iFixit doubts ‘Samsung’s commitment to making repair more accessible,’ ends partnership

In 2022, Samsung and iFixit partnered to offer genuine repair parts for Galaxy phones and tablets. That’s now coming to an end, with iFixit having harsh words for the manufacturer.

iFixit today said it “consistently faced obstacles that made us doubt Samsung’s commitment to making repair more accessible.”  As of June 2024, “iFixit will no longer be Samsung’s designated third-party parts and tools distributor.” 

The two big issues cited are cost and Samsung not designing its products to be more repairable:

• “We couldn’t get parts to local repair shops at prices and quantities that made business sense. The part prices were so costly that many consumers opted to replace their devices rather than repair them.”

For example, iFixit — due to the partnership — was limited to selling “seven Samsung parts per repair shop per quarter.”

• “And the design of Samsung’s Galaxy devices remained frustratingly glued together, forcing us to sell batteries and screens in pre-glued bundles that increased the cost.”

The “Samsung Galaxy S22 (USA) Screen and Battery – Genuine” costs $159.99, while an aftermarket battery is just $22.99 from iFixit.

The Samsung Repair Hub is shutting down, with iFixit no longer directly collaborating with Samsung to develop new repair manuals. 

iFixit will continue to sell Samsung parts, including OEM parts when available but will otherwise indicate “whether parts are original or aftermarket.” For example: “This is an aftermarket part. It is not a genuine Samsung part.”

For Samsung owners, the remaining official parts and manual offering is “SamsungParts” from Encompass. A the start of this year, Samsung expanded its repair program to the Galaxy S23 and Fold 5

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