YouTuber raises concerns with Pixel 9a’s IP rating and repairability

YouTuber JerryRigEverything has torn down the Google Pixel 9a in his durability test and found some issues with Google’s latest smartphone. The teardown revealed that there might be some water resistance and battery repairability issues with Google’s latest phone.

In the teardown video, they discovered that the mesh covering the Pixel 9a’s speaker grill can be easily hampered and dislodged while cleaning. This raises concerns about the handset’s IP68 water and dust protection rating. The device may lose water and dust protection if the speaker grill is disturbed.

The next issue is that the teardown revealed that the phone’s battery is secured inside its casing with a lot of adhesive, making it hard to remove and replace. Adhesive isn’t unusual with phones, but this amount is excessive, according to JerryRigEverything. It could make the battery hard to replace and could cause safety risks and potential damage during the handset’s repair attempts. Samsung and Apple have made efforts to make their phones more repairable, but this approach by Google doesn’t work the same way.

JerryRigEverything ends up telling its viewers not to buy the Pixel 9a. Google promises seven years of software updates for the handset, but with these concerns, the phone may not make it seven years.

Source: JerryRigEverything