6 ms·

iFixit Pixel 3a XL teardown [video]

77 points by mmastrac 8y ago

vesinisa 8y ago
Here is the relevant article for those who prefer HTML over video: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123256 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123...
- dreamer_soul 8y ago
  Thank you!
- olliej 8y ago
  awesome! Now can we replace the video link with the actual article?
  - burgerboy 8y ago
    Because you prefer it?
- cannam 8y ago
  That's for the 3a, not the XL. The page for the XL only seems to have the video so far (https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+XL+Teardown/123297 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+XL+Teardown/...)
snops 8y ago
It's surprising they have both the "Titan M" security chip and a ST33J2M0 security microcontroller. You would think just one would do for key storage. Skimming the hardware backed keystore overview, it only mentions one secure coprocessor: https://source.android.com/security/keystore https://source.android.com/security/keystore
- Abishek_Muthian 8y ago
  I was expecting see those chips mentioned in the video, but they didn't. Full tear down has them[1]. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123256#s238163 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123...
pleemin 8y ago
I bought the 3a on friday. Basically got the phone for free when I traded in my s8. Love it so far.
cannam 8y ago
The 3a and 3a XL seem like sensible designs, the only disappointment here being how deeply the battery is buried. This feels like a very dumb question, but are the current Google phones any less usable than other Androids for people who are keen to avoid going all in on Google services? I have an Android phone and use the Play store with it, but I don't use Gmail, I don't store my contacts in my Google account, I have Assistant disabled, and I generally use an OSM maps app rather than Google Maps. I appreciate that this makes no meaningful difference to my online footprint, but it pleases me. Is there anything about the Pixel hardware or Android builds that would not sit well with this?
- jimcsharp 8y ago
  The Pixels have a phone squeeze gesture (Active Edge) that can only be used to activate assistant. It can be turned off but it's otherwise pretty useless. Of course if you root you can make it do other things. If you order it from Google, it's stock Android, so it's the most un-locked-down OEM OS you can get. This may not be the case if you buy it from a carrier.
- elagost 8y ago
  The pixel phones (and the nexus phones before them) tend to be a little easier on those who unlock bootloaders and load custom ROMs. I use LineageOS on my Pixel, with OsmAnd maps and no Google services. https://lineage.microg.org/ https://lineage.microg.org/ It works quite well! Having not used 'normal' Android (anything that's not Lineage/Cyanogen) for years, I attempted to start out using this phone with the stock Google Android build. I disabled all the bundled crapware (Play Music, Play Movies, Play Games, YouTube) and they all kept re-enabling themselves. If you're looking for a device that will help you avoid Google at least a little bit, look at this page first. https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/ https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/
  - folkrav 8y ago
    How's the camera on Pixels w/ AOSP roms? I haven't installed a custom ROM in years now, and my last experiences were on Samsung where custom ROM means destroying your camera's picture quality.
fulafel 8y ago
Does this still have the much hyped Intel image coprocessor chip[1]? I wonder if it ever saw any significant use. https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/google/143562-what-is-pixel-visual-core-inside-the-new-co-processor-from-google https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/google/143562-what-i...
- koverda 8y ago
  No, I believe that it doesn't. Here's a link to the relevant section of the article: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123256#s238152 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123...
ksec 8y ago
The current iPhone 8 is at $599 / $699, assuming Apple drop its price by $100 this year to $499 / $599, replacing the iPhone 7 $449 / $569 ( While lifting the entry level price yet again by $50 ). How well would this compete with Pixel 3a? I believe A11 Single Core will still be faster than the flagship current Qualcomm SoC. But its Camera and Design are quite dated. >The Pixel 3a packs a slower processor and plastic construction, among other changes, to bring the price down a ton. I don't believe Metal casing makes much difference in BOM Cost. The processor is at best, $50 Dollar different? POCOPHONE F1 can be had for under $400 ( £ 329 in UK inc VAT ) with a more powerful SoC. So I assume Google is still making some decent margin at this price. It is no wonder people are questioning Apple's pricing. The price Gap has never been this wide. I hope Google does well with its 3A.
- vanilla_nut 8y ago
  Very good point. It really makes you wonder: if Google can make a profit on such an overall-good phone at $400 (I have to assume that they aren't just taking a huge loss on every phone, though I suppose that could be a strategy to garner marketshare), and Apple has even shown that they historically can make a profit at $350 with the iPhone SE... what on earth is in the X/XS to justify the $1k price? Stainless steel? Maybe, but even the 4/4S had that. OLED? On the 3a, at a similar (though admittedly slightly lower) quality level. NVMe storage? On most phones these days. Haptic engine? A similar quality one is in the 3a. The XS might be excused for being a luxury model. But the 3a really makes you wonder about the XR, which is smaller, made of aluminum, uses an ancient LCD screen (same quality as iphones since the 5 with incremental improvements -- that must be a bargain compared to the XS's OLED), and even has a worse camera than the 3a. In fact the 3a even has a larger, nicer screen. Where on earth are those margins going?
  - sjwright 8y ago
    Undoubtedly Apple is making a greater profit on the iPhone. Though I can’t help but wonder how much cheaper Apple’s phones would be if they monetized their customer base as aggressively as Google. It’s got to be worth something, as Google didn’t grow into a hundred billion dollar company from phone sales. Their fortune is almost entirely built from targeted advertising.
th0ma5 8y ago
Besides a nicer camera and just being newer, would I benefit coming from a 2 XL?
- legohead 8y ago
  Audio jack!
- sjwright 8y ago
  Not if you occasionally like to drop your phone into water by accident. Unlike the flagships, the 3A and 3A XL are not IP-rated.
totaldude87 8y ago
I just traded in my 5 year old iPhone 6 for $250 , effectively bringing pixel 3a to ~$175 which is pretty cheap for a new phone for Google. If Google can break even with cost and this becomes a blockbuster, then this is good for the entire industry
- INTPenis 8y ago
  I wouldn't even pay 25 dollars for a 5 year old phone. Was the battery replaced on it? Is it even possible to replace it? Besides software support the battery is the major issue with phone longevity. I installed LineageOS on my Nexus 5X and gave it to my brother who was more than happy to have it. He'll likely enjoy it for 2 more years before the battery issues become too much to bare. I used the Nexus phones for 5-6 years, 5 and 5x, now I have the Pixel 1 which I purchased for the equivalent of 280 USD in Sweden. New, but no longer in production. Still works like a charm. And when it stops getting security updates I can hopefully reinstall it. There is no OS to revive old iphones. So I just can't understand how anyone would pay 250 USD for a 5 year old iphone.
  - mrguyorama 8y ago
    Because it's the cheapest way to get an iPhone
  - totaldude87 8y ago
    Exactly, i was like "why would someone want my iPhone 6 for $250?!" . May be they can still use some of the internal parts? or this is a far greater marketing push to convert stubborn iPhone 6 users like me to Android(before they move to latest iPhones?)
    - sct202 8y ago
      They probably want to convert iPhone users to Android and are willing to pay for it. Galaxy S7 was released a year and a half after iPhone 6 and only has a trade in value of $75. It looks like market prices are similar for both at around $100 used.
- deleted 8y ago

