Samsung To Provide Smartphone Parts, Tools, and Repair Guides Starting This Summer (fastcompany.com) 11
Starting this summer, Samsung says it will sell genuine parts and tools to customers needed to repair its Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21 smartphones, along with its Galaxy Tab S7+ tablet. Fast Company reports: The company, which is partnering with device repair resource iFixit on the initiative, will also provide access to step-by-step repair guides, and it plans to support more devices and repairs over time. The program is similar to one that Apple announced last fall, allowing users to repair the display, battery, and camera on their iPhones. Samsung says it's launching the program to "promote a circular economy and minimize e-waste," though it's just as likely responding to regulatory pressure. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it would crack down on illegal repair restrictions, and iFixit expects dozens of states to introduce right-to-repair laws this year. [...]
But while phone makers may now feel compelled to supply repair parts and guides to consumers, that doesn't mean the repairs themselves will be any easier. According to iFixit's Galaxy S21 teardown, some repairs involve work that's "unnecessarily sticky and complicated," requiring a heat gun to pry open the display panel and an isopropyl alcohol bath to loosen the "tar pit" around the battery. At least customers brave enough to make those repairs won't have any trouble getting the parts and tools they need.
But while phone makers may now feel compelled to supply repair parts and guides to consumers, that doesn't mean the repairs themselves will be any easier. According to iFixit's Galaxy S21 teardown, some repairs involve work that's "unnecessarily sticky and complicated," requiring a heat gun to pry open the display panel and an isopropyl alcohol bath to loosen the "tar pit" around the battery. At least customers brave enough to make those repairs won't have any trouble getting the parts and tools they need.
Stock android (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly the reason I ditched Samsung. There's no way to uninstall their bloatware apps.
TFS is correct (Score:1)
Modern Samsung flagship phones are a royal pain in the ass to disassemble. They really go overboard with the glue. As much as Apple gets hated on for lack of repairability, the iPhone is significantly easier to disassemble and reassemble without accidentally breaking something. The quality (or lack thereof) of non-OEM parts for iPhones is another matter entirely, though.
Provide us with repairable phones (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
And you can skip the specialized tools. It's the freakin' phones (all electronics actually) that need to be changed. Right to repair would not need to exist in the first place if electronics were made to be repaired. I mean come on ... USER REPLACEABLE BATTERIES would be a great start! As long as these ass-hat companies keep creating "battery tar pits" we'll never be able to truly repair our electronics.
Apple quit those years ago for iPhones and iPads.
They use these adhesive "Alien Tape"-like" adhesive pads, with "Pull-Tabs" to release the adhesive, like the 3M "Command" adhesives (may even be 3M Command).
They have been using them for several years now.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Pop cover off back, pull dead battery out, put new battery in, replace back cover. THAT is a replaceable battery.
Not worth the loss of IP rating.
Actually selling them would be good. (Score:4, Informative)
It advertises, in the first paragraph of the description 'and a replaceable battery.'.
They do not sell the battery.
They do not indicate any authorised vendors of the battery.
(the battery is supplied outside of the tablet, the user has to install it themselves, there is no argument to be made that it is not a user replaceable part)
#GSOD (Score:2)
Not if it is a software bug.
Apple's "Repair" Program... (Score:2)
Meanwhile I'm typing this reply on my Framework and looking to replace my Samsung S9 with something designed to be more repairable.
Next Step in this Chain (Score:3)
Phone manufacturers: Sure, here are the tools, the parts, and even some easy to follow instructions on how to repair our phones. But be warned - we filled the insides with deadly neurotoxin.