Pixel 5 Teardown Is Reassuring But Leaves One Question Open

Google's latest Pixel phone has been unable to escape many of the curses of its predecessors. Despite having rather mid-range specs, particularly for the Snapdragon 765G processor, it still costs more than a mid-range phone. More importantly, the Pixel 5 seems to be still be beset by hardware issues just like its forebears, one that is slowly starting to spread among early owners. A new teardown video takes a deep look inside and while it actually inspires confidence, it still leaves the mystery unsolved.

There have been a few reports, thankfully still low in number, of the Pixel 5's display allegedly lifting at some corners or sides of the phone. This creates a small but noticeable gap between screen and body that naturally makes owners worried about water and dust resistance, not to mention the overall durability of the phone. The good news is that they might not have anything to worry about.

PBK Reviews tore down a Pixel 5 and, to their surprise, discovered that the screen was actually difficult to remove. That was primarily thanks to a rather large amount of adhesive but also to large clips that snap on to the body of the phone really well. Even if the screen lifted just a wee bit, there is almost no chance it would completely pry off or that water and dust would easily get in.

Unfortunately, that doesn't answer the question of why it happens in the first place. The YouTuber theorizes that either the adhesive used doesn't stick well to this particular combination of materials, causing it to loosen even under normal use, or that it wasn't pressed down hard enough during production. Google has yet to officially comment on reports of the issue.

Other than that, the Pixel 5 teardown was pretty much ordinary and there are a lot of modular parts that will make repair and replacement a tad easier. In fact, aside from the difficulty in getting the screen off in the first place, the Pixel 5 could very well make for a relatively easy-to-repair phone.