Folding telephones are the reducing fringe of cell tech, and customarily the most costly gadgets of their respective strains. So it’s no shock {that a} restore for that fancy folding display screen would price a fairly penny. However in response to a brand new vendor, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s main display screen prices a whopping $1,199.99 USD. That’s two-thirds of the value of your complete system.
And take into account, that’s only for the half, bought through the do-it-yourself fanatics over at iFixit. The restore specialists have been promoting official OEM components for Google telephones for years, however this instance is simply staggering. It’s $300 greater than final 12 months’s equal half for the unique Pixel Fold, and sufficient to select up a Pixel 9 Professional XL with 512GB of storage model new. The iPhone 16 Professional Max and Galaxy S24+ additionally slide in underneath that price ticket.
Comparisons are tough, as folding telephones are nonetheless a tiny shred of the consumer base for smartphones. However I discovered a alternative display screen for the last-gen Galaxy Z Fold 5 for about $540 USD, and one for the Oppo Discover N3 for underneath $400 — granted, with no assure that these components are new. A way more dramatic comparability comes immediately from Samsung, which can present a full alternative service for the Z Fold 6’s inside display screen for “simply” $549. Expensive, definitely, however contemplating the value of the cellphone, the rarity of the half, and the experience essential to restore, it appears justifiable.
Subsequent to Google’s obvious worth for the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s main display screen, offered with out a restore and counting on the top consumer for the extraordinarily delicate alternative course of, it’s a cut price. (I’m assuming that the huge, overwhelming majority of the value is Google’s OEM cost, not iFixit’s revenue margin). Google doesn’t listing how a lot out-of-warranty repairs will price. It’s an excellent factor these folding telephones shield their inside screens by design, I suppose.
The remainder of the alternative components for the Pixel 9 Professional Fold on iFixit’s retailer are much more cheap, like a rear housing for $130. The rear digital camera module is significantly costlier at $257 (with a choice of iFixit instruments alongside for the experience), however that’s additionally comprehensible, contemplating how a lot tech is crammed into high-end cell cameras.
Imagining myself with a $1,200 invoice for a $1,800 cellphone, I believe I’d most likely simply name it a wash and make do with a wonderfully serviceable Pixel A for the following few years. (Although it’s not far more serviceable in a literal sense). If I wished to hold on to my fancy Pixel folder, I may be tempted to spring for an prolonged guarantee simply in case.
I’d surprise if promoting extra of these prolonged warranties was the purpose of marking up the value of the cellphone’s most fragile part within the first place. Hmm. Google Most well-liked Care prices $15 a month in the event you had been questioning.