In another win for the right-to-repair movement, Samsung plans to enable its Galaxy users to repair their own devices. The company announced Thursday a program that will give smartphone and tablet buyers access to parts, repair tools and step-by-step guides to fixing their devices themselves — with the caveat that the program doesn't include Samsung's newest products.
Samsung is partnering with iFixit, which offers parts and advice for repairing devices, to roll out its self-repair program, the company said. The program will begin this summer and start with the company's most popular models, the Galaxy S20 and S21 family of products, and the Galaxy Tab S7+.
To start, the program will allow owners will be able to replace display assemblies, back glass and charging ports, with more devices and repairs made available in the future. Users can also return their old parts to Samsung for "responsible recycling," the company said.
The movement to allow customers to repair their devices on their own continues to put mounting pressure on device companies, sparking the introduction of right-to-repair legislation at both the state and federal levels. Tech companies are trying to get ahead of the legislation, which would force the issue. Samsung, which held 22% of the U.S. smartphone market in the fourth quarter of last year, is the latest consumer electronics giant to announce a self-service program. Apple, which has long made it difficult for users to repair devices on their own without voiding their warranties, announced a similar self-service repair program last November, but the program has yet to roll out and a launch date is still unclear. Microsoft is also working on making parts for its Surface devices available outside of its authorized repair network in partnership with iFixit.
Motorola launched its own self-service program back in 2018, but the company holds a small fraction of the U.S. market.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE