Pixel 6a Teardown Reveals A Big Feature That Didn’t Make The Cut

The most curious detail that the teardown reveals is a large cutout in the middle of the Pixel 6a’s frame. This cutout is just the right size for a wireless charging coil, but that doesn’t exist inside the phone. It’s quite possible that Google decided at the last minute to remove wireless charging support but was too late to change the design. It’s definitely a shame, considering how the Pixel 6a has pretty much all the necessary parts to support that feature except for the missing coil.

The teardown gives the Pixel 6a a rating of 7 out of 10 in terms of repairability. It’s easy enough to open up the phone without breaking anything in the process thanks to reinforcement clips that hold the screen down and a plastic back that won’t crack with pressure. Even the battery was easy to remove using the pull tab, a marked improvement over the heavily glued battery of the Pixel 6 Pro. Most of the parts are modular and standard, which means they could be replaced easily, but there are also a few gotchas that prevented it from getting a higher score.

The USB-C port, for example, is soldered onto the motherboard, which means it won’t be easy to repair or replace. Considering it’s one of the parts that gets worn out sooner than others, that’s a real downer. The in-display fingerprint scanner is also glued tight to the screen, but fortunately, it’s not one that gets damaged easily. Overall, it’s a significant step up in terms of repairability, but it might be a trait limited to Google’s less expensive handsets.