Google's latest non-foldableflagship Androidsmartphoneis already viewed as a worthwhile upgrade over its nearest predecessor thePixel 8 Pro, even in terms of design andbuild quality. The device (currently starting at$1,099on Amazon) is also touted to stay up to date for up to 7 years - however, for it to last that long, an assiduous user might like to perform a battery replacement or two along the way.

However, according to famed device integrity tester Zach Nelson of the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything, that might be less than feasible, as the 9 Pro XL is replete with fiddly complex internal parts, screws that come in a variety of lengths as well as types included.

Furthermore, Google has chosen an obscure form of pull-tab for the Pixel 9-series' batteries, which caused even seasoned iFixit contributorShahram Mokhtari to resort to isopropyl alcohol to deal with its glue: less than encouraging, not to mention downright worrying, in terms of replacing itindependently.

On the other hand,Mokhtari also reported that it is technically possible to remove either the XL's display or its rear panel in order to access its internals - however, itsiPhone rivals might have done the same thing but better.

Accordingly, thePixel 9 Pro XL achieved a reparability score of no more than 5/10 from iFixit - even though its spare parts are to be made available through that very group.