Ahead of the Pixel 6a shipping next week, a teardown has revealed the guts of Google’s $449 mid-range. Design-wise, there are more than a few manufacturing similarities to last year’s Pixel 6.
To begin disassembly (via PBKreviews ), heat is required to remove the adhesive, though the Pixel 6a continues to use Google Clips to secure the display as well. Below the front-facing camera and just to the left, you’ll notice a rounded square cutout for what should be the proximity and ambient light sensor. Compared to the Pixel 6 Pro, it sits further down the screen.
Before you go any further, you need to remove the protective film and several screws to remove the center plate, which has a vibration motor attached to the bottom and a large piece of graphite film to help with dissipation from the heat Once removed, you have access to the battery with tabs that help the process, although a little extra force is required and two sets of tabs can help.
Meanwhile, the iFixit repair guides only recommend using isopropyl alcohol:
The sticker is only present below the top and bottom areas of the battery and not below the center. The clear plastic strip around the center of the battery isn’t particularly helpful during the removal procedure. Feel free to remove it for easy handling by opening its adhesive seal and pulling it out from under the battery.
That said, PBKreviews notes that “this battery was much easier to drain compared to the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro,” so hopefully Google has made improvements since last year.
Unfortunately, the charging port is soldered to the main board, as you look at Tensor (left rectangle). Finally, the black plate can be removed (with heat) from the frame and we see what looks like a flexible plastic, or what Google calls a “3D thermoformed composite back”, as seen in the cover image above.
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