Zack Nelson from JerryRigEverything, a popular tech reviewer, has torn down the Pixel 9 Pro XL to see how well it’s built. In an interestingly rhyme-y and witty video released last week, he shared how the phone is the strongest in the series.
He subjected it to a series of scratch and heat tests, and it performed impressively. But under the hood, the phone proved to be challenging to decouple.
Pixel 9 Pro XL put to the ultimate test
Zack subjects the Pixel 9 Pro XL to a series of tests. Among them is the scratch resistance phase where he runs a screwdriver all over the screen. Then, he shows us different screen hardness levels. The Pixel 9 Pro XL uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which scratches at level 6 and shows deeper grooves at level 7.
It’s quite durable but doesn’t reach the extreme hardness of sapphire or diamond, which fall on levels 9 and 10, respectively. You’ll want to grab a screen protector to be on the safe side. Then, we see Zack run a jackknife on the frame. Google has used anodized aluminum, which is better than brand-new aluminum but has a higher environmental cost.
Throw in seven years of software updates, and you have a phone that lasts longer than most. You don’t need to replace it as often or buy a new one sooner. Thanks to that, we have less electronic waste, and the world becomes a slightly cleaner place—or so we thought until he dissembled the device.
Pixel 9 Pro XL is not really environmentally friendly
Opening the Pixel 9 Pro XL was no hard feat, given the new dual-entry design. You, or technicians, now have access to the internal components from both the front and back of the phone. However, you want to be careful with the screws as they aren’t all the same size, and you can mix them up during reassembly.
Removing the battery in the Pixel 9 Pro XL is where you’ll start to break a sweat. According to Zack, it’s worse than Apple devices and glued tightly, so even the provided pull tab can’t be removed on its own. He had to use isopropyl alcohol to dissolve the adhesive.Â
Google seems to be going back when it comes to repairability and that’s just too bad. They get on stage and talk a big game about the environment. But in reality, they just made another 10 million devices that can be fixed or recycled easily and I hope that people vote with their wallets.Â
Zack Nelson, JerryRigEverything
After successfully detaching it, he notices that the charging port is connected to the screen from underneath, and there’s a special ring around it to help with water resistance (IP68 rating). The microphone sits at the top, with its membrane on the side, and is well-protected. It’s unlikely to damage the membrane even if you poke something into the microphone hole.Â
Google also placed a water damage indicator sticker close by. When the sticker gets wet, it turns red, showing moisture has entered the phone. Water damage isn’t covered under warranty unless caused by puncturing the membrane from the inside. So if you accidentally drop your phone in water and the water seeps in through the charging port or speaker holes, you’re on your own.Â
That aside, the phone’s 50MP main and 48MP telephoto cameras have optical image stabilization (OIS), which helps with blurriness from shaking. However, the 48MP wide-angle camera doesn’t have OIS, so it’s less stable.Â
Buy the Pixel 9 Pro XL or save your planet?
One good thing about the teardown is a feature where the proximity sensor on the motherboard can pick up light shining through the screen pixels. So you can see the light from a flashlight shining through the phone. Another interesting thing is that the cameras aren’t permanently fixed. Instead, they are modular and click together like LEGO pieces.
Other than those points, you might want to think twice before buying this device if you care about repairability and environmental impact. Despite Google’s environmental claims, they don’t live up to their promises.
