iPad mini Is there any possible expansion of memory for the iPad Mini?

[Turnpike]

I know that the quick answer is "no", but what are the possibilities of having an expert repair person (say, like Louis Rossman) hard wire a 4tb hard drive into an iPad mini? What if money weren't an issue? This would make a perfect device for something I do for work, and would pay handsomely if there was a service out there that did this. Is there any technical/software reason this is not possible, even by a pro? Or any other options?

 

[sparksd]

Doubtful at best. Use a USB-C SSD?

 

[rui no onna]

It should be possible by replacing the NAND flash.

A Google search turned up a shop that does this in Malaysia. I'm pretty sure there are repair shops that will do this in China. Not sure about the rest of the world.

Upgrade iPad Storage – iPhone Motherboard Repair Center

iPad Storage Upgrade Service is available in Malaysia. 64GB, 128GB, 256GB or 512GB. We have a price list for iPad Memory Storage.

www.iphone-repair.my

 

[darngooddesign]

I know that the quick answer is "no", but what are the possibilities of having an expert repair person (say, like Louis Rossman) hard wire a 4tb hard drive into an iPad mini? What if money weren't an issue? This would make a perfect device for something I do for work, and would pay handsomely if there was a service out there that did this. Is there any technical/software reason this is not possible, even by a pro? Or any other options?

Yes, if money were no object you could replace a 64GB Mini with a 256GB Mini. 😀

 

[darngooddesign]

An iPad Mini 4's storage cannot be increased. It is impossible to remove the soldered Flash memory from the logic board. You can improve the way you manage your storage. Ensure that you have photos stored in the cloud and are utilizing iCloud.

That's not true. The SSDs are not physically part of the SoC, they have been soldered on, so they can be removed. If money were no object, a qualified repair shop could detach the old SSD and micro-solder a larger capacity SSD back on.

 

[floral]

As far as I've heard, you can upgrade the SSD inside the iPad, but it's a real tough procedure for the average person, and it's hard to find a shop that does it correctly and for a price less than just buying a higher storage version.

 

[rui no onna]

As far as I've heard, you can upgrade the SSD inside the iPad, but it's a real tough procedure for the average person, and it's hard to find a shop that does it correctly and for a price less than just buying a higher storage version.

It requires specialized equipment and microsoldering so it’s pretty much impossible to do for the average techie much less an average person.

In China, Malaysia, etc. where labor is relatively cheap, it seems the aftermarket NAND flash upgrade is cheaper than Apple’s storage tax. Not surprising considering Apple charges $0.78125/GB when SSD prices have dropped to $0.05/GB.

Doing an aftermarket upgrade also allows devices like the iPad 9th gen and iPad mini to get 512GB+ storage which Apple does not offer.

 

[floral]

It requires specialized equipment and microsoldering so it’s pretty much impossible to do for the average techie much less an average person.

In China, Malaysia, etc. where labor is relatively cheap, it seems the aftermarket NAND flash upgrade is cheaper than Apple’s storage tax. Not surprising considering Apple charges $0.78125/GB when SSD prices have dropped to $0.05/GB.

Doing an aftermarket upgrade also allows devices like the iPad 9th gen and iPad mini to get 512GB+ storage which Apple does not offer.

Yeah, problem is, most people here live in the U.S.

 

[rui no onna]

Yeah, problem is, most people here live in the U.S.

OP did say money is no object. He can fly to China or Malaysia to get it done.

I saw these comments on a Filipino forum.

^my friends from China always recommend that I purchase the base Apple device... then they will bring it to Schenzhen for me for the necessary upgrades...

I recall a few years back in my trip in Shenzen, there were repair shops that actually offered storage upgrades on iPhones and android phones. My friend tried the service with her old iPhone and it worked flawlessly. I heard in the area it was a common aftermarket upgrade.

 

[Rafterman]

Even if possible, increased power consumption and heat would be an issue, especially in such a small device.

 

[floral]

Even if possible, increased power consumption and heat would be an issue, especially in such a small device.

...you mean there are improved thermals in the 256gb version?

 

[rui no onna]

Even if possible, increased power consumption and heat would be an issue, especially in such a small device.

There are iPhones with 512GB-1TB storage.

I don’t think there’ll be thermal issues upgrading NAND flash on the iPad mini to 512GB-1TB.

 

[Rafterman]

There are iPhones with 512GB-1TB storage.

I don’t think there’ll be thermal issues upgrading NAND flash on the iPad mini to 512GB-1TB.

4TB creates a lot more heat than 1TB or less.

 

[rui no onna]

4TB creates a lot more heat than 1TB or less.

I have 1-4TB SSDs and honestly, they seem about the same.

That said, I believe 4TB requires multiple NAND flash chips. I’m guessing the maximum the iPad mini can accommodate is just 1TB (assuming software supports it).

 

[dominiongamma]

I cannot believe this topic is even going…