The Nokia 6 is one of the most durable non-rugged smartphones launched in recent years, and it’s one of the few smartphones on the market to pass user-submitted “bend” tests with flying colors. Nevertheless, the moment may come when a Nokia 6 owner may need to go under the hood to replace certain components. To this end and in order to determine the smartphone’s repairability value, YouTube user JerryRigEverything recently uploaded a new teardown video showcasing none other than the Nokia 6. The results are impressive and the teardown explains one of the main reasons why the Nokia 6 is so resilient to bending.
As per the usual case with so-called glued-shut smartphones, the first step is to remove the display using a heat gun and prying tools. This process requires patience as the screen’s edges are very fragile and prone to cracking. However, once the LCD display is removed we see the main internal component adding rigidity to the entire device: a metal mid-plate held together by 19 screws of different sizes. This mid-plate technically creates a sandwich-like chassis greatly contributing to the smartphone’s durability in bend tests and similar real-life scenarios where the smartphone would be subjected to bending. Moving on, once the mid-plate is removed it reveals that the 3,000mAh battery is stuck to the metal plate via adhesive pull tabs. Once pulled, these adhesive tabs will allow the battery to come loose without any difficulties. Under the metal-mid plate and battery reside the smartphone’s internal components, including the motherboard which is held in place by 6 screws. The rear and front-facing cameras are attached to the motherboard via ribbon cables, making them very easy to replace. Another PCB (printed circuit board) holding the microUSB charging port resides at the bottom of the device and can be detached by removing 4 screws and a wire cable. The microUSB circuit board surrounds a circular vibrator motor which seems to be identical to the one fitted inside the HTC U Ultra. Lastly, the loudspeaker is confined in a small space at the bottom and can be easily detached without a screwdriver.
In closing, the Nokia 6 seems to be a very solid smartphone and its durability is not surprising after the teardown. Following this experience with the device, JerryRigEverything claimed that the Nokia 6 is the ideal glued-shut smartphone to work on. The battery and display are the two components most likely to be in need of replacement, and they are both easily accessible without having to dig deep into the core.