© iFixit
Samsung finds itself in the spotlight, but not for the right reasons. The partnership with iFixit, specialist in the repair of electronic products, will end soon. A hard blow for the image of the Korean giant, which is nevertheless trying to position itself as a major player in the right to repair. iFixit, known for its detailed repair guides and tool kits, formed an alliance with Samsung two years ago.
The merger seemed to be going in the right direction: it promised to facilitate the repair of Galaxy devices and to democratize access to spare parts. But behind this beautiful promise, the reality is visibly very different. iFixit denounces exorbitant prices for spare parts, device design making repairs complex and a lack of transparency on the part of Samsung.
iFixit denounces obstacles to repair and questionable practices
Original spare parts are said to be sold at such high prices that many users would prefer to buy a new smartphone rather than repair the old one. Additionally, the design of some devices, such as sticking the battery and screen together, would make repairs more expensive and complicated. And that's not all: recent revelations point to questionable practices on Samsung's side. The manufacturer would thus require independent repair shops to immediately dismantle any device containing parts that do not come from Samsung – a practice likely to irreparably break certain devices. Samsung would also require detailed information about each repair performed to be reported in an online database.
Those who must a priori include personal data, including the customer's name and the IMEI identifier of their device. Without it being clear how the manufacturer intends to use this information. “We obviously do not share the same vision as Samsung regarding repairability. Despite our efforts, this partnership does not correspond to our expectations or our values. We support brands truly committed to improving repairability, and not those who simply make marketing announcements without substance. We hope that one day Samsung will become aware of this issue and finally wake up!“, says Sandra Auboy, responsible for development in France at iFixit in an email sent to our editorial staff.
Obviously, all of this is enough to cast doubt on Samsung's credibility in terms of the right to repair. While the European Union and other countries are adopting legislation to facilitate the repair of electronic devices, the Korean giant seems to be taking a discreet sidetrack. Moreover, Korean is not the only one to demonstrate questionable practices in this area. Serialization, lack of provision of spare parts, and other barriers to repair “unapproved” are all around which Apple has distinguished itself in recent years.
The partnership between iFixit and Samsung will end from June. The site will continue to sell spare parts and repair kits for Samsung smartphones – without obtaining supplies from the manufacturer. The guides available on the site will no longer be designed in partnership with the manufacturer.
- Samsung ends its partnership with iFixit, specialist in the repair of electronic products.
- iFixit denounces Samsung practices which hinder the right to repair.
< li>The platform will continue to provide parts and guides, but these will be independently sourced.
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