HERO4 Session Teardown Cracks GoPro's Latest Camera
GoPro recently introduced its new GoPro HERO4 Session, a cube-shaped camera that greatly resembles Polaroid's Cube camera. The Session deviates a fair bit from the other HERO cameras. Aside from being cube-shaped, it features single-button operation and is only a fraction of the regular HERO4's size. Now the folks at iFixit have gotten their hands on the small camera, and they've given us a look inside by busting it open.
First things first, getting inside of the Session is not easy. You'll need T4 Torx screws to get started, but they only lend access to the lens cover and an o-ring. To get inside the camera you'll have to peel off the outer rubber to get to the clear plastic shell beneath. You'll have to cut that plastic away.
After finally getting it open, iFixit found the following hardware in the camera:
Qualcomm QCA6134X-AM2D Wi-Fi/Bluetooth SiP
Ambarella A7LS video and image processing chip
Micron JWB25 NAND Flash + LPDDR2 MCP
AMS AG AS3715 Power Management IC
There's a tiny 1000mAh battery that is soldered to the motherboard and glued into the bracket for a little extra protection. This means once the battery goes bad, the entire camera is done for. At the end of it all, the teardown revealed that while you can probably replace the lens cover if you're feeling motivated, nothing else is DIY-possible, so be careful how you use it.
SOURCE: iFixit