If seeing inside the latest technology is something you enjoy, then iFixit are on hand again as they have now taken apart a Nintendo 3DS.
The 3DS is similar to older models in someways, but in other ways it has a totally different approach. The team found that the 3D effect worked well although out of the 10 employees who tested it, one of them couldn’t see the effect at all. The way the screen works is by using a parallax barrier. The 3DS has an adjustment slide that when moved, sends the images off center and towards each eye. By making two slightly different images, you then get to see a 3D effect. For a more detailed approach on 3D, this post should sort you out.
Other details found included all three cameras being connected to the same ribbon cable. This is becoming more popular on multi-camera devices as all data ends up in the same place to process anyway.
As for the ease of getting in to the Nintendo 3DS, it was only rated 5 out of 10. The reason it dropped to a 5 was related to getting the top cover off. Some ribbon cables run through the hollow hinges and easily break, even with careful hands. In other words, it’s best not to try open that section and make repairs yourself.
The battery on the 3DS is also a let down in some ways. Due to the extra power needed, it only lasts 3 to 5 hours. This is for 3D games although this increases to 5 – 8 hours if using standard DS games.
Overall, quite an impressive gaming device. The full repair guide can be found at iFixit.
Of course, there will always be people who would dislike and disagree. However, what’s important is that most of the people who tested it like it. It doesn’t matter whether there are objections as long as there are people satisfied with the newe 3DS. 🙂