77 points by mmastrac 8y ago

Here is the relevant article for those who prefer HTML over video: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123256 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123...

dreamer_soul 8y ago
Thank you!
olliej 8y ago
awesome! Now can we replace the video link with the actual article?
- burgerboy 8y ago
  Because you prefer it?
cannam 8y ago
That's for the 3a, not the XL. The page for the XL only seems to have the video so far (https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+XL+Teardown/123297 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+XL+Teardown/...)

snops 8y ago

It's surprising they have both the "Titan M" security chip and a ST33J2M0 security microcontroller. You would think just one would do for key storage. Skimming the hardware backed keystore overview, it only mentions one secure coprocessor: https://source.android.com/security/keystore https://source.android.com/security/keystore

Abishek_Muthian 8y ago
I was expecting see those chips mentioned in the video, but they didn't. Full tear down has them[1]. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123256#s238163 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123...

pleemin 8y ago

I bought the 3a on friday. Basically got the phone for free when I traded in my s8. Love it so far.

cannam 8y ago

The 3a and 3a XL seem like sensible designs, the only disappointment here being how deeply the battery is buried. This feels like a very dumb question, but are the current Google phones any less usable than other Androids for people who are keen to avoid going all in on Google services? I have an Android phone and use the Play store with it, but I don't use Gmail, I don't store my contacts in my Google account, I have Assistant disabled, and I generally use an OSM maps app rather than Google Maps. I appreciate that this makes no meaningful difference to my online footprint, but it pleases me. Is there anything about the Pixel hardware or Android builds that would not sit well with this?

jimcsharp 8y ago
The Pixels have a phone squeeze gesture (Active Edge) that can only be used to activate assistant. It can be turned off but it's otherwise pretty useless. Of course if you root you can make it do other things. If you order it from Google, it's stock Android, so it's the most un-locked-down OEM OS you can get. This may not be the case if you buy it from a carrier.
elagost 8y ago
The pixel phones (and the nexus phones before them) tend to be a little easier on those who unlock bootloaders and load custom ROMs. I use LineageOS on my Pixel, with OsmAnd maps and no Google services. https://lineage.microg.org/ https://lineage.microg.org/ It works quite well! Having not used 'normal' Android (anything that's not Lineage/Cyanogen) for years, I attempted to start out using this phone with the stock Google Android build. I disabled all the bundled crapware (Play Music, Play Movies, Play Games, YouTube) and they all kept re-enabling themselves. If you're looking for a device that will help you avoid Google at least a little bit, look at this page first. https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/ https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/
- folkrav 8y ago
  How's the camera on Pixels w/ AOSP roms? I haven't installed a custom ROM in years now, and my last experiences were on Samsung where custom ROM means destroying your camera's picture quality.

