Google Pixel XL Teardown Reveals Modular Components, Lack of HTC Branding

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 21 Oct 2016

Google Pixel XL teardown

With the Google Pixel and Pixel XL releasing earlier this week, it was only a matter of time before the first teardown of the handsets hit the web. Doing the deed, iFixit has posted the teardown of the HTC-made Google Pixel XL.

Despite their expertise, the iFixit team broke the Samsung AMOLED panel of the Pixel XL during the teardown. The OLED panel separated pretty easily from the digitizer glass, which likely occurred due to the super-thin components and no frame or bezel behind the display for extra rigidity.

If there is one thing evident from the teardown, it is how modular the small components on the Pixel XL are. The selfie camera, RGB LED, microphones, light sensor, USB Type-C port, and other key components used on the Pixel XL are modular in nature which makes replacing them a very cheap affair. Even the battery of the handset can be easily replaced with a very minimum amount of effort.

pixel-xl-teardown

As for the components used, Google and HTC have sourced the 4GB LPPDR4 DRAM package and the 32GB storage chip from Samsung, with Qualcomm supplying the ICs and chips for power management and radio. Considering the handset is powered by Qualcomm’s own Snapdragon 821 chipset and uses a modem from the company, this is not surprising. What is surprising, however, is the lack of HTC branding inside the components used in the Pixel XL. Except for the 3450mAh battery, there is no way one to make out that HTC had anything to do with building the Pixel.

In the end, iFixit gives the Pixel XL a repairability score of 6 out of 10. The website notes that while getting past the poorly supported display assembly is a challenge, the modular components inside the handset make it easy to replace them in the event of a failure for pretty cheap.

[Via iFixit]