Google Pixel 8a teardown video reveals hard-to-remove battery and graphite film

Pixel 8a teardown reveals internal design

• The teardown video starts off by removing the SIM tray section, which has a rubber gasket for water protection.
• Using the heat gun, the plastic back panel of the phone is then removed through a pry tool and this comes off easily. The same is the case with the camera lens cover. 
• On opening the back cover, you are then greeted with 17 T4 Torx screws sealing the entire phone’s internal structure in place. 

• The wireless charging coil and NFC antenna are present above the battery area. The other side of the sheet has a large graphite film for heat dissipation. 
• Interestingly, there’s no vapour chamber inside the Pixel 8a. Considering the Tensor chipsets usually get hotter on prolonged use, this could be a problem.
•  There’s a pull-tab provided to remove the battery cell. The video notes the adhesive used to keep the battery in place is really strong and sticky.
• Replacing the screen is quite easy as you don’t have to go through the back. Instead, you can apply a little heat on the front and pry the screen, which then gives access to the flex cable.

Overall, PKBReviews gives the Google Pixel 8a a repairability score of 7.5 out of 10. The main culprit for the low score is the sticky battery pack, which is not easy to remove and how easy is it to replace other parts like the charging port, etc.

Read our Google Pixel 8a Review

To recall, the Google Pixel 8a comes with a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display, a 120Hz refresh rate, Android 14 OS, Tensor G3 chipset, a 64MP primary camera, 13MP selfie snapper, and a 4492mAh battery with 18W wired fast charging. The handset is available in India at Rs 52,999 for the 128GB model and Rs 59,999 for the 256GB variant.