What you need to know
- You can buy official Pixel parts from iFixit for at-home repairs.
- It has "genuine" parts for the Pixel 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 series.
- Displays, batteries, rear camera modules, adhesives, and other parts are all available.
- Independent repairers will be able to buy parts in bulk for their own shops.
Back in April, Google and iFixit announced a repair partnership where the tech giant would send official Pixel phone repair parts to the DIY repair company. This Wednesday, we're seeing the results of this partnership at last: you can now buy individual Pixel parts or a Fix Kit for any Pixel phone released in the last five years.
Announcing the news, iFixit said it had "genuine" parts for the Pixel 2, 3, 3a, 4, 4a, 5, 5a, and 6, along with any XL or Pro variants. It also sells parts for the original Google Pixel, but they're imitation parts rather than the real thing.
Now, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners will be able to purchase a new screen, battery, or rear camera, and iFixit will ship all the necessary tools you'll need to take apart the phone, attach and adhere the new part, and put everything back together.
The same will apply for Pixel 6a owners, too: iFixit says it "will have a full selection of Pixel 6a parts plus a full set of repair guides" by the fall, slightly trailing the phone's late-July release date. And though the Pixel 7 went unmentioned, we can assume it too will receive the same treatment.
In terms of cost, it depends on the phone and the part. A screen replacement will cost you $100, $125, and $200 for the Pixel 5a, 6, and 6 Pro, respectively, while a battery Fix Kit will cost you $50 across all three. Your camera replacement could cost anywhere from $23 (Pixel 2) to $177 (Pixel 6 Pro).
You'll also have to deal with the stress of taking apart your phone if you buy these parts yourself. But iFixit did say it would partner with independent repair stores to send them these parts and tools, so you can use your local option instead of mailing your phone in. In either case, you'll want to make sure it's safe to send your phone for repair so no one can access your Pixel's data.
Samsung and iFixit also partnered up back in March for S21, S20, and Tab S7 phone and tablet repairs, but we don't yet see any "genuine" parts on the site. We can only hope we'll start to see more at-home repair parts available soon, both for Samsung phones and other Android brands.
New York state recently passed a "right to repair" bill that requires OEMs to make repair parts available to consumers. While Google can't hold a candle to Fairphone for ease of repair, this news does show the company is ahead of other brands in terms of fulfilling that promise.
Built to last
The Google Pixel 6 uses Gorilla Glass Victus and has an IP68 water resistance, making it very durable even without a case. Plus, the phone has Google Tensor for both fast performance and five years of security updates. Now that you can repair it at home easily, you can be sure it'll stick around through thick and thin.
