What you need to know
- iFixit announced that it is ending its repair partnership with Samsung, effective in June 2024.
- The company states that Galaxy devices are too "glued together," making it hard for iFixit to provide the necessary parts consumers need without driving up costs.
- iFixit will continue to deliver Galaxy parts when it can, however, it will no longer create new guides on how to repair Galaxy devices moving forward.
Today (May 23), iFixit announced that it will end ties with Samsung in June as the two companies' goals regarding device repairability "do not align."
According to iFixit, the company is ending its partnership with Samsung through its Repair Hub, which started in 2022. Starting next month, iFixit will no longer be a certified third-party partner for parts and tools to repair Samsung devices. The post states, "despite our best efforts" to deliver a high standard for self-repair, "we have not been able to deliver on that promise."
iFixit adds that it has continuously tried to get the necessary parts to local shops within reasonable price ranges while "the design of Samsung’s Galaxy devices remained frustratingly glued together."
The company states this forced it to "pre-glue" batteries and screens in bundles, which drove up the cost for the consumer.
Just because iFixit is dropping Samsung, the company isn't giving it the cold shoulder entirely. The self-repair service will continue to sell Galaxy device parts when it can, but its in-house guides will no longer exist. Pre-existing information on repairing Samsung's devices will not be removed, meaning users can still return for help on past devices.
iFixit is remaining focused on the future, stating it's preparing to launch more parts for devices in more countries this year. The company is also moving to partner with third-party point-of-sales services so consumers can grab spare parts easier for repair.
Android Central has reached out to Samsung regarding iFixit's canceled partnership but did not hear back in time for publication. We will update this article once we have more information.
While not through iFixit, our very own Andrew Myrick had a horrible experience attempting to get a Galaxy Z Fold 4 repaired through Samsung Care and uBreakiFix. Of course, foldable phones have a lot more going than your typical slab phone, but the process of attempting to gain a repair broke it all. The issue (which was a non-functioning display) was worsened by the choice of purchasing a Graygreen Fold 4.
Samsung had parts for that particular color of choice on backorder. The company had replacement parts for a Black or Beige Fold 4 in stock, however, if you had Graygreen, consumers were required to pay out of pocket to get parts — even through the Care Insurance program.
As iFixit cuts ties with Samsung over its apparent misaligned goals for repairability, the company is considering the Right to Repair bill. This is a law that Google backs, with hopes that more OEMs will move to create devices that consumers can easily repair at home without much stress. Additionally, manufacturers hope to provide complete repair kits instead of just separate parts.
