This was the first time that Google introduced two Nexus smartphones simultaneously, Huawei’s Nexus 6P and LG’s Nexus 5X. The Nexus 5X builds upon the tradition of the Nexus 5 (which was one of the most welcomed Nexus devices), as it features a very simplistic design but integrates some of the latest technology like a USB Type-C port and an ultra-fast fingerprint reader. These two features are supported by the software running on this phone, Android 6.0 Marshmallow. If you were curious about how the internals on this phone look like, here’s your chance to see them, as iFixit has now conducted their traditional teardown for the Nexus 5X.
The back of the phone is not meant to be removed by regular users, but iFixit states that it is secured by clips, and this time LG didn’t use any adhesive strips to hold it together. After the back cover is removed, there’s a sticker with the IMEI and other information in the cover and while the 2,700 mAh battery is visible, it is not yet accessible as its connector is beneath the midframe. They start to remove the midframe, which is actually composed of two pieces, the fingerprint scanner integrated into the top part and some antennas that are integrated into the bottom part. The connectors on the fingerprint reader are said to be more durable as they are based on spring contacts.
After the midframe is removed, they get access to the battery, which is stuck with some adhesive. They remove the 12.3-megapixel main camera and the 5-megapixel front facing camera to get access to the motherboard. The USB-C port is soldered to the motherboard, so if this port ever fails and needs to be replaced, users would have to replace the whole motherboard. The motherboard contains the Qualcomm 808 processor, 2 GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 16 GB of eMMC flash memory, LTE antennas and other components on both sides. The headphone jack also features spring contacts, making this component easy to replace. They gave it 7/10 for repairability, as it can be disassembled with tools that are not hard to find and some of its components are modular so they can be easily replaced. However, its fused display assembly means that if the glass or the LCD does break, both components would have to be replaced.
