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Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 Teardown Revealed A “Zero” Repairability Score

It is not uncommon to find modern gadget with a low repairability index. These often include tightly sealed smartphones and, in particular, we talk about Apple products. However, a few have earned the distinction of a repairability score of zero. One of them is the Surface Laptop, the first of Microsoft’s modern, high-end computers. Unfortunately, it seems that the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 teardown made by iFixIt revealed that the Surface Laptop 2 has a repairability index of 0 out of 10.

At the first generation of the product, the iFixIt team did not know what to expect, beyond X-ray scanners, or how to properly disassemble the product. Unfortunately, this did not go well for the renowned keyboard of Surface Pro, which was destroyed during the process and became unrecoverable. With Surface Pro 2, the team already had the previous experience and knew how to deal with the gadget’s teardown.

They now knew what to do at each step of the process. That is because the Surface Laptop 2 is precisely the same as the first generation Surface Laptop. Even the Surface Pro 6 is not offering many new changes under the hood. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 teardown revealed that the device is pretty much like the previous model of the series.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 teardown by iFixIt revealed a 0 out 10 repairability score

According to iFixIt, Surface Laptop 2 can survive teardown, most of the time without any damage. So, why did it get a repairability index of 0 out of 10?

That’s because, like the first Surface Laptop computer, it was very challenging to open the device without exposing its components to high risks of damaging, during the process. Moreover, none of the parts are modular and easily replaceable. Even the SSD is firmly soldered to the mainboard.

As devices become more and more compact and of a better quality, they also become less user-friendly for third-party repairs, such as at home, or even at a reseller. While laptops have always been an exception, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2, like its predecessor, is not one of those easily repairable devices.

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Google Pixel 3 XL Teardown Revealed Samsung Display And The New Google Titan M Security Chip

Experts at iFixIt ripped open the new Google Pixel 3 XL and discovered many new additions in comparison with the previous model, the Pixel 2 XL. Accordingly, the new Google flagship smartphone boasts the Google Titan M Security chip and the all-new Samsung AMOLED panel which displays brighter and more saturated colors than the last year’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

Besides, according to iFixIt, the new Google Pixel 3 XL construction presents massive amounts of glue, particularly for the rear glass panel, which makes it difficult to repair. In fact, the iFixIt experts even broke some of the smartphone’s components in the process, including the earphone and a ribbon cable underneath the battery. Because of all that, iFixIt gave Pixel 3 XL a repairability score of 4 out of 10.

While Google Pixel 3 XL boasts many new additions under the hood, some of the components are the same used on Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, as well as on other smartphone models of other manufacturers.

Google Pixel 3 XL Teardown Revealed Samsung Display And The New Google Titan M Security Chip

As we’ve already pointed out, Google Pixel 3 XL teardown put up by iFixIt reveals that the new smartphone model boasts a Samsung AMOLED display and the new Google Titan M Security chip.

Besides these additions, Pixel 3 XL presents the same Google SR3HX “Pixel Visual Core” chip as the last year’s model. Also, regarding the phone’s camera, it seems that indeed Google mounted the standard Sony camera sensor, IMX363, in this case, which is usually used by other manufacturers on their devices.

Accordingly, all the new camera functionalities and improvements are only software-based and not hardware, as we would’ve expected. Definitely, Google Pixel 3 XL takes excellent pictures, but only thanks to the Google camera AI implemented on the new flagship smartphone. You can check out the full Google Pixel 3 XL teardown by iFixIt, below.

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