Spoiler alert: it contained pixels. —

Google Pixel gets torn asunder by iFixit

Behold the wonder of the HTC-manufactured, Google-designed Android flagship.

Google Pixel gets torn asunder by iFixit

A rite of passage for any new smartphone is to eventually find itself on iFixit's teardown bench, and today the site gutted Google's newest smartphone, the Pixel XL.

There weren't too many surprises inside Google's $750 device. During disassembly, the site actually broke the Samsung-made OLED panel, noting "the OLED panel separated from the digitizer glass a little too easily for our liking. Super-thin components and no frame or bezel behind the display make it extra sketchy to remove." On the plus side for repairability, the OLED panel isn't bonded to the glass, so you can replace just the broken glass instead of having to buy another expensive OLED.

Under the display, iFixit found a "slim and flexible" magnesium mid-frame that hides most of the components. Buried under that you'll find a (hopefully non-explosive) HTC-branded battery—the only sign of the device's true manufacturer—along with Samsung-provided storage and RAM. Interestingly, like the Nexus devices last year, the Pixel contains a Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 chip despite not actually being QC 3.0 compatible—it uses USB-PD.

The phone earned a 6 out of 10 for repairability. On the plus side, iFixit found many modular components that can be easily replaced, along with an easily-removable battery and a single screw size. It cited the fragile display and clip-in mid-frame as items that will slow down any would-be phone repairers.

The pictures are always the best part; see the Pixel XL stripped down over at iFixit.

Channel Ars Technica