Last week, we tore down Apple’s newest iPad offering: the iPad 5. But as our teardown showed, the new iPad isn’t all that new. Sure, it got a major hardware boost from the faster A9 processor—but the new iPad is mostly just an updated original iPad Air.
The news sparked a lot of questions from our community members about compatibility across models. Would the iPad 5 accept parts from its Air predecessors? Or vice-versa?
So, to answer all your questions, I raided our warehouse of Air 1 and Air 2 parts to find out which were compatible with the 2017 iPad and which were not. Here are the results of my testing:
iPad 5 Part |
Compatible? |
Notes |
Digitizer |
Air 1 |
This is great news! Digitizers/front glass panels are the most commonly damaged components, so it’s good to see that this part is already available at a reasonable price. |
Home Button + Bracket |
No |
We knew swapping home buttons would mean a loss of Touch ID, but this confirms the protocol for Air 1 home buttons and iPad 5 home buttons are totally different and don’t allow for any communication. |
LCD |
Kind of |
An iPad 5 LCD will work in an iPad Air 1 (and actually give it a brightness boost). An Air 1 LCD in an iPad 5 also works, but the display was very dim (~200 nits versus an expected ~440 nits). And the left edge had weird backlight bleed (see photo). |
Headphone Jack |
Air 1 |
Fits and functions perfectly. The only weirdness is that the press connector has a loop of tape securing it to the logic board, and to disconnect this connector you must rip the tape. |
Front-Facing Camera |
No |
The similarly-spec’d Air 2 camera causes a bootloop |
Rear-Facing Camera |
Air 2 |
Fits and functions perfectly. |
Battery |
Air 1 |
Untested, but they have the same model number and the same specs. |
Microphone Assembly |
Air 1 |
Fits and functions perfectly, although most replacement parts are missing the foam over the microphone that supports the front-facing camera. |
Volume and Power Buttons |
No |
This part lacks the lock switch from the Air 1, and is completely different from the Air 2’s component. |
Left Antenna |
Air 1 |
We didn’t fully install this part, but tested its functionality by connecting to a Wi-Fi network, and it looks like it will fit without issues. |
Adhesive Strips |
Air 1 |
We lined them up and they fit the iPad 5’s rear enclosure nicely. |
Lightning Connector |
N/A |
Untested |
Left + Right Speakers |
N/A |
Untested |
Right Antenna |
N/A |
Untested |
Here’s a few pictures of the testing process along the way:
This compatibility list is by no means canon. As with all repair parts, your mileage may vary depending on your distributor. So we encourage you to do your own testing and fill us in on your findings, especially if they differ from ours. In the meantime, if availability of repair parts left you on the fence about this iPad iteration, you can rest easy knowing that a new digitizer or battery is just a click away.
4条评论
I try ipad air LCD 100% work normally…
disconnect the battery before put the LCD to prevent backlight bleed
Jayson Tiria - 回复
Are the housings interchangeable?
bennyb123 - 回复
Is the new homebutton and bracket compatible in size, so you can use a 5th gen digitizer with 2017 button and bracket. Rumor say the new button is bigger and i can’t find a concrete statement.
Erik T - 回复
As I tested it, the LCD is compatible. The test results are probably suspected to have been a problem during the mounting process.
wellbinnn - 回复