If you have a broken smartphone screen, or need its battery changed, companies such as HMD are taking concerted steps to offer devices deliberately designed as ‘repair-it-yourself’ pieces that allow customers to undertake basic hardware repairs themselves rather than going to a professional or the manufacturer’s retailers.
But there are some devices – and that includes almost any iPhone – that you wouldn’t really attempt to repair yourself due to the complexity involved in the process.
With Google releasing their new Pixel range earlier this month, it was only a matter of time before questions were asked about whether it was easy to repair a hardware issue with this phone.
The team at iFixit recently disassembled the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL to determine how easy it was to access various components.
The video shows the iFixit team removing the front of the phone to reach the internal components, but while doing so they end up breaking the screen — something that usually happens with “screen access” designs.
If, however, it is a battery change that you’re looking for in a Pixel 9 Pro XL, then access to isn’t from the screen, but by removing the back panel.
The team also struggled with removing the battery of the device, with two more people holding the phone down while applying isopropyl alcohol to loosen the adhesive. When the battery did release, it left a sticky residue behind.
Google has said that the Pixel 9 Pro XL is durable compared to other models, with multiple plates supporting the internal components and distributing impact across the entire frame.
Those plates can be seen in the video. While the plates do protect it more against drops, it also results in a much more complicated process to disassemble the components in the device.
Google has promised seven years of software updates – users can expect updates until August 2031. That’s how long on average Google is estimating that customers can hold on to their devices. In those seven years, there will be a fair number of people who will need to replace their screens, batteries or have other hardware problems inadvertently crop up. Repairing them better be left to the professionals.
If you are considering whether Google’s new Pixel 9 Pro XL is a good buy, read our full review here. If it’s the Pixel 9 that you’re after, read its review here. We’ll soon be bringing you a review of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold too.
