IFIXIT Nintendo Switch Lite Teardown Owner’s Manual

: July 27, 2024
: IFIXIT

Table of Contents

IFIXIT Nintendo Switch Lite Teardown
Specifications
Product Usage Instructions
FAQ
INTRODUCTION
TOOLS
Installation Instructions
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

IFIXIT Nintendo Switch Lite Teardown

Specifications

Custom NVIDIA Tegra processor
32 GB of internal storage (up to 2 TB additional storage via microSDHC or microSDXC card)
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, USB TypeC port (charging only), and 3.5 mm audio jack
Built-in accelerometer and gyroscope
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery capable of 3.0 – 7.0 hours of playtime
Evolved with un-detachable controllers

Product Usage Instructions

Start by using the provided tools to disassemble the Nintendo Switch Lite. Remember to handle the device carefully to avoid damage.
As you progress through the teardown, take note of the components inside the Switch Lite. Observe any changes from the original Switch model.
If you encounter tri-point screws blocking your way, make sure to acquire the special tool needed to proceed with the disassembly.
After removing the cover, compare the internals of the Switch Lite with the original model to identify any differences or improvements.
Notice the downsized heat sink and fan in the Switch Lite, which contribute to improved battery life and reduced waste heat generation.
Examine the internal components for any changes or upgrades, such as new trace routing and modified buttons or sliders.
Before completing the teardown, ensure to handle components like flash storage carefully, noting any changes in design or assembly compared to the original Switch.

FAQ

Q: Can I replace the battery in the Nintendo Switch Lite?
A: The battery in the Nintendo Switch Lite is not designed to be user-replaceable. If you encounter battery issues, it is recommended to contact Nintendo for support.
Q: Is it possible to upgrade the internal storage of the Switch Lite?
A: While the Switch Lite supports additional storage via microSD cards, the internal storage cannot be upgraded or replaced by the user.

INTRODUCTION

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new Switch on the block: it’s the Nintendo Switch Lite, and it comes with less to cost you less. It also arrives in some hot new colors— which only distract us momentarily, before we remember we’re here for a teardown. Grab your tools and let’s take apart the new Switch Lite.
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TOOLS

Installation Instructions

Step 1 — Nintendo Switch Lite Teardown

A wild Switch Lite appeared! What does the Nintendex say about it?
Custom NVIDIA Tegra processor
Built-in 5.5″ capacitive touchscreen LCD with 1280 × 720 resolution
32 GB of internal storage (up to 2 TB additional storage via microSDHC or microSDXC card) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, USB Type-C port (charging only), and 3.5 mm audio jack
Built-in accelerometer and gyroscope
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery capable of 3.0 – 7.0 hours of playtime
Evolved with un-detachable controllers

Step 2

Before we begin, we turn on our X-ray Game Genie, courtesy of our pals at Creative Electron.
Compared with modern smartphones, there’s a lot of bezel on this device, so our usual teardown wallpaper treatment may not quite cut it. Maybe if we also made a skin …

Step 3

We yanked really hard on the controls in the hope of scoring two new bright yellow Joy-Cons, but alas, they don’t detach.
It seems a more traditional disassembly will be required.
The integrated controls do include an honest-to-goodness D-pad, however.
Other exterior changes: the IR blaster from the right Joy-Con got the axe, and the speakers have migrated from the front (OG Switch) to the bottom (Switch Lite).
The Lite also lacks the original Switch’s kickstand, making this the most aerodynamic Switch ever.

Step 4

The way is blocked by impassable (tri-point) screws. We can’t progress further until we find and acquire the special tool.
No distracting side quests today—we’re on a mission and we brought all the tools needed to beat the game. Y00 driver, we choose you!
Under the back cover, we find another cover. Moving on.
We note here that the SD card reader is now permanently attached to the main board— whereas, on the old Switch, we had already removed it by this point.
Modularity is generally good for repair, so this is a minor step backward from our point of view.
Let’s peek under the metal shield and get our first look at the internals in the visible light spectrum.

Step 5

Here we take a moment to blow the cover off our revised-for-2019 Switch and do some Lite comparisons.
Most important change: the battery in the Lite is no longer upside-down. This alone makes our teardown worth the price of admission.
When it comes to other changes, here are two truths and a lie: (1) The battery is physically smaller and sits next to a lighter-gauge heat pipe. (2) The headphone jack has gone fully modular. (3) The bubblegum securing the heat sink is now cherryflavored.
Muscling up the battery, we find… a wet paper towel? Maybe someone was trying to wipe off all this sticky battery adhesive.
This 13.6 Wh battery is all you need for 3-7 hours of playtime, according to Nintendo.
That’s more than you could get from the original Switch and its 16 Wh battery (but less than the updated Switch, which can last up to 9 hours).

