Google Pixel 9a

Pixel 9a teardown highlights a battery that’s tougher than ever to replace [Video]

Ben Schoon | May 13 2025 - 1:20 pm PT

Google’s Pixel 9a has been widely been praised as a solid “affordable” phone, but a new teardown criticizes it for a key component – a battery that’s nearly impossible to safely replace.

In a JerryRigEverything teardown, the Pixel 9a overall does quite well. The screen, despite being older Gorilla Glass 3, holds up to scratches as good as anything else. The plastic back scratches as expected, and the metal frame is indeed metal. The only thing remotely out of the ordinary is that the mesh covering the speaker grill can be dislodged relatively easily.

So why is the video titled “DO NOT BUY THE GOOGLE PIXEL 9A” then?

While it’s more than a bit exaggerated, the problem boils down to the battery. Google has been using glue to hold down the battery inside of the device. It’s not an uncommon practice, but many brands, including Samsung and Apple, have moved away from this. The problem with glue, especially the excessive amounts that Google seems to be using, is that it makes it very hard to remove the battery to replace it. There’s a safety risk to the person replacing it, as well as potential damage to the device.

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As mentioned, this is a trend across Google’s phones, but the Pixel 9a seems like an especially bad case. Using some alcohol, the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s battery was removed with minimal damage and effort. But the Pixel 9a’s battery is already seen being slightly deformed in this video, despite a lot of alcohol being used. Pixel 7a wasn’t easy to remove either, but it also appears to have been easier than Pixel 9a.

With Google promising 7 years of updates, a battery replacement will be needed at some point, and it certainly seems not only in the customer’s or planet’s interest, but in Google’s best interest to fix this problem.