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Samsung has taken its first, tentative baby steps in the path toward giving users the option to self repair their devices. These new repair kits are only available for a few select models, and new parts could still cost a pretty penny.
On Tuesday, the company shared its new repair kits carrying genuine parts in partnership with iFixit. The new kits come with guides and tools as well, but so far parts are limited to screens, charging ports, and back glass. [...]
Apple released its iPhone repair kits in April for the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and third gen iPhone SE devices. The company decided for some reason to provide tool rental kits at nearly $50 bucks for a week's use. At the same time, it offers significantly more parts and tools for its select product lines, including cameras and sim trays. [...]
Other major tech companies are also anticipating the release of their own self-repair services. Google said back in April that it would have parts available for the Pixel 2 through Pixel 6 Pro available later this year, and the company promises to have repair options for the UK, Canada, and Europe as well as the U.S. Around the same time, Microsoft released a study showing the benefits of self-repair, and promised it would be working toward that end. However, it has not made any public statements about the timing for the release of its own self-repair service.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Opportunist on Thursday August 04 2022, @07:10AM (6 children)
With prices going up, wages staying down and people having less money, they may finally have an incentive to hold on to their devices for longer, and wanting devices they can not only hold on longer but they can also fix themselves when they break down. This may well lead to them preferring devices they not only can fix but that are also relatively easy to fix.
All we have to do now is tell them that. With blogs that test new phones and gadgets, with empasis on how easy or expensive they are to repair and videos that guide people through those repairs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 04 2022, @07:29AM (2 children)
Here's your easy fix for Pixel5 - it's called Pixel 6.
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Thursday August 04 2022, @08:09AM (1 child)
Really? I get a free Pixel 6 if I break my 5?
That's what I call customer care!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 04 2022, @11:43AM
Free? Are you an open source hippie? (large grin)
Only serious now... Where do you see any promise of "free"? What it is guaranteed is the easiness of repair, nothing else.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 04 2022, @11:51AM
There has been a slight trend towards owning smartphones longer, and upgrades are becoming more incremental and pointless.
Getting the average joe to repair their phone is questionable, but if someone out there can do it because companies are the making parts available, they can put that fixed phone onto the used market.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Username on Thursday August 04 2022, @12:43PM (1 child)
My issue is that they glue the back and battery in. On my s10 the battery puffed out and pushed the back off on one side. I just had to cut the glue threads and gently pull the rest to get the back off. Not sure how i would accomplish that if the battery didn't help.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 04 2022, @04:40PM
Throw it in boiling xylene.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by hendrikboom on Thursday August 04 2022, @05:31PM
Those look like small hardware repairs.
But there is also deliberate software breakage.
My Android phone just stopped doing things it was doing just fine a few weeks ago. No I get the message that XXX requires Google Play Services, which is not compatible with my phone.
Sometimes it lies about this. I followed one of its front-page links to a Youtube video, which played just fine, but was darkened (limiting visibility) and partly covered by a panel about requiring Google Play Service.
Forced obsolescence, I presume by forced "upgrade".