The Pixel Tablet is actually just a few spare parts in a half-empty body

Enlarge / The Pixel Tablet on the magnetic dock. (credit: Google)

Google and iFixit keep trucking along with their official parts store partnership. The latest device to get a parts selection is the Pixel Tablet, along with a whole bunch of repair guides with the usual lovingly detailed teardown photos. The Pixel Tablet did not draw a whole lot of attention when it launched in June, so this also counts as the Pixel Tablet teardown we've seen out there on the Internet, and, wow, is it interesting.

It's hard to know how tough of a process a repair is going to be, since iFixit never gave the Pixel Tablet a repairability score. It looks like breaking through the adhesive is a lot of work, with iFixit recommending an "anti-clamp" screen-pulling tool, a hair dryer, iFixit's "iOpener" heat pad, a suction cup, and a pick—they're emptying the whole toolbox to get this thing open. The first 18 steps of every guide go like this: Step 1, turn off the tablet. Step 2: put tape on the display if it's cracked. Steps 3 through 19: fighting the adhesive. iFixit's photos after this step all feature shredded adhesive leftovers stuck to the separated screen and body halves, too.

You have a much better shot of winning that battle with this guide, though, thanks to detailed information about where the adhesive is the strongest and what cables you could possibly break while doing this. On the plus side, once you get it open, replacing parts looks really easy, because the inside of this tablet looks like it was made in someone's garage with a 3D printer.