Google Pixel 8a battery is not easy to replace, teardown shows

The Google Pixel 8a is available now, and a teardown of the device appeared online too. It comes from one of the usual teardown sources, PBKreviews. It has been published on YouTube, and the video has a duration of around 10 minutes. It’s embedded below the article.

You’ll see the entire process of the Pixel 8a disassembly here. It’s not the most difficult device to repair, but it did not get the best repairability score, mainly due to its battery.

What’s the issue? Well, there’s no pull tab for the battery. The phone’s battery is strongly glued to the frame of the device. It’s tough to remove even with plenty of isopropyl alcohol. So you may want to get a professional to do it for you, if you’re out of warranty at some point, and need to replace the battery.

Removing the plastic backplate was easy enough, as was almost everything else, but the battery removal. What else is worth noting here? Well, there’s no vapor chamber inside of the Pixel 8a.

Google included plenty of graphite and copper film, but not a vapor chamber

Google did put plenty of graphite and copper film, plus thermal pads, but no vapor chamber. That’s not all that surprising considering that this is a mid-range device, but it’s worth noting nonetheless, as the Tensor G3 tends to run hot.

Google was given good ratings for organization and length time of repairs, replacing the screen on this device, and the availability of repair parts. The battery replacement was the downside, and the same goes for replacing some other parts, such as a charging port.

The Google Pixel 8a was announced earlier this month, and after the initial pre-order period, the phone is now available to purchase. If you live in the US, the Pixel 8a will set you back $499 for the base model. If you need more storage, you’ll end up paying a bit more. It’s notably more expensive in Europe, though.