AirPort Time Capsule A1470 (Mini!) Teardown

– Today I decided to go off-script and crack open the AirPort Time Capsule. While the latest device teardown was shrouded in secrecy elsewhere, I set my sights on this classic.

– We already expected the Time Capsule wouldn’t be too different from yesterday’s AirPort Extreme, so this teardown is short, sweet, and to the point.

– I also took creative liberties with the main graphic—designers, look away! Sometimes you just have to trust your own style.

– This 2013 Time Capsule sports the model number A1470, which you’ll find stamped right on the bottom cover. No imposters here—this is the genuine article.

– Alright, let’s kick things off by cracking this open. The steps are the same, so I won’t put you to sleep with the details.

– With that behind us, let’s dive into the fun part: once you pop open the Time Capsule, you’ll see some cool changes.

– Gone is the hefty metal cover/clamp; instead, there’s a sleek little metal cover/clamp that snugly fits around a rubber cover—just picture it. Beneath that rubber cover, you’ll find the hard drive waiting for you.

– This is your everyday Seagate Barracuda drive—nothing too wild, just a trusty 2TB model. We’re keeping things budget-friendly, just in case things get adventurous during the repair.

– The drive uses a regular SATA connection, but the connector itself is super slim and plugs neatly into the motherboard.

– This ultra-thin SATA cable not only connects your hard drive, but also lets you clamp the drive securely in place with the rubber cover and metal bracket.

– Here’s where the fun starts. This port is absent in the earlier AirPort Extreme models, and it’s what lets the Time Capsule be… well, a Time Capsule, and the AirPort Extreme to be, well, just ‘Extreme’ in name only.

– Some have wondered if it’s possible to transform an Extreme into a Time Capsule. Technically, the answer is ‘Yes,’ but honestly, it might not be worth the hassle. The Seagate Barracuda drive is pretty much the price gap between the Time Capsule and the Extreme, so you’d be better off just grabbing the real deal.

– Honestly, the Time Capsule is pretty much just like the Extreme. Same power supply, fan, and processing power — nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.

– Nothing new here, really. Keep it moving!

– Here’s the scoop: these are the parts you’ll find in a Time Capsule. The Extreme? Well, you miss out on some of these, but hey, it’s all about finding the Wi-Fi champion that suits your needs.

– AirPort Time Capsule A1470 Repairability Score: 8 out of 10 (10 being a breeze to fix).

– Not much of a challenge here, since it’s pretty much the same repair-wise as the AirPort Extreme. Easy peasy.

– Heads up: the Time Capsule is happy to take a roomy 4TB 3.5″ hard drive instead of its modest 2TB original. This screenshot uses a Seagate drive, but an HGST should get along just fine too.