GoPro Hero3 teardown reveals Sony image sensor

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iFixit has decided to tear apart the GoPro Hero 3 camcorder, in order to see what can be found inside the 4K resolution camcorder.

The successor of the highly-popular Hero2 is called Hero3 and the camcorder has finally received the teardown treatment from iFixit. The purpose of this action is to give users an idea of what is inside the assembled package and how easy it is to repair the camcorder or to replace some of is parts, if the owners somehow manage to break the device.

GoPro Hero3 teardown

GoPro-Hero3-teardown-Sony-image-sensor GoPro Hero3 teardown reveals Sony image sensor News and Reviews

The GoPro Hero3 teardown treatment revealed a Sony image sensor

iFixit has confirmed the tools required for the procedure and they are not different from the tools used for dismantling other devices. In order to tear apart the Hero3, a user will need a heat gun or a hair dryer, metal spudger, Phillips #0 screwdriver, plastic opening tools, an extra regular spudger, tweezers, and  T4 Torx screwdriver.

Once the owner has the required tools to dismantle this camcorder, he can begin tearing this thing apart, following the footsteps of the iFixit team. Inside the camcorder you can find a 1050mAh 3.7 V battery, which is 50mAh smaller than the one found inside the previous generation. A special adhesive is keeping together the front cover, while four 8.1mm T4 Torx screws are keeping the midframe in place.

The 12-megapixel Sony IMX117 image sensor can be easily detached from the motherboard, but not before removing some tape, four screws, and an additional connector. Speaking of which, the motherboard consists of a Qualcomm Atheros 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0 controller, Ambarella A770 camera SoC, Freescale Kinetis USB controller, Chipsip memory package, and Austriamicrosystems system PMU with backlight driver.

Going beneath the motherboard to decide GoPro Hero3’s repairability score

GoPro-Hero-3-teardown-aspherical-glass-lens GoPro Hero3 teardown reveals Sony image sensor News and Reviews

The GoPro Hero3 teardown treatment revealed an ultra sharp f/2.8 aspherical glass lens

GoPro added more tape and screws to protect the f/2.8 6-element aspherical glass lens, LCD, buttons, and the speakers. A large port can also be found here and it can be used for extended batteries, LCD attachments, or an A/V adapter.

According to iFixit, the GoPro Hero3 camcorder has a final repairability score of 7, considering a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the easiest to fix. iFixit praised the 4K HD camcorder’s design as the battery can be accessed without any tools, while the entire structure does not require any special tools.

The reviewers confirmed that the score would have been higher, if it hadn’t been for the LCD’s display cable which is bound to the midframe. This means that a heat gun (or a hair dryer) is required to replace the display. Still, the GoPro Hero3 performed better than other camcorders and iFixit was pleased with the final result.

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