Pixel 5 rises from the dead after resisting tortuous teardown video trials

This story was originally published 12/02/2020
11:52 a.m. PSTon Dec 2, 2020 and last update 2020/12/04
9:16 a.m. PSTon Dec 4, 2020.

Google may have gone mad with bio-resin on the Pixel 5, but does that make it less robust? JerryRigEverything’s latest teardown videos place Google’s latest flagship against formidable foes like a cup of acetone and a powerful heat gun – and although the phone dies at the end of the first video, it makes a surprising comeback in the second.

One of the main takeaways from the first video is how much plastic Google managed to wrap around the frame of the Pixel 5. When a “V” is cut into the body of the phone, Zack notes that “the whole curve of the phone is plastic, up to the screen. “Although Google admits that the phone is made with a concoction of bio-resin, it is a bit surprising how much more plastic there is than actual metal.

Although the phone dies early due to the impact of the battery while searching for the wireless charging coil, the end results reveal a phone rugged enough to withstand some storms. Scraping the plastic takes so long that Zach tries to dissolve it in a cup of acetone, then tries to melt it with a heat gun. After a bit of recovery time, however, the battery is able to restart the device and Zach continues to torture the phone with another teardown.

I’m not going to completely spoil the ending for you, but if you want to watch it for yourself, check out the embedded videos above. And if not, just know that the Pixel 5 might be mostly plastic, but that coating goes a long way in providing protection from bends and scuffs – and it seems to have a screen that’s very easy to replace just in case.