Google Pixel 9 XL Teardown: Twice as Tough but the Battery Sucks!

Google is leaning into the “durability for sustainability” narrative with the Pixel 9 phones and with the promise of 7 years of software updates, it’s tempting to take the durability claim at face value.

But despite the improvements Google made, these phones will break. Screens are going to crack from accidental drops, batteries are going to wear out before the 2 year mark, and plenty of other things are going to go wrong in between. So yes, durability is great but the device still has limits to the abuse it can take. To solve that problem, we need to know how repairable these phones are.

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Chapters

00:00 Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL: Designing for durability
00:45 Let’s start the teardown
01:02 Barely started and we’ve found a problem
01:20 Why dual entry designs are nice
01:58 Temperature sensor? Cool! What do I do with it?
02:18 Hidden screws? Do the right thing.
02:45 Battery removal: Take 1
03:34 Removing everything else
04:05 A closer look at the cameras
04:35 Battery removal: Take 2
05:16 A closer look at the mainboard
05:40 Why is it more durable? X-rays hold the answers.
06:36 Pro’s and con’s: will this phone last?
07:32 Provisional repairability score
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[georgeh]

This actually looks more difficult than it was for me to get the battery out of my Pixel 6. Kind of like they took a step backwards.

[Guldan]

Pixels had this issue for so many years that they had soldered charging port, finally we got a modular one! nice job.

[mrd]

you guys are the experts and if this is what happened to you, ain't no WAY I am going to try fixing this phone, lol

[TheStrategyWargamer]

That battery replacement seems like an absolute nightmare

[sp-vtje]

Every year it's becoming increasingly harder to replace the battery. They keep on adding more screws, covers, adhesives etc. in the way. One has to wonder why that is.

[SteveFrench]

I read the Pixel 9 Pro XL repair manual, and it says that the phone needs to be heated to 70c for 10 minutes. You can then use pull tabs to pull straight up, and the battery should come out. Also the manual states you shouldnt go in more than 3.2mm. Google has these manuals available on their repair site.

[ilangarling]

The display got broken during the disassembly, the battery removal was the worst of any smartphone in the past 5+ years, there are no manuals on how to open the device, and youre not questioning the 7 years of software support from a company with a long history of killing their products and services early on. AND IT GOT A 5/10?? But nice that you offer parts from them

[dylantaylor]

Remember when you could just replace a battery by popping off the back of a phone with no tools? Those were the good times

[seth]

Wait, did all these people in the comments not watch the video? Or did I misunderstand the video? I understood him to say you can enter from the rear of the phone without ever having to take off the display when replacing the battery. But holy moly, that battery adhesive. 💀

[jlr_]

That's the most Steve Jobs-approving Pixel internals I've ever seen.

[heMech]

Honestly, kind of disappointing, but hopefully next year they'll have listened to feedback.

[spro]

when you damage the screen at the beginning of the video you insert the pick into the device about 1 cm, when it is 2 mm at most, you should be more careful, you take away seriousness from the brand, taking advantage of the fact that you manufacture you should build a pick that could only be inserted those 2 mm with a stop bezel or something so that errors like this are not repeated c:

[williamkatzners]

Thanks a lot for the teardown, the battery replacement is my no 1 concern of any new smartphone, especially nowadays when you get 7 years of software updates.

[raymondhacks]

I'm not at all saying that you guys aren't skilled at disassembling devices, but I would like the device disassembly revisited using the repair guides on google's site!
It doesn't need to be a video, just more so a review or the repair guide published and whether or not it helps.
Additionally I think the review of the repair guide should not include device specific tools, like the device specific, industrial sandwiching device, or the over the top screen separator pictured in the manuals. I don't think most people would buy a vise grip for their phone to remove the battery either.

[Luzgar]

Sustainability through durability is like security through obscurity.
It can kinda work, but it's not the right way to do it.

[angelG]

The video I was waiting for. thank you!

[TheSimCaptain]

How come a few years ago anyone could replace a smartphone battery, and now it's almost impossible? Surely, there's no technical reason why it became so difficult.

[RealMithunMahesh]

The display problem is from your side not from Google. You should not put the guitar pick that deep.

[OMFCody]

I'm happy to see both the Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro both do not require the screen to come off to gain access to the internals.

[amazingman]

Been a Great phone so far and great to see the updated internals!