, since these components alone are likely custom-made. Development and procurement of parts in small quantities (due to the ultimately high device price) probably account for a significant portion of the additional costs. However, without a doubt, the display is the main cost driver, which is only used in the Voyage and, according to my information, accounts for about half of the device’s price.
It is also noteworthy that the eBook reader is equipped with a Freescale iMX.6 chip (like the Kindle Paperwhite) and has 512 MB of RAM (compared to the Paperwhite’s 256 MB). The device number (of the WiFi model) is “NM460GZ” and the battery has a capacity of 1320 mAh.
At the end of the “teardown,” iFixit concludes that the Voyage is relatively easy to repair (7 out of 10 points), as many components can be replaced individually. However, this does not apply to the E-Ink display, as it is glued to the touchscreen, similar to many smartphones. In case of a display break, the entire unit must be replaced. You can find the full article with pictures and instructions on how to disassemble the Kindle Voyage here.
Image source: iFixit
