Modern smartphones contain a lot of technology hidden behind metal and glass. Repairs are always considered difficult and expensive, as spare parts are not officially available. However, a deal from Samsung could change that.
Many users know this. After a few years, the battery of the phone gives out or ports break due to excessive use. Often, it’s easier to buy a new phone since spare parts can’t be purchased anyway.
But that could change in the future, as Samsung has teamed up with the well-known repair site iFixit and aims to provide small spare parts and recycling options. In the future, repairing your phone should also become easier.
Samsung collaborates with a well-known repair site in the USA
What has Samsung announced? Samsung stated in its official blog post that it plans to collaborate with the well-known site iFixit to make it easier for users to repair their own devices:
Samsung Electronics America announced today that owners of Galaxy devices will be able to handle the repair of popular Samsung models, the Galaxy S20 and S21 product families, as well as the Galaxy Tab S7+, starting this summer.
(via samsung.com)
Samsung also intends to offer the appropriate spare parts for this. These include:
- Display components
- Rear glass
- Charging ports.
Customers will be able to purchase original components and will not have to rely on third-party parts. However, Samsung has not yet announced the pricing for the spare parts. Samsung also plans to handle the recycling of old parts.
The collaboration is expected to be a first step and could be extended to other devices in the future. Samsung has not provided further information on this. It is also not yet known when this collaboration will be available in Europe and Germany.
Major smartphone manufacturers have been under political pressure for months
In the European Union (EU), there have been ongoing discussions about how to force manufacturers to adopt better sustainability practices. Many rare resources used in smartphones are difficult to extract.
It has even come to the point where the EU wants to ban non-removable batteries starting in January 2023 (via basicthinking.de). The law has already been passed; the EU Council still needs to approve it.
The law aims to ensure that entire products are not simply discarded and that batteries can be more easily replaced. It also aims to encourage manufacturers to produce devices more sustainably.
The industry is naturally not thrilled since they will have to redesign products. It is therefore not surprising that Samsung is now offering at least smaller spare parts and recycling in the USA.
With other devices, future repairs are unlikely to be feasible. They are too small to make repairs worthwhile.
The smallest phone in the world costs €50 and is reportedly particularly popular in prisons