Step 6

More efficient hardware not only makes for longer battery life but also less waste heat.
So we’re pleasantly unsurprised to see this Switch packing a downsized heat sink and fan.
In case you’re worried about decreased thermal performance, remember that this Switch will only be output to its built-in display at 720p or less, unlike the big Switch, which has to output up to 1080p when docked.
Another slight difference: the previous L and R triggers pressed directly against a button on a PCB, but the new triggers switch to a membrane-style key. This could help with ingress protection and give the triggers a more pleasing actuation distance.
The speaker drivers look to be the same as those in the original Switch, but the housings are all new.
Not only are they now downward-firing, but they’ve also expanded up into the space formerly held down by the two Joy-Con batteries. Although we haven’t done a headto- head sound test, we’d be surprised if the Lite didn’t come out on top.

Step 7

Pulling aside a dedicated mini-joycon board, we get down to a source of recent controversy in the Switch—the joystick.
Initially, these joysticks look pretty similar to the 2019 Switch joysticks as we crack open their cases—but the design of the clasps around the edges is a bit different, and the case is easier to open overall.
Hoping to find some kind of drift-related improvement, we open up both the Switch Lite (top) and 2019 Switch (bottom) joystick assemblies and lay them out for your viewing pleasure.
Things on the inside don’t immediately seem too different, but we do notice some new trace routing, a narrower stick-click button, and slightly wider-looking metal sliders.
A popular guess at the cause of joystick drift is that the black contact pads under the sliders wear down over time. They appear unchanged here, but they might be made of tougher stuff this time. Unfortunately, that’s beyond the scope of our testing for now.

Step 8

Removing the board, we note that the formerly modular flash storage is also now soldered down. (DIY storage swaps in the original Switch didn’t work, but were at least physically possible.)
Side A of this silicon capybara:
Nvidia ODNX10-A1 (Tegra X1-based SoC, presumably a custom riff on the T210B01 variant)
2x Samsung K4U6E3S4AM-MGCJ LPDDR4X DRAM 16 Gb (4 GB total)
Samsung KLMBG2JETD-B041 32 GB eMMC flash storage
ST Microelectronics ST21NFCD NFC controller and FingerTip touchscreen controller
Realtek ALC5639 audio codec
Cypress CYW4356X 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 5.0 SoC

Step 9

Let’s turn that capybara around for some more chips:
ST Microelectronics STM32F038C6 32-bit microcontroller w/ 32 KB flash
B1913 GCBRG HAC STD T1056719A1 secure MCU (likely)
Maxim Integrated MAX77620HEWJ power management IC
Rohm BM92T10MWV-Z USB-C power delivery controller
Texas Instruments BQ24193 battery charge management
Maxim Integrated MAX17050 battery fuel gauge
Ricoh RP602Z330C 1.5 A buck-boost regulator

Step 10

The original Switch had a non-laminated, air-gapped display—a rarity these days, but it makes for cheap and easy cracked screen repairs. On a drop-prone mobile device, this goes a long way toward making repairs affordable.

So how does the Switch Lite fare?
A little heat and prying is all it takes to coax the display assembly from the frame—so far so good.
With a bit more convincing, the digitizer/screen separates from the display. Success! The Switch line’s record remains intact.

Step 11

Light on the wallet, light on the features, and light in the layout.
Modularity is a feature that was cut for this diet Switch, lacking swappable controllers, storage, and SD card tray.
A non-fused display and digitizer bode well, as well as a replaceable Game Card reader and headphone jack.
Not quite as cool as the Switch, and not quite as over-featured as the 3DS, this Lite seems to fit just right. But what about that reparability score?

Step 12 — Final Thoughts

The Nintendo Switch Lite earns a 6 out of 10 on our reparability scale (10 is the easiest to repair):
Screws, rather than adhesives, secure most components.
Many components, including the joysticks, fan, and headphone jack, are modular and can be replaced independently.
The battery, though strongly glued down, can be replaced shortly after removing the rear case.
The digitizer and display are not fused but are firmly glued in place.
The flash storage and SD card reader are now soldered directly to the motherboard.
Uncommon tri-point screws hinder all repairs.