In completing its teardown of the fourth-generation iPod shuffle, iFixit has indicated that the device is “extremely difficult’ to open, rendering it nearly unserviceable by end users.
iFixit found that the device’s control wheel is attached to the logic board via a connector, making it easy to remove, while the battery is soldered to the logic board, making replacement difficult.
In addition, access to the shuffle 4G’s internals is only possible by removing the device’s back clip assembly, which is both press-fit and glued to the body, requiring “a good half hour of prying and heat-gunning to open.” Overall, iFixit gave the device a two out of 10 on its repairability scale, with 10 being considered the easiest to repair.
