The enterprising chaps at iFixit have torn the Google Nexus 7 apart to show you its innards, revealing a buxom battery and a surprising lack of annoying proprietary screws.
Known for pulling new technology apart and revealing the silicon-scented gubbins within, the teardown gets you an inside glimpse at Google's Android Jelly Bean-powered tablet, including the 7-inch display and motherboard.
iFixit, which sells tools for cracking gadgets open and indulging in home repair, reports that the Nexus 7 is much easier to repair that Apple's new iPad, noting that the 1mm thicker casing can be unclipped using an opening tool, and that the screws inside are of the Phillips #00 variety rather than the weirdly shaped screws Apple uses to stop owners getting inside the tech they've paid for.
Awarding the Nexus 7 a 'Repairability Score' of seven out of 10 (where 10 is easiest to repair), the site says owners could replace the battery without needing to embark upon soldering, or even using a screwdriver.
That means your Nexus 7 could last longer before you need to chuck it out completely, though starting at £160 it might not be much more expensive to just buy a new one should yours conk out. That's not as environmentally responsible, however. The Nexus 7's LCD display can't be separated from the display glass either, hindering repair efforts.
The large 4,326mAh battery is interesting to see -- as anyone who's stuck an iPad through an airport security scanner and had a peek at the x-ray will know, the inside of a tablet is mostly battery. If you're intrigued by the Nexus 7's guts, be sure to check out iFixit's teardown for yourself.
Whether tech should be easy to repair and upgrade is an interesting question. My laptop-addled colleague Andrew recently criticised the new retina display MacBook Pro for being almost impossible to upgrade, meaning buyers are stuck with the RAM and storage that comes with the machine.
Do you think gadgets should be easy to repair and upgrade? And will you be buying the Nexus 7? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
Image credit: iFixit
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anonymous 4 July, 2012 12:22
I pre-ordered an 8gb Nexus 7 yesterday and I am pleased to hear that the battery is easily replaceable.
anonymous 9 July, 2012 09:40
I didn't pre-order anything yesterday but I am pleased to hear that Google is starting to take initiative and do something right, other than the rest of the companies out there..
anonymous 9 July, 2012 11:42
This has always been a problem with Apple since the iPod, and presumably before that too. I had a few friends in school that were very much into building and repairing computers and one of their biggest criticisms of Apple was that you couldn't repair them on your own. I think with the MacBook they made it slightly easier to get in, but still nothing like a Windows machine.
In my opinion this is something very important that very few general consumers that buy Apple products, paying a huge amount for them, don't even think about. You pay so much for the machine, and repairs will be costly as well. It just seems that everything about going with Apple costs more for the same or even less than going with Windows or Android. If you need an Apple machine, as some do, then that's fine, but I'll never understand people paying £800+ for machines to write emails, browse the internet, go on social networking sites, and write essays from time to time on (5-10% of the time spent on the computer). When one thinks about it, it's amazing that a company like Apple with their high prices that don't exactly give 'value for money' are doing so incredibly well.
anonymous 9 July, 2012 14:35
Ultimately what customers want is someone able to fix their devices when there is problem. Apple has good customer support from their many Apple stores so for a common tech user like me Apple's customer support is excellent. You pay more for the peace of mind. Whereas Android devices, don't have support anywhere close to Apple's standard, they need to be easy to fix so that a random shop down the road can due with it. Google has done well in this regard.
Nexes 7 sounds like an excellent product. I would be keen to try it out.
anonymous 19 July, 2012 02:16
Apple is now gluing the battery to the motherboard on their magical notebook.. how stupid are the iLemmings..
I'm going to build a car where the spark plugs are welded to the engine so all you have to do is buy a new engine every 2 years and the iLemmings will line up to buy it...