Warming up for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold teardown When it comes to repair, the Pixel 9
Pro Fold is not like other foldable smartphones. It’s not even like the
Pixel 9 Pro XL we just tore down. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the most
exciting foldable device that we’ve seen on the iFixit teardown table.
Let's take a look at why that is. On day one, Google made repair manuals
and spare parts for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold available to consumers. That’s
a huge positive because a repairable smartphone without spare parts is like a pinata
without sweets. It’s just going to disappoint. A quick disclaimer before we start the teardown:
We work with Google to provide spare parts through Google Pixel spare parts our store but our teardowns are performed
independent of any input from Google.
If you’re thinking about upgrading your older
Pixel phone to one of these latest devices, hold off! We’ve got a ton of Screen and
Battery Fix kits for Pixel phones that have all the parts and tools you’ll need to
get your old phone running like new again, and step-by-step guides that walk you
through the entire process of repairing your device. Check out the links
in the description for more info! CT scans of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is no empty pinata.
Thanks to our friends at Lumafield, we’re able to see the intricate details of this
foldable before diving into the teardown proper. You can get your hands on an interactive version
of this scan and check out anything from the cameras to the hinge mechanism, just head on over
to our blog post on iFixit.com.On to the teardown! Tearing down the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ft. repair guides! Since we have a repair guide for this device, we
might as well follow it! To get things started, I’m going to remove the back cover
without using any heat. To my surprise, it works! It took a bit more prying than I’d
like but you can’t argue with the results! It takes only a few moments to cut
through the adhesive and lifting the back cover reveals a single
press connector secured by a Torx screw. Swiftly dispatching that connector
lets me remove the rear cover entirely. No heat screen removal is the future Here’s another repairability win, the
outside screen can also be removed without heat! In fact, this screen comes
away far more easily than the rear cover. Another Torx screw holds a press connector
in place and Popping that connector lets me remove the exterior panel and reveal the
interior of both sides of this foldable phone. Starting on the right-hand side, I
have two screws to remove and that lets me remove one of the interconnect
cables running across the battery. Another two screws towards the bottom
of the phone frees up two more press connectors and that now lets me clear
the battery of both interconnect cables. It looks like this daughterboard
housing the sim reader is now free so I’m going to eject the sim
tray and remove the board entirely. Let’s remove the mainboard Moving to the opposite side, I’m undoing
all the screws and brackets I can find, stopping for a moment to
disconnect the battery connector, and from there moving on to disconnect the
remaining brackets, antennas, and cables. There are a few to be sure but eventually, I’m able to remove the mainboard, camera
assembly, and 5G antenna all in one go. With the mainboard out the way I
can remove the lower speaker and the modular and replaceable USB-C
port. USB-C ports suffer a lot of mechanical wear so being able to remove
this part is a big repairability win. Google sucks at battery pull tabs But for all these positives, the Pixel 9 Pro
Fold still uses the same sucky battery pull tabs I found in the Pixel 9 Pro XL. This time
I followed the manual and applied 70°C heat for 5 minutes. It did diddly squat and I ended up
using a suction cup and alcohol to get it out. The same goes for the big battery. Come on Google, you’ve come so far. Why use these lackluster
pull tabs? Again, a few drops of isopropyl alcohol loosens the adhesive enough to
suction the last battery out of the case. The smaller battery is rated for
4.68 Wh and the larger battery is A closer look at those batteries rated for 13.4 Wh, giving the device
a combined 18.08 Wh to draw from. Removing the inner foldable screen (in pieces) I’ve removed all the critical components in this
device and all that’s left is the foldable oled. Any inner screen repair would involve buying
the housing and inner screen as a single module and replacing all these components inside
the new housing. But that’s not going to stop us. For the sake of the teardown, we’re going to
continue and remove that inner screen. Just like all other foldables, the process
is pretty destructive when performed by a layman. I’ve done this a half dozen
times now and each time the screen gets ruined in the process. This is simply not a
serviceable component for us mere mortals. But since Google is committed to offering the replacement part at launch,
it softens the blow a bit. It’s a more repairable foldable than most So what makes the Pixel 9 Pro Fold the
most exciting foldable we’ve seen? Well, it all comes down to Google providing
repair guides and replacement parts at launch. While it’s something more and
more companies are looking at doing, it’s still pretty rare to find this level of
commitment to repair from a major manufacturer. Combine parts and guides with a
device that’s easy to open and has modular parts and you’ve got a phone
with very little to complain about.