A popular YouTuber tore open the Google Pixel 9a and found a big red flag
A few weeks ago, I said the Google Pixel 9a is one of the budget phones to buy this year. Now, a popular tech YouTuber is recommending the opposite, and I see his point.
JerryRigEverything, a tech YouTube account with more than 9 million followers, posted a new video this week where the host stress tests the new mid-range Pixel phone and performs a teardown to look at its internal components. The host finds some minor things to dislike about the external materials as well as the water and dust resistance, but for home repair enthusiasts, there's one major, major problem: The battery is nearly impossible to remove.
SEE ALSO: Google's AI Mode reportedly replacing iconic 'I'm feeling lucky' button
It seems Google has glued the Pixel 9a's 5,100mAh battery (which performed very well for us in testing) such that home removal is extremely difficult, at best. According to JerryRigEverything, most other major smartphone manufacturers, including Apple and Samsung, have stopped doing this, but Google persists.
In general, the Big Tech companies have become much more repair-friendly in the past five or six years, and there are even manufacturers like Framework who make devices with the express purpose of being repair-friendly, so it feels a bit like Google is out of step with the rest of the industry here. Clearly, Google hasn't gotten the Right To Repair memo yet.
Overall, the Pixel 9a has gotten good-to-great reviews for a budget smartphone (including from me).
And let's be honest: This is hardly a dealbreaker for a typical mobile customer. The average person wouldn't even know how to disassemble their phone in the first place. But if you want to maintain the possibility of one day replacing your Pixel's battery, this development is worth knowing about.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
21 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Nothing's first pair of real headphones are coming soon — here's what we know so far
Nothing is back at it with a new hardware reveal in the Nothing Headphone (1), slated for official debut alongside its Phone (3) on July 1. Nothing CEO Carl Pei voiced his optimism about the forthcoming set of gadgets, citing the launch at the tail end of his speech at SXSW London on Thursday. It's likely to be the brand's first set of over-ear headphones, which have so far designed some of the best wireless earbuds. There's very little we know about the new Nothing Headphone (1), though Pei did confirm the naming. It fits with alternative Nothing-branded devices, such as the Nothing Ear (3) and Nothing (open). One thing you can expect is a ChatGPT integration as seen across Nothing's audio and smartphone lineup. We tried ChatGPT with the Nothing Ear to solid results, and it's cropped up on almost every release so far, so it would only make sense for it to debut on the Nothing Headphone (1), as well. You can also expect a competitive price. Nothing might be known for premium products, but it usually stamps them with a significant value proposition. Most Headphone (1) pricing rumors suggest around $400, which undercuts the new Sony WH1000-XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones by about $50. Another particular highlight for Nothing's brand is its design ethos. It loves its transparent technology and LED glyph lighting, made popular on its Nothing Ear (1) and Nothing Phone (1). Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Mockups abound on what the Nothing Headphone (1) could inevitably look like. While mostly relegated to its smartphone side, it would be interesting to see Nothing's glyph design pop up on the Headphone (1), especially in reference to certain modes or features like ANC, incoming calls, or ChatGPT. The glyph integration could not only put Sony and Apple in their place, but mark it as one of the best headphones in terms of chic alone. Nothing recently announced an ongoing audio partnership with KEF, a high-end speaker and headphone maker, but reports suggest this most likely pertains to the Phone (3)'s internal speakers. We'll have to wait and see. More information about Nothing's first-ever pair of headphones is set to be unveiled on July 1 alongside the Phone (3) itself.
Engadget
21 minutes ago
- Engadget
The Sonos Era 300 is on sale for 20 percent off right now
Sonos is selling a bunch of its speakers at a discount on its own site and Amazon. This includes the well-regarded Era 300 smart speaker, which is down to just $359. That's 20 percent off and notable because this particular speaker rarely goes on sale. It's a Sonos miracle! The deal applies to both the black and white colorways. The Era 300 is a highly capable device that we praised in our official review, saying that it "sounds excellent." We went on to say that it offers a premium experience that far surpasses other products in the company's lineup, like the Era 100. This is also true when compared to rival speakers like Apple's HomePod. It's simple to set up and offers the company's proprietary Trueplay tuning system. This feature optimizes the sound of the speaker to the unique acoustics of a room by leveraging an internal microphone. It measures how sound reflects off surfaces and adjusts the EQ to match. It's pretty nifty. As for connectivity, it can pair with another Era 300 speaker for a true stereo experience. It also includes a Bluetooth receiver and line-in options. Of course, the speaker integrates with just about every streaming music service. The built-in mic also allows for voice assistant control, but only with Siri and Alexa. Google Assistant is left out of the party. This speaker goes all-in on spatial audio, and the results are mixed. Sometimes it's sublime and sometimes it's kind of eh. This is more of a dig on the technology itself. It has serious potential but is still experiencing growing pains. The only real downside of this speaker is the exorbitant asking price, which has been slightly alleviated by this sale. As previously mentioned, other Sonos products are available at a discount. This includes the Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar, which is 26 percent off at $369. These deals are available via Sonos itself. There's also an ongoing sale on portable speakers that includes the Move 2 and the Roam 2. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice .
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Samsung Confirms AI Upgrade Choice—This Changes Your Phone
This decision defines the future of your phone. A timely warning from Samsung this week, which neatly sets out the biggest upgrade decision now facing Android users. As whispers start to spread suggesting a disconnect between Samsung and Google at the heart of Android, this is critical. We're talking AI and the new features and offerings now hitting phones and PCs at breakneck speed. This is where Galaxy has an advantage, Samsung says, 'in privacy-first, AI-powered experiences' which can 'protect you in the era of AI.' The question the Galaxy-maker asks in its latest post is the right one: 'This level of personalization' brought by AI 'can be incredibly helpful, but the more your phone knows, the more there is to protect. So, what's keeping all that personal data secure?' Samsung's answer is Knox. 'Every Galaxy device is protected from the chip up by a multi-layered approach, which includes on-device personalization, user-controlled cloud processing, and ecosystem-wide protection through Samsung Knox Matrix.' This is Samsung's secure ecosystem that is the closest replica to Apple's securely walled garden currently available on Android. 'At the core of this system is Samsung Knox Vault, Samsung's hardware-based solution for your most sensitive information.' Knox is not new and neither is the concept of hardware-enabled Galaxy data security. What is new is segmenting sensitive the latest AI-related data from the rest, and securing that alongside the more traditional PINs, passwords and credit card numbers. 'Location service metadata from your most personal photos,' Samsung says, 'could easily give away the exact location where the image was taken.' And there's not much data more sensitive than who did what, where and when. 'In the era of AI, personal information like your home address, face clustering ID, person ID, pet type, scene type and more need to be encrypted and stored in a safe location. These things aren't just files — they are deeply connected to your daily life.' It's unclear exactly what is being or will be segmented and how this plays into the various opt-ins that Samsung has added to distinguish between on-device and cloud AI, between what is only within your secure enclave and what is outside. But it's difficult not to read this push as a play against the latest announcements from Google and the cloud-based AI that will now run riot across sensitive data, including emails and even cloud data storage. Yes, there are always opt-outs, but it's all or nothing for users who want AI but are not yet worrying about privacy. 'As Galaxy AI becomes more useful,' Samsung says, 'it also becomes more personal — learning how you use your device and adapting to your needs… Knox Vault is more than a security feature, it's Galaxy's promise that no matter how advanced your devices become, or how much AI evolves, your privacy is secured.'
