Snapped Pixel Fold gets teardown autopsy [Video]

The Pixel Fold did not survive a durability test, and a subsequent teardown autopsy explains why that was the case, while we get a good look at the foldable screen.

JerryRigEverything’s durability test involved folding the device backward, where the hinge was essentially pushed up to form a point. It was the polished aluminum frame that snapped at various antenna lines, with the cover screen then becoming loose. This teardown autopsy, of sorts, assigns the blame to Google for not using a material more rigid than aluminum in its quest to make the Pixel Fold the lightest and thinnest foldable out there. 

Meanwhile, we get another teardown following the one yesterday. At 1:30, we get a good look at how the (six) pull tabs under the battery works. One particularly interesting observation was that with the larger battery removed, the phone appeared to still boot up with just the smaller power cell in place (though there was no screen attached at this point to see what was happening).

The earpiece component is positioned to the right and shoots “sound waves up into the top which then travels over to the center and [the sound waves] exit out the earpiece slit above the screen glass.” We also see the copper vapor chamber ripped out and the waterproofing mechanism between the two halves. 

This teardown removes the foldable display, starting by peeling off the black bezel surrounding the component. We see the ultrathin glass (UTG) crack when pinched. 

Today’s video ends on a thorough disassembly of the hinge, including an explanation of what goes into the “custom dual-axis, quad-cam synchronized mechanism.”

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