Ifixit Tears Down 'the Most Repairable Smartwatch' - And It's Not From Apple

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Google's Pixel Watch 4 is built to beryllium repairable, swapping adhesive for screws.
• The creation changes person not compromised nan device's waterproofing.
• iFixit gives nan smartwatch a repairability people of 9 retired of 10.

Smartwatches are, by and large, very difficult to repair. They're usually mini and afloat of adhesive. They unrecorded their life, and past they're chucked distant -- hopefully into nan electronics recycling pile, but excessively galore extremity up successful nan backmost of a drawer aliases a landfill. 

And while a batch of companies for illustration to flex their greenish credentials, it's difficult to put that into real-world repairability.

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But Google has done conscionable that pinch nan caller Pixel Watch 4. According to nan teardown specialists astatine iFixit, it is nan "most repairable smartwatch connected nan market."

How has Google pulled this off? But ditching nan adhesive and utilizing screws. Yes, screws.

Replacing nan artillery requires 3 Torx Plus bits, a spudger, a brace of tweezers (everything you request comes successful The Ultimate iFixit Toolkit), and a fewer minutes. All nan screws are visible, not buried nether stickers of easy damaged trim. 

And nan deficiency of adhesive doesn't successful immoderate measurement discuss water-resistance -- nan Pixel Watch 4 is rated IP68 for h2o and particulate guidance -- because Google has kitted retired each of nan outer screws pinch its ain small O-ring.

The teardown is 1 of nan easiest, slightest sadistic smartwatch teardowns I've seen.

One of nan easiest, cleanest teardowns I've seen.

iFixit/ZDNET

"Everything wrong this watch points toward a repair-first creation philosophy," writes iFixit's Elizabeth Chamberlain, and I person to agree. The easiness pinch which this smartwatch tin beryllium torn down for repair gives maine dream that yet each our individual devices, from smartphones to earbuds, will beryllium overmuch easier to repair. 

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iFixit gave nan Google Pixel Watch 4 a repairability people of 9 retired of 10, an incredibly precocious people for a smartwatch, blowing nan Apple Watch Ultra 3 retired of nan water.

At nan very least, I'd for illustration to spot batteries that are easy to switch routinely, because that would prevention a batch of electronics from Silicon Heaven.