Users of Samsung Galaxy devices will now be able to repair their devices themselves
Users of Samsung Galaxy devices will now be able to repair their devices themselves
The technology company Samsung has become the latest to allow customers to repair their own mobile devices as a result of pressure from consumers, regulators, and even US President Joe Biden to relax restrictions on product repair.
The company announced on Thursday a new program that will enable users of several of its flagship Galaxy devices to repair their own devices for the first time, by providing them and third-party fixit companies with access to genuine parts, repair tools, and visual step-by-step repair guides. The program will be available to users of several of the company's flagship Galaxy devices. Users of Samsung (SSNLF) devices were previously forced to rely on the company's in-house repair service in order to get their devices repaired.
Model in this category
Owners of the Galaxy S20 and S21 family of products, as well as the Galaxy Tab S7+, will be eligible for the new program, which will launch this summer. Owners of the Galaxy S22 lineup will not be eligible for the new program. iFixit, an online repair community that previously collaborated with Motorola on a similar self-service program, has announced that it will collaborate with the company on the new initiative.
Earlier this month, Apple (AAPL) announced the launch of a program called Self Repair Service, which will make spare parts for Apple products such as displays, batteries, and camera modules available for purchase, as well as provide access to repair manuals for anyone who wants to do their own repairs. Users of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 will be the first to benefit from the program, which has not yet been officially launched. Apple had previously stated that the service would eventually be made available to Mac computers equipped with the company's new in-house M1 chip, which was introduced this year.
Samsung and Apple have been chastised for implementing strategies that make it more difficult for independent repair businesses to access devices, such as the use of non-removable memory or batteries or the use of a special glue to seal devices shut. Several companies have stated that they do this to ensure that products are repaired properly by authorized repair services.
Following Samsung's latest announcement, Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, stated that the move is "part of a sea change in which manufacturers are increasingly embracing the right to repair."
As he continued, "extending the life of electronics is critical for the future of our planet, and providing consumers with self-repair options is an important first step."
From the US President
Earlier this year, President Biden urged the Federal Trade Commission to establish rules prohibiting manufacturers from restricting the availability of independent device repair shops and the ability of consumers to perform their own repairs, a concept known as the "right to repair." The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a week later that it would "root out" illegal repair restrictions on a variety of products, including cellphones. This initiative has also gained traction among European regulators.
New regulations could outlaw this practice and require all smartphone manufacturers to make out-of-warranty repair parts, tools, repair manuals, and diagnostics more readily available to third-party businesses, as well as to third-party businesses themselves.
The cost of repairing a smartphone or computer is often comparable to, if not greater than, the cost of purchasing a new device, according to Pedro Pacheco, a senior director at market research firm Gartner, who spoke to CNN Business at the time. "A strategy that encourages people to purchase new devices rather than repair them."
Consumers may reap additional benefits as a result of the shift. In order to take advantage of the fact that giving customers greater control over how their devices are repaired will almost certainly extend the life of their products, businesses will need to "entice consumers to switch or upgrade smartphones with better specs and other approaches," according to Pacheco. "It will be necessary to refocus their efforts in the future."
