Moto Atrix 4G teardown shows extremely easy repair
updated 10:50 pm EST, Tue February 22, 2011
Moto Atrix 4G torn down by iFixit
A new teardown of the just shipping Atrix 4G has uncovered a very easy-to-fix design. The iFixit deconstruction shows a device that has relatively little glue and is fairly easily disassembled with just a few screws and clips. Unlike the iPhone 4 and many other phones, the LCD also isn't fused to the glass, making a fix cheaper in the event of a drop.
Looking at the phone has also revealed that Qualcomm's MDM6200 chipset is key to the HSPA+ 3G on the phone, although it tops out at 14.4Mbps and isn't at the full 21Mbps spec. The 16GB of built-in storage is soldered-on Toshiba memory. NVIDIA's Tegra 2 chip, the dual-core heart of the phone, is hidden by Elpida flash memory.
iFixit's chief complaints centered on the "chintzy" plastic build quality, which could affect the likelihood of something breaking, but also a pair of ribbon cables. The two are soldered to the camera, proximity sensors and other valuable components, making any cable snap a relatively expensive repair.
The Atrix 4G costs $150 on contract at Amazon and, beyond AT&T, is also at Best Buy and Walmart.
