Pixel 5’s metal body supports wireless charging: Watch teardown to understand how

Besides explaining how the wireless charging happens, the teardown shows a design that hasn’t changed much from the older Pixels.

The teardown shows how Google has played it safe with the Pixel 5. The addition of wireless charging is a clever trick but it is not a “radical reinvention”. (Google)

Google Pixel 5 has a predominantly metal body and yet it supports wireless charging. Google has explained how this works, in essence, but a video teardown done by PBKReviews has given all the details.

The teardown shows a large cutout in the middle of the aluminum shell that lets the wireless charging coil work. The bio-resin plastic on the outside “merely gives the illusion of an uninterrupted surface”, as Endgadget explains.

The design is familiar but with a few additions. Google has tucked in millimeter wave 5G antennas near the volume rocker and the top edge of the device and the clips keep the screen firmly in place to prevent a repeat of issues with some Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 units.

And there seems to be further room for improvement. According to iFixit, Google is using a mainboard as it has on Pixel 4 which limits the amount of room available for a larger battery and other components.

The teardown shows how Google has played it safe with the Pixel 5. The addition of wireless charging is a clever trick but it is not a “radical reinvention”. Google seems to be focused on giving its users the fundamentals at competitive prices, and that, for the company seems to involve conservative design.