The gadget doctors over at iFixit have finished dissecting the new Apple TV, and they've already posted pictures of the deconstructed device on the operating table, in an effort to show us what's going on under the hood.

There's four things interesting about this specific teardown. First of all, it happened an entire month before Apple even begins shipping its new set-top box to customers. The website got its hands on an early developer unit - so that's exciting in itself. Secondly, we've now learned why the new Apple TV isn't at all thinner or lighter than its predecessor.

Apple is fond of refreshing its devices with tinier form factors, but that, rather strangely, wasn't the case this time around. It's been three years since Apple updated the Apple TV, and everyone was expecting the new version to be sleeker and totally different, but as it turns out, the new version is similar yet thicker and heftier than the old box.

The new Apple TV has a "great big chunky heat sink with a cute little power supply board tucked away inside", according to iFixit. All of that makes the new box stand a half-inch taller and more than 50 per cent heavier than its predecessor. The third interesting aspect about the new box is its lack of connecting cables.

That's right. iFixit discovered there's a "distinct lack of cables connecting the power supply to the logic board" - and it therefore speculated that power is "either transmitted by magic, or through the heat sink screw posts."

Last but not least...iFixit has given the new Apple TV an 8 out of 10 repairability rating due to its modular construction, separate power supply, etc. But who actually bothers to open up their set-top box?

Oh, and iFixit dived into the new Apple TV remote as well. There's nothing too interesting from that, though.