fulafel 8y ago

Does this still have the much hyped Intel image coprocessor chip[1]? I wonder if it ever saw any significant use. https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/google/143562-what-is-pixel-visual-core-inside-the-new-co-processor-from-google https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/google/143562-what-i...

koverda 8y ago
No, I believe that it doesn't. Here's a link to the relevant section of the article: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123256#s238152 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Pixel+3a+Teardown/123...

ksec 8y ago

The current iPhone 8 is at $599 / $699, assuming Apple drop its price by $100 this year to $499 / $599, replacing the iPhone 7 $449 / $569 ( While lifting the entry level price yet again by $50 ). How well would this compete with Pixel 3a? I believe A11 Single Core will still be faster than the flagship current Qualcomm SoC. But its Camera and Design are quite dated. >The Pixel 3a packs a slower processor and plastic construction, among other changes, to bring the price down a ton. I don't believe Metal casing makes much difference in BOM Cost. The processor is at best, $50 Dollar different? POCOPHONE F1 can be had for under $400 ( £ 329 in UK inc VAT ) with a more powerful SoC. So I assume Google is still making some decent margin at this price. It is no wonder people are questioning Apple's pricing. The price Gap has never been this wide. I hope Google does well with its 3A.

vanilla_nut 8y ago
Very good point. It really makes you wonder: if Google can make a profit on such an overall-good phone at $400 (I have to assume that they aren't just taking a huge loss on every phone, though I suppose that could be a strategy to garner marketshare), and Apple has even shown that they historically can make a profit at $350 with the iPhone SE... what on earth is in the X/XS to justify the $1k price? Stainless steel? Maybe, but even the 4/4S had that. OLED? On the 3a, at a similar (though admittedly slightly lower) quality level. NVMe storage? On most phones these days. Haptic engine? A similar quality one is in the 3a. The XS might be excused for being a luxury model. But the 3a really makes you wonder about the XR, which is smaller, made of aluminum, uses an ancient LCD screen (same quality as iphones since the 5 with incremental improvements -- that must be a bargain compared to the XS's OLED), and even has a worse camera than the 3a. In fact the 3a even has a larger, nicer screen. Where on earth are those margins going?
- sjwright 8y ago
  Undoubtedly Apple is making a greater profit on the iPhone. Though I can’t help but wonder how much cheaper Apple’s phones would be if they monetized their customer base as aggressively as Google. It’s got to be worth something, as Google didn’t grow into a hundred billion dollar company from phone sales. Their fortune is almost entirely built from targeted advertising.

th0ma5 8y ago

Besides a nicer camera and just being newer, would I benefit coming from a 2 XL?

legohead 8y ago
Audio jack!
sjwright 8y ago
Not if you occasionally like to drop your phone into water by accident. Unlike the flagships, the 3A and 3A XL are not IP-rated.

totaldude87 8y ago

I just traded in my 5 year old iPhone 6 for $250 , effectively bringing pixel 3a to ~$175 which is pretty cheap for a new phone for Google. If Google can break even with cost and this becomes a blockbuster, then this is good for the entire industry

INTPenis 8y ago
I wouldn't even pay 25 dollars for a 5 year old phone. Was the battery replaced on it? Is it even possible to replace it? Besides software support the battery is the major issue with phone longevity. I installed LineageOS on my Nexus 5X and gave it to my brother who was more than happy to have it. He'll likely enjoy it for 2 more years before the battery issues become too much to bare. I used the Nexus phones for 5-6 years, 5 and 5x, now I have the Pixel 1 which I purchased for the equivalent of 280 USD in Sweden. New, but no longer in production. Still works like a charm. And when it stops getting security updates I can hopefully reinstall it. There is no OS to revive old iphones. So I just can't understand how anyone would pay 250 USD for a 5 year old iphone.
- mrguyorama 8y ago
  Because it's the cheapest way to get an iPhone
- totaldude87 8y ago
  Exactly, i was like "why would someone want my iPhone 6 for $250?!" . May be they can still use some of the internal parts? or this is a far greater marketing push to convert stubborn iPhone 6 users like me to Android(before they move to latest iPhones?)
  - sct202 8y ago
    They probably want to convert iPhone users to Android and are willing to pay for it. Galaxy S7 was released a year and a half after iPhone 6 and only has a trade in value of $75. It looks like market prices are similar for both at around $100 used.
deleted 8y ago