Image credit – iFixit
There are many factors that can affect the longevity of a handset. For example, the use of sturdy materials plays a role. There is also the use of more powerful hardware which could allow users to hold onto their phones for a few years, then there is also the issue of repairs, where the easier it is to repair, the longer you can keep it for.
For example, if a phone is hard to repair and if parts are hard to come by, this means that in the event that the phone is damaged, it could actually be cheaper to just buy a new one. Thankfully, the recently announced Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL could very well by the company’s easiest-to-repair smartphones to date.
This is according to a teardown conducted by the good folks at iFixit who gave the phone a 6 out of 10 in terms of repairability. To give you some context, previous Pixel handsets like the Pixel 3 only scored a 4 out of 10 for repairability. According to the company, they found that most of the components in the phone are modular and can be easily replaced once the display assembly is removed.
They have also found repair-friendly stretch-release adhesive, and that the screws used are standard T3 Torx fasteners, all of which helped to contribute to its ease of repair. They do note that the phone does have quite a few thin cables that connects the various components together which could accidentally tear during the repair process, but other than that, it seems like most repair shops shouldn’t have an issue trying to fix it.