The Google Nexus 10 has been given the teardown treatment. Head over to PowerbookMedic and you'll see the 10-inch Android tablet laid bare in an extensive gallery, with detailed instructions and no blushes spared.
Interestingly, the tablet autopsy notes how easy the device is to take apart. "Whereas Apple seems to be making it more and more difficult to repair devices by combining parts and using as much glue as possible, Google seems to be taking the complete opposite approach," it says. "The end result is a device that is extremely repairable. Go Google!"
You've got to love the enthusiasm these sites bring to a teardown.
All it takes is the removal of five Philips screws, then working your way around the display using a flat tool and suction cup to get the back plate off. The battery connector is rubberised instead of plastic, making it flexible and harder to break when disconnecting, which should make it easier to replace the battery.
Everything else seems to come out just as easily, according to the write-up. But the Nexus 10 display and digitizer are fused together, so there's no chance of separating the two.
The site notes how many of the components are made by Samsung. "It
appears that the battery, processor, and flash memory are all made by
Samsung," it says. "Is this Google's way of capitalizing on the drift
between Apple and Samsung?" Could well be. Or it could be that Samsung built the thing, just as Asus made the Nexus 7 and LG the Nexus 4. The large Samsung logo on the back plate might have given you a clue.
The Nexus 10 went on sale just days ago, and promptly sold out. Head to Google Play and you'll see the 16GB and 32GB models are out of stock. There's no date given when it'll be back in either, with a note advising to "please check back soon".
Did you get a Nexus 10? What do you reckon? Is it the iPad killer Google makes out? Or is the smaller Nexus 7 a better fit for Android? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
Image credit: PowerbookMedic
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Comments 13
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anonymous 19 November, 2012 11:30
The question isn't how easy it is to repair and replace components, but can you actually get one fixed?
The experience with the Asus made Nexus 7 is that nobody will take responsibility for support and many people have found they are being fobbed off or told that it's the "other lot's" responsibility (Google versus Asutek).
Will Google take responsibility for the Nexus 10, or pass the buck to Samsung and vice versa?
If it's the same as the Nexus 7, then you buy this tablet at your own risk.
anonymous 19 November, 2012 12:15
iPad killer? I doubt it. The word iPad is almost synonymous with tablet these days. Regarding repair ability... Well, if you can get parts if they break down. Grand. Apple do have good reputation on customer service generally for mechanical faults. Only time can really tell if replacement parts are a reality or not.
anonymous 19 November, 2012 13:14
If your iPad develops a fault or breaks down, Apple support is second to none.
Try getting that with a Google Nexus device?
You'll find you're left with a useless object
anonymous 19 November, 2012 13:23
If your product breaks down, take it (or send it) back to where it was bought.
That's who your contract is with, not the manufacturer.
anonymous 19 November, 2012 17:37
@anonymous 13:23 just wondering the percentage of peeps with a tablet on contract?
anonymous 19 November, 2012 17:43
As the above poster has said your ''contract" is with the person you baught it from, is true if you buy it from the manufacturer, unsure where you get this about a contract. You are able to get a free replacement,refund Or repair under the manufacturer, under the supplier depending on country you have a selected few days of doa to return as you have had long enough to check if it's faulty or not up to par except for online retailers. The supplier would only come into this if both the supplier and the manufacturer have an express warranty which you can ask the supplier to meet these. Suppliers with the correct facilities or processes I place can and usually will take it off your hands and deal with the manufacturers repair for you but any refund, compensation or payed for repair will be done via the manufacturer directly. Other wise I'd be making all my items faulty taking it to the shop I got it from under say a year where most staff are able to do some diagnostics and say I want a refund without the manufacturer adhering to its promise to be free of defects and such. This info was mainly found by googling manufacturers repair and gives all needed info, there is no contract, you don't sign for it, you don't agree to t&c's a supplier is only there to give express warrentys where the manufacturer and the supplier have it together, example is an external hard drive, can buy one and if it's faulty within the manufacturers warrenty can be swapped (depending on drive and place purchased)
anonymous 20 November, 2012 08:33
If your product breaks down, take it (or send it) back to where it was bought.
That's who your contract is with, not the manufacturer.
The "contract" that I mentioned above is what you enter into when you purchase something from a seller and is law under the Sale of Goods Act (In the UK).
I was trying to explain the process in response to the original poster regarding people being "fobbed off".The correct course of action is to return to the seller who is responsible for the goods being fit for purpose, below is an article explaining this in detail.
A further point is that it's best to pay with a credit card, as you may be able to enforce your Sale of Goods Act rights against your credit card company as well as the retailer.
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/sale-of-goods/understanding-the-sale-of-goods-act/your-rights/
anonymous 20 November, 2012 10:47
@anonymous 20 November, 2012 08:33
That is all absolutely correct, however anyone trying to get support from Google, as the retailer, may find they are given the runaround. Software issues regards user loaded software aren't covered by the SOGA either.
anonymous 17 February, 2013 02:39
Got the nexus 10 as a Christmas gift 2012 lasted 1 month and stopped working, took me 1 1/2 hours of run around to Samsung tech support as first no one knew of a Nexus 10 tablet, then another 1/2 hour to have it sent in for repairs. Never got a call back to inform me of the problem and tablet was shipped back 8 days later with a receipt stating void warranty liquid corrosion. We knew the tablet had never gotten wet and the only thing that came to our mind was that it was in the car stuck in a snow storm with me for 2 hours with the heat running in the car, could that have caused any moisture build up. Well Samsung did not care and told us it can not be repaired, on complaining in length to them about the poor service and the fact Samsung obviously does not back their product and the fact we did not get it wet the person on line had no response, since we bought it at a Walmart store you have only 15 days to return any electronic items and 30 days to purchase their extended warranty which covers water damage. Unfortunately the extended warranty was never purchased in time and so we stuck with a $500 loss, there seems to be no one who can repair the google Nexus 10.
anonymous 17 February, 2013 02:40
Got the nexus 10 as a Christmas gift 2012 lasted 1 month and stopped working, took me 1 1/2 hours of run around to Samsung tech support as first no one knew of a Nexus 10 tablet, then another 1/2 hour to have it sent in for repairs. Never got a call back to inform me of the problem and tablet was shipped back 8 days later with a receipt stating void warranty liquid corrosion. We knew the tablet had never gotten wet and the only thing that came to our mind was that it was in the car stuck in a snow storm with me for 2 hours with the heat running in the car, could that have caused any moisture build up. Well Samsung did not care and told us it can not be repaired, on complaining in length to them about the poor service and the fact Samsung obviously does not back their product and the fact we did not get it wet the person on line had no response, since we bought it at a Walmart store you have only 15 days to return any electronic items and 30 days to purchase their extended warranty which covers water damage. Unfortunately the extended warranty was never purchased in time and so we stuck with a $500 loss, there seems to be no one who can repair the google Nexus 10.
anonymous 17 February, 2013 02:40
Got the nexus 10 as a Christmas gift 2012 lasted 1 month and stopped working, took me 1 1/2 hours of run around to Samsung tech support as first no one knew of a Nexus 10 tablet, then another 1/2 hour to have it sent in for repairs. Never got a call back to inform me of the problem and tablet was shipped back 8 days later with a receipt stating void warranty liquid corrosion. We knew the tablet had never gotten wet and the only thing that came to our mind was that it was in the car stuck in a snow storm with me for 2 hours with the heat running in the car, could that have caused any moisture build up. Well Samsung did not care and told us it can not be repaired, on complaining in length to them about the poor service and the fact Samsung obviously does not back their product and the fact we did not get it wet the person on line had no response, since we bought it at a Walmart store you have only 15 days to return any electronic items and 30 days to purchase their extended warranty which covers water damage. Unfortunately the extended warranty was never purchased in time and so we stuck with a $500 loss, there seems to be no one who can repair the google Nexus 10.
anonymous 17 February, 2013 02:41
Got the nexus 10 as a Christmas gift 2012 lasted 1 month and stopped working, took me 1 1/2 hours of run around to Samsung tech support as first no one knew of a Nexus 10 tablet, then another 1/2 hour to have it sent in for repairs. Never got a call back to inform me of the problem and tablet was shipped back 8 days later with a receipt stating void warranty liquid corrosion. We knew the tablet had never gotten wet and the only thing that came to our mind was that it was in the car stuck in a snow storm with me for 2 hours with the heat running in the car, could that have caused any moisture build up. Well Samsung did not care and told us it can not be repaired, on complaining in length to them about the poor service and the fact Samsung obviously does not back their product and the fact we did not get it wet the person on line had no response, since we bought it at a Walmart store you have only 15 days to return any electronic items and 30 days to purchase their extended warranty which covers water damage. Unfortunately the extended warranty was never purchased in time and so we stuck with a $500 loss, there seems to be no one who can repair the google Nexus 10.
anonymous 17 February, 2013 02:42
Got the nexus 10 as a Christmas gift 2012 lasted 1 month and stopped working, took me 1 1/2 hours of run around to Samsung tech support as first no one knew of a Nexus 10 tablet, then another 1/2 hour to have it sent in for repairs. Never got a call back to inform me of the problem and tablet was shipped back 8 days later with a receipt stating void warranty liquid corrosion. We knew the tablet had never gotten wet and the only thing that came to our mind was that it was in the car stuck in a snow storm with me for 2 hours with the heat running in the car, could that have caused any moisture build up. Well Samsung did not care and told us it can not be repaired, on complaining in length to them about the poor service and the fact Samsung obviously does not back their product and the fact we did not get it wet the person on line had no response, since we bought it at a Walmart store you have only 15 days to return any electronic items and 30 days to purchase their extended warranty which covers water damage. Unfortunately the extended warranty was never purchased in time and so we stuck with a $500 loss, there seems to be no one who can repair the google Nexus 10.