Pixel Fold teardown video shows the foldable inside out

The first teardown video of the Google Pixel Fold is here. YouTube channel PBKreviews recently put the new foldable under the knife to show it inside out. The video gives us a look from the other side at everything apart from the flexible display.

The YouTuber begins by removing the SIM tray and applying heat to the glass back plate to lift it off. The heat softens the glue and makes it easy to cut through it using a plastic pry tool. The back panel has some cables attached to it, so it should be removed carefully. The best way to do it is to lift the plate off partially and detach the cables before fully peeling off the Pixel Fold’s rear side. The camera bar comes off with it.

The cover display can be removed similarly while being careful about cables underneath it. We now get to see most of the Pixel Fold’s internal components, including the big battery under the cover display. It has a typical capacity of 3,332mAh and comes with pull tabs. But before pulling it out, the YouTuber removes the vibrating motor, top speaker, selfie camera, and other components one after the other.

We finally get to the battery. While Google has included pull tabs, the YouTuber uses isopropyl alcohol to dissolve the glue and pry off the power unit. The Pixel Fold has a secondary battery on the other side. Its typical capacity is 1,489mAh, giving us a total battery capacity of 4,821mAh. This unit also comes with pull tabs, and they do their magic. The battery comes off relatively easily without needing isopropyl alcohol.

We then move to other components like the bottom speaker, 5G antennas, and the rear camera system. The three cameras come off as part of the main board, which also has the USB Type-C charging port soldered to it. This makes repairing the port difficult, but Google doesn’t care—no wonder the Pixel Fold achieved a repairability score of just 6.5 out of 10. The screens and batteries are easy to replace, but some other parts aren’t.

The Pixel Fold failed a durability test

Before this teardown video surfaced, the Pixel Fold went through a durability test on the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything. Sadly, it didn’t pass the test. The device gave up during the bend test. The hinge survived, but the rest of the phone couldn’t keep up. It broke along multiple antenna lines.