What you need to know
- Microsoft has posted two videos highlighting manual repairs of a Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Surface Go 4 on its official YouTube channel.
- A lack of repairability has been a leading issue preventing many users from purchasing Surface devices.
- Replacement parts for Surface PCs are available from the Microsoft Store, and a partnership with iFixit offers third-party options.
Over the past few years, the demand for Surface devices has seemingly dwindled. This is potentially attributed to tough economic times and the drastic shift in the PC market. But an issue with Surface devices is particularly unique.
Until recently, Microsoft had made the repairability of Surface devices more daunting than competitors. Of course, this aspect isn't an issue for users still covered under its official warranty repair service. Luckily, in the past few months, the company has doubled down on its efforts to enhance the repairability of these devices.
First, in June, Microsoft began offering Surface PC replacement parts for users to purchase directly from the Microsoft Store, including screens, kickstands, batteries, solid-state hard drives, and more. Naturally, the goal here is to ensure that users can extend the lifeline of their out-of-warranty PCs.
Now, two official walkthrough videos have been posted to the Microsoft Surface channel on YouTube, highlighting the repair process of at least the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Surface Go 4 with replaceable components. Microsoft still naturally recommends that users refer to Surface Service Guides for more detailed step-by-step instructions when repairing these devices.
Surface repairability can only get better
Microsoft recently unveiled two entries to its Surface lineup. Our Surface Laptop Studio 2 review shows it to be a powerhouse for high-performance tasks for particular categories like engineering, not forgetting that it can technically still run high-end games. It ships with 64GB of RAM, an NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, and Intel's powerful 13th Gen Core i7 processor, but all these don't come for cheap. Surface devices have never been cost-friendly.
So, with a $2,000 price tag, longevity and durability will be among most buyers' top priorities besides hardware specifications. Microsoft highlighting how easy it is to repair the entry might be a subtle way of getting more users to lean toward the device and even make a purchase, which makes sense.
According to a recent study by SimpleGhar, Microsoft Surface tablets are ranked among the top 10 most-depreciating devices, with the Surface Pro 7+ tablet holding the unfortunate crown. It further revealed buyers prefer used devices over new products due to harsh economic times.
With this in mind, it's clear that a device's price point and repairability are vital determinants that buyers consider before purchasing.
Thankfully, Microsoft recently partnered with iFixit to release more parts for Surface devices, including the Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, and thirteen more Microsoft Surface variants. This aims to foster at-home repairs for out-of-warrant Surface devices to eliminate e-waste.
Do you think Microsoft's efforts to enhance the repairability of Surface devices will drive more sales? Share your thoughts with me in the comments.
