Released at the beginning of October, the Pixel 8 And Pixel 8 Pro have given pride of place to sustainability with their promises of seven years of updates. Good news, reparability issue too, mobiles are safe.
We already knew that the Pixel 8 was easier to repair than its predecessor and, fortunately, the Pixel 8 Pro is too. Passed into the expert hands ofiFixit, the specialist in the disassembly and repairability of electronic gadgets, Google’s latest ultra high-end smartphone was examined without much resistance. Some interesting little secrets came out, particularly regarding the availability and compatibility of spare parts.
The Pixel 8 battery is resisting
Like many current smartphones, the insides of the Pixel 8 Pro are protected by a nice amount of glue behind the screen. To hope to change any component, you will need to soften the adhesive and carefully lift the screen. Once the display cable is disconnected and the screen is separated from the phone, we can finally see the construction of the Pixel 8 Pro in all its splendor.
A good part of the space is obviously taken up by the 5,050 mAh battery. Google seems to have wanted to do things well by providing two plastic tabs to help disassemble the battery, but these do not allow the component to be removed correctly, according to iFixit. Unless you have particularly delicate fingers, you will probably need a little isopropyl alcohol to remove the battery from the chassis. We would have appreciated Google paying more attention to this point, given that the battery is the second most frequent failure factor on smartphones.
Beyond this detail, disassembly of the Pixel 8 Pro is done without too many problems, no oddly formatted screws, no excess glue or excessive welding. We only regret that the charging port is attached to the motherboard, which will make its replacement expensive and complex.
No serialization, unlike Apple
As pointed out iFixit However, Google had the good taste not to “serialize” its spare parts, as on the iPhone, which also led to a new investigation into the repairability of Apple products. This means that you can change the components yourself without worrying error messages appearing on the first reboot. This should also allow budding DIY enthusiasts to replace some of the parts with unofficial or second-hand components. Enough to boost home repair and the circular economy.
Obviously, the Pixel 8 Pro isn’t as easily repairable as a Fairphone 5, but it’s nice to see that Google has nevertheless made an effort and that the promises of software durability, with the promised 7 years of updates by Google, are accompanied by real thought about the hardware design of its phone. The Pixel 9 is now expected to use less glue and allow for easier battery changes.
€1099
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- The screen: a panel with undeniable control
- The photos, impeccable in all cases
- Responsiveness, excellent even when multitasking
The Pixel 8 Pro is the best smartphone Google has ever made. By combining the Tensor G3 processor, and its advanced artificial intelligence features, with 12 GB of RAM, the American firm delivers a device designed for productivity and multitasking, on a generous 6.7-inch screen, with definition and with impeccable fluidity. Only mobile games will fault this smartphone, the most demanding titles struggling to exceed 30 frames per second.
The only real criticism we can make of this Pixel 8 Pro is that we struggle to find any real added value compared to the “classic” Pixel 8. The telephoto lens? The Pixel 8 does well without it thanks to very efficient software processing. The presence of a thermometer? The function is far too gimmicky to justify the price difference. Brighter screen? With the naked eye, you can barely see the difference between the two tiles.
If you absolutely want a larger diagonal, the Pixel 8 Pro is the obvious choice. If a smaller display is more than fine for you, the Pixel 8 will give you an equally satisfying experience, at a lower price than its big brother.
The Pixel 8 Pro is the best smartphone Google has ever made. By combining the Tensor G3 processor, and its advanced artificial intelligence features, with 12 GB of RAM, the American firm delivers a device designed for productivity and multitasking, on a generous 6.7-inch screen, with definition and with impeccable fluidity. Only mobile games will fault this smartphone, the most demanding titles struggling to exceed 30 frames per second.
The only real criticism we can make of this Pixel 8 Pro is that we struggle to find any real added value compared to the “classic” Pixel 8. The telephoto lens? The Pixel 8 does well without it thanks to very efficient software processing. The presence of a thermometer? The function is far too gimmicky to justify the price difference. Brighter screen? With the naked eye, you can barely see the difference between the two tiles.
If you absolutely want a larger diagonal, the Pixel 8 Pro is the obvious choice. If a smaller display is more than fine for you, the Pixel 8 will give you an equally satisfying experience, at a lower price than its big brother.
Source : iFixit on YouTube
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Smartphone
release date: 12-10-2023
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