After the Samsung Galaxy S10 passed the durability tests performed by JerryRigEverything in a previous video, the popular tech YouTuber followed up with another video focusing more on what’s on the inside of the device rather than how it can withstand external abuse.
Sometimes the YouTuber’s smartphone durability tests and teardowns are part of the same video, but because the Samsung Galaxy S10 was one of the devices that survived the harsh treatment, it got its separate teardown video that digs deeper into what makes the smartphone tick, the OEM’s manufacturing methods and choice of materials.
Same as with previous Samsung flagship models adopting a glass sandwich design, removing the glass back panel of the Galaxy S10 requires a few minutes of prying through the internal adhesive holding the glass stuck to the frame. Using a heat gun can accelerate the process but it still requires patience and a steady hand, otherwise, injuries can occur especially if using a sharp tool.
Once inside the phone, one of the first additions to this year’s flagship takes center stage, namely the reversible charging coil. It doesn’t look that unusual and the copper coil is wrapped in a black foil. Behind the coil is the 3,400mAh battery stuck to the device with adhesive, but the unit lacks a pulling tab which makes it unnecessarily difficult to be replaced.
This is actually a relatively common theme with the Samsung Galaxy S10, or at least it’s a pattern that repeats in several areas. For example, later in the video when JerryRigEverything detaches the motherboard from the frame, he discovers that the USB Type-C charging port and lower microphone have been soldered onto the board. This makes these components virtually impossible to replace by the users, and will inevitably increase the repair costs in Samsung’s official repair shops.
Later in the video, we also learn that the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is hard-glued to the screen and cannot be detached. However this is rather expected and considering that removing the display from the device will almost always render it unusable, it doesn’t make much difference whether the in-panel fingerprint scanner is glued or not.
Also in the video is revealed that the new Samsung Galaxy S10 features a considerably larger copper heat pipe compared to last year’s Galaxy S9, which should help keep the phone cooler and prevent or minimize performance loss over extended periods of usage.
All of this adds up to the conclusion that, while the Samsung Galaxy S10 is shaping up to be one of the most interesting flagships of the year boasting a handful of exciting new technologies, reparability suffers and there are now a few additional internal components that can no longer be replaced by users.
Whether this is the result of planned obsolescence or an effort to reduce production costs, it really makes no difference for the users as the end result is similar either way. The good news is that the phone is quite durable judging by previous tests, but on the other, hand if something should go wrong, it will take more time and/or money to make things right again. Check out the video below for an in-depth look at the Galaxy S10’s internals.