Well-known device mending advocate and tools vendor iFixit is calling it quits with Samsung, after two years of getting nowhere with the Korean electronics giant when it comes to repairability.
iFixit said it launched its Samsung Repair Hub two years ago. The idea behind the initiative was that the company would develop manuals and documentation for independent repairers, along with tools and parts for them to fix Samsung Galaxy devices.
Now its supervisor of operations and logistics Scott Head has announced they're giving up on working with Samsung on repairability, having been unable to deliver on its promise for building "an incredible, repair-friendly ecosystem" through the Repair Hub.
Head said iFixit consistently faced obstacles that made it doubt Samsung's commitment to making repairs more accessible. He said parts prices for Samsung Galaxies were so costly that many consumers replaced their devices rather than repaired them. iFixit was also unable to get parts to local repair shops at prices and quantities that made business sense.
Samsung's excessive use of glue to keep the Galaxy devices together and for parts assembly, was another factor that added to the cost of spares: iFixit said it had to sell pre-glued battery and screen bundles that are expensive.
Due to the break-up between the two companies, from June 2024, iFixit will no longer be Samsung's designated third-party parts and tool distributor.
iFixit will however retain the existing information and continue to sell parts and repair kits for Samsung devices.
Adding to Samsung's woes with the vocal Right to Repair community, 404 Media reported separately that the Korean company has contractually asked independent repair shops to hand over details of people who take their phones to be fixed.
The contract also requires repair shops to immediately disassemble all third party parts from Samsung phones, and tell the electronics giant if customers had used them in devices.
Samsung is yet to comment on iFixit dumping them, but in January 2023, the device maker's American operation announced it would expand the self-repair programme to five Galaxy PCs models, along with the S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra devices.
The expansion of self repair was to be a collaboration with iFixit.
Users of modern hardware worldwide have in later years become increasingly agitated by how difficult it is to repair their gear, in some cases impossible even.
As a result, a strong Right to Repair movement has grown up, which has pushed for legislation that allows anyone to fix goods they own. However, existing intellectual property rights laws can get in the way of Right to Repair, complicating the issue.
4 Comments
They have not been worth repairing for years. Ever since the batteries were no longer removable like the old Nokia phones it was toss in the bin time. Technology is now also moving so fast that the phone is obsolete before the battery is stuffed. I have a Samsung S20FE 5G and its been a great phone, will just run it until the battery is dead then upgrade. I manage to get 4 or 5 years out of a phone. By the way I component level repair electronics as a job, wouldn't even bother looking at phones, laptops or PC's if they had a fault these days, straight in the E-Waste bin.
Not really. IPhones will last a good 5 years but from my usage the battery needs replacing after 3. But it is inconvenient and pricey to get them replaced as it has to be sent in for repair. If that is your 2FA device you can't be without it. You can't buy an original battery to repair it yourself either
Pretty ironic , I was buying Nokia phones , but breaking the screens often with the kind of work I do . could get replacement screens from Ali Express, probably 1/2 hour of Labour to change screens. Broke it again on holiday at Xmas, so brought Samsung on special , haven't broken it yet.
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