The Pixel 4a has been available in the US ahead of further, more global availability this month. The team at iFixit has gotten their hands on a Pixel 4a and it’s time to do a teardown.
The team at iFixit found the Pixel 4a is similar in many respects to the Pixel 3a series, in that the rear detaches and the display detaches with minimal heat to loosen the adhesive. The phone then changes with cables tethering the two pieces. Unfortunately these cables are screwed down under a metal guard which makes it awkward to undo.
The Pixel 4a seems to be mostly mid-frame with the screen and rear plastic cover coming off – something that’s not all that common according to iFixit. The good thing about this is for repairability. iFixit went as far to say this: ‘Despite a few challenges, this weird new construction brings the Pixel 4a tantalizingly close to a repair revolution: a smartphone that lets you choose your own opening procedure. Need a screen replacement? Start and end with the screen. Battery? Head in through the back. That hasn’t been achieved yet, and it’s a tough problem to crack, but the 4a comes about as close as we’ve seen’.
While the statement above sounds pretty good, the Pixel 4a only gets a 6/10 for repairability. This is mostly due to those pesky cables holding things together.
Sounds pretty good though once you’re past those cables. Want to see the whole teardown? Here’s the video:
