Getting your phone fixed can be a real pain in the neck, especially if it means having to send your phone off to a repair center for an incalculable amount of time. Thankfully the DIY repair business is booming right now, and the Google Pixel 7a is the latest handset to get in on the action.
Google’s standing partnership with iFixit means you can now buy genuine replacement parts for the Pixel 7a. That means any damage you inflict upon your phone in the coming months can be repaired by you, or a repair shop of your choosing, and not sent off to a Google repair center on the other side of the country. The partnership also means you’ll have access to iFixit tools and repair instructions.
A genuine Google Pixel 7a screen which, let’s be honest, is the thing you’re most likely to break at this early stage, will cost you $103 — Or $110 if you need the tools to fix it. It’s pretty pricey, which is a sad fact of life with modern phone screens, but at least you can also pick up the right tools for an extra $7. Which feels like a bargain if this is a one-time repair.
A rear cover will set you back $45, while a fresh new battery is $33 — or $40 with tools. A new main camera sets you back $60, while a spare ultra-wide camera will cost you back $30. In both cases you can once again bundle the par with the right tools for an additional $7. Then there's a bunch of smaller parts and specialist adhesives on sale for a few dollars each, should you ever need them.
A lot of the tools you get appear to be the same, so if you want to do a bunch of repairs it’s worth picking up a dedicated tool kit so you have everything you need. After all you don’t need multiple screwdrivers or suction handles, because they’re only going to get in the way.
We’re still very early in the Pixel 7a’s lifecycle, and the odds of you actually needing to repair anything are pretty slim. Especially if you protect your phone with one of the best Google Pixel 7a cases. But stuff happens, and you can’t always guarantee your phone will stay pristine forever. So having access to parts, and instructions on how to use them, can only be a good thing.
And sure, $103 for a new screen is a lot, but it sure as heck beats paying an extra $499 for a brand new phone. And it means everything can be fixed far faster than if you’d sent it to Google for repair.
Plus it suggests Google is serious about DIY repairs. And since Google is already making genuine parts available for the Pixel 7a, it seems likely that the Pixel 8 will get the same treatment. Since the new flagship is expected to arrive around October-time, we may see parts arrive early next year — if not sooner.
