Teardowns

Pixel 3 XL Teardown: A Google Phone With a Samsung Screen

Dismembering the Google Pixel 3 XL gave us quite a fright. The display-first design we saw in the Pixel 2 has unexpectedly disappeared! But what really shocked us was discovering the all-new Samsung AMOLED panel. (Jury’s out on whether Google severed their display relationship with LG, or if they’re just double-sourcing their screens.) Along with this new display, it seems like the Pixel has been hanging out with the troublemaking Galaxy line, leaving it with familiar-looking antenna assemblies, a stubborn battery, and a tough-to-replace display.

Google Pixel 3 XL teardown

Not only will swapping a cracked screen require a complete phone disassembly, but you’ve gotta think about the back now, too. The Pixel 2 XL’s rear glass covered 20% of the phone—the Pixel 3 XL’s rear panel is 100% crackable. All told, the Pixel earned a haunting 4/10 on our repairability scale—a full two points less than the Pixel 2. Spooky!

A few more Gluegle Pixel 3 XL Teardown highlights:

  • With an IP68 rating, this phone is taking no chances. It’s packed to the gills with glue—presumably to protect it—but just sayin’, we’ve opened other IP68-rated devices with way less struggle.
  • The Pixel 3 XL packs a 3,430 mAh battery for a total of 13.2 Wh. That’s actually down from the Pixel 2 XL’s 13.6 Wh, but it still bests the battery in the iPhone XS Max and approaches that of the Galaxy S9+.
  • The speaker housing now covers the daughterboard. The speaker chamber is sealed with waterproof adhesive—and that seal has to be broken to access any of the commonly serviced ports at the bottom of the phone.

If your pupils want even more Pixel-pleasure, you can view the full teardown here. You can also check out our video version of the teardown down below.