Samsung Self-Repair Program Discontinued by iFixit Over Accessibility Issues
Samsung partnered with iFixit a couple of years ago and introduced a self-repair scheme in the US as an alternative to Apple’s program. This program is known for its repair guides, which make the program user-friendly.
Now iFixit has decided to step back from collaborating with Samsung on this program. It is expected that Self-Repiar will live on with another partner, but iFixit will no longer play a role in it. iFixit has made some crucial claims regarding ‘obstacles’ from Samsung that prevented it from achieving the objective; however, the Korean brand has not responded yet.
Regarding this decision, iFixit stated that even after its best efforts, it has not been able to deliver on the promise of offering independent repair shops with the tools and parts they require. The brand also depresses the point that it has continued going through a hard, challenging face that has made it “doubt Samsung’s commitment” to make repairs more accessible for customers.
Samsung’s Self-Repair program faced various challenges; for instance, spare parts were difficult and expensive for repair shops to obtain; high part prices made repair costly as compared to replacing the device; and Samsung’s glued-together phone design raised repair difficulty and cost. iFixit also claims that the design of Samsung’s Galaxy devices is “frustratingly glued together,” forcing the brand to sell batteries and screens in pre-glued bundles that repair costs.
In the end, iFixit says that it has ended its partnership with Samsung, saying that the Korean giant’s progress towards repairability doesn’t align with its mission. Starting next month, iFixit will cease to be an authorized third-party parts and tool distributor for Samsung.
However, Samsung has not commented on the situation, but a response is expected due to the seriousness of iFixit’s claims.