Samsung and iFixit’s Self-Repair Programme Takes Off in the US

Samsung has finally launched its self-repair programme for the US market after announcing the initiative back in March. The South Korean electronics giant had announced the programme earlier this year in collaboration with leading online repair community iFixit. For now, only a handful of Samsung devices will be supported by this programme and this short list does not include last year’s Galaxy S22 models.

Samsung, for the time being, will only provide repair parts for its Galaxy S20, S21 models, and the Galaxy Tab S7+ tablet. Customers who wish to repair their own devices can now purchase the necessary genuine parts and repair tools from iFixit’s online store, Samsung 837 store, along with Samsung retