The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were officially unveiled a few hours ago, and already the first teardown of the smaller version has gone live on YouTube. The disassembly process is shown to be a relatively simple one, with Google taking the ‘easy to repair’ approach in several aspects, including the battery.
Google has also added copper and graphite film over several components to help transfer heat, but it has not made much of a difference
The display assembly is easy to remove from the Pixel 8, with PBKreviews showing that it features an entire copper layer to help transfer heat, along with a sizable in-screen fingerprint reader. Additionally, 14 T4 screws are holding the logic board in place, so it would not take a significantly long time for the parts to be separated from one another. A commendable change that Google has implemented this year with the Pixel 8 is the inclusion of a labeled pull tab to help pry the battery off.
However, even with the clear instructions present on the pull tab, the YouTuber managed to rip it out and had to resort to isopropyl alcohol to soften the adhesive, making it easier to remove the battery. Upon further investigation, it is found that a copper film and thermal grease are layered on the RAM chip to help prevent it from overheating. While we appreciate these efforts from Google, these additions did not prevent the Pixel 8 from reaching temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius when pushed hard.
An early benchmark run published by the same channel shows that the Pixel 8 performed slower than the Pixel 8 Pro despite featuring the same Tensor G3, so thermal throttling is likely preventing the handset from performing at its absolute best. After the logic board is removed, it is found that the USB-C port is soldered to the part, which will make repairs difficult should something happen to it.
Overall, PBKreviews gave the Pixel 8 teardown repairability score of 7 out of 10, with the majority of the points taken off from the total because of the lack of replaceable parts such as the soldered USB-C port. If you want to check out the entire process, make sure to watch the video above and let us know what you think in the comments.
WccftechContinue reading/original-link]
