Google's newly released Nexus 5 is arguably the best Android smartphone available on the market right now. What's interesting about this device is that the price begins at $350, which is more than just a bargain when one takes into account what the device has on offer. And if you love to tinker, you're in luck because the folks at iFixit managed to get their hands on a Nexus 5, and according to them, it is very easy to dissemble and reassemble.
That accessibility would come in handy if there is ever a time for the user to make some repairs, or replace a dying battery. Furthermore, the battery should only take a short moment to remove when compared to the battery in the Nexus 4, claims iFixit. Due to the easy teardown of the Nexus 5, iFixit gave the device an 8 out of 10, which should be good news for those who love to tinker with the innards of their smartphone.
Pulling down the Nexus 5 is quite easy because it is held together by plastic clips. IFixit claim these clips are quite stubborn, however; they are far better when compared to glued panels. Still, users should take care when prying the clips open as to avoid breaking them.
On the back of the device, users will find conveniently labeled antennas for the Wi-Fi, MIMO, and GPS. This is great for knowing which component to remove if repairs are required. Furthermore, the glue holding the battery together is not much as to cause difficulties removing the battery. This should cause minimal prying and virtually no bending whatsoever.
Additionally, there's also a Broadcom BCM20793M NFC controller inside the Nexus 5. The addition of this Broadcom NFC controller could eliminate carriers' ability to wallet-block customers.
Other important ICs found in the Google Nexus 5
- SK Hynix H9CKNNNBPTMRLR-NTM 2 GB LPDDR3-1600 RAM
• The quad-core, 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800 SoC is layered beneath the RAM
• Qualcomm WTR1605L LTE/HSPA+/CDMA2K/TDSCDMA/EDGE/GPS transceiver
• Qualcomm PM8841 and PM 8941 power management ICs
• Qualcomm WCD9320 audio codec
- Analogix ANX7808 SlimPort transmitter
• Texas Instruments BQ24192 I2C controlled 4.5 A USB/adapter charger
• Sandisk SDIN8DE4 16 GB NAND flash
• Broadcom BCM4339 5G Wi-Fi combo chip with integrated power and low-noise amplifiers
• InvenSense MPU-6515 six-axis (gyro + accelerometer) MEMS MotionTracking device
• Asahi Kasei AK8963 3-axis electronic compass
- Avago RFI335
• Avago ACPM-7600
• Synaptics S3350B touchscreen controller
Bear in mind that users might have difficulties repairing a broken glass as both the glass and the LCD are fused to the display frame.
