Just two days after the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL were announced by Google, they've been given the teardown treatment.
iFixit today posted its teardowns of both the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, showing how repairable they are and giving us a glimpse inside Google's new phones. Both the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL received a repairability score of 6 out of 10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. For comparison, both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL scored a 4 out of 10.
When taking apart the Pixel 3a, iFixit found that the screen is secured to the body by a "spongy, easily-separated adhesive" that makes for an easier repair, but also likely makes it easier for water to get into the device. The screens on both phones come from Samsung.
Also of note is that both the USB-C and 3.5mm headphone jacks included in Google's latest Pixels are modular, which should make them easier to replace. There's a Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA) vibration motor inside the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, which iFixit notes is "found in just about every smartphone not made by Apple and Google" and is different than the motor found in the flagship Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.
Overall, iFixit praises the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL for having mostly modular components that are easily replaceable and a repair-friendly stretch adhesive on the battery. One knock against the repairability of both phones is that there are a lot of long, thin ribbon cables connecting the internal components that can be tough to work around and are easy to accidentally tear.
The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are already appealing thanks to their quality cameras, update support, and aggressive pricing, and this repairability news helps to make them even more attractive. While you'd obviously prefer to never have to get your phone repaired, if you do drop your Pixel 3a or Pixel 3a XL and need to get it fixed, the repair shouldn't be too difficult.
