There are certain pieces of tech that have a meaningful impact on people's lives. For me, the first-generation Pixel is one such piece. GRID Studios, the company that breaks down old tech and turns it into elegant wall art, is now celebrating Google's classic phone with its newest frame.

If you're not familiar with GRID, it's a company that takes older, typically iconic tech---like the iPhone, the first-gen Apple Watch, and even the PSP---and turns it into wall art. Each piece is carefully deconstructed, laid on a matte with each component labeled, and placed into a shadowbox. It's a gorgeous way to pay tribute to some of your favorite tech.

The newest member of the GRID Frame family is the Google Pixel 1. The company sent me the frame before today's official release, and I've been endlessly staring at it for the past week. For $229, it's one of the coolest pieces of tech-related art you can buy right now.

Practical Art That Starts Conversations

If I had to tell you one thing about the Pixel 1 GRID Frame (or any of the frames, I suppose): it's that it will get reactions from people. My teenage daughter---who only pays attention to things that teenage daughters often do---walked into my office, noticed the Pixel 1 frame, and commented on how cool it is.

If that's not a glowing review in itself, I don't really know what is.

But it's not just about what it is---it's also about how well laid out it is. The whole layout here is captivating, like something you'd see in a museum. Each of the main components in the Pixel 1 is laid out in a way that makes sense, with the screen on one side and the back on the other, and all the innards in the middle. The battery and mainboard are centered, with all the other components exploded out from there.

Speaking of exploding, let's talk about that battery for a second. Because it's fake. GRID is clearly about the details here---you don't make a product like this without attention to detail---and the possibility of the battery being an issue didn't go unnoticed. That's why GRID uses fake batteries that look identical to the real deal. I thought that was a cool little tidbit.

Otherwise, these are all real components from a real phone. It makes sense, especially when you look at the price.

At $229, the GRID Pixel 1 frame isn't cheap. But even broken phones cost money, and when you factor in the time spent manually disassembling the phone and putting the pieces down, it's easy to understand why. And ultimately, I find the quality of the product is worth every penny. It's a fantastic-looking bit of art.

Out of the Landfill and Onto Your Wall

There's also another benefit to the GRID frame: it keeps old tech out of landfills. Every device that ends up in a frame doesn't end up in a trash bin somewhere, and that's a win-win. You get cool art for your wall and give these icon gadgets a new life outside the trash heap. I dig.

Today, GRID is releasing just 50 of these Pixel 1 frames. They're $229, and once they're gone, it's hard to say when they'll be back in stock. If you want this bad boy on your wall, hit the button below and get one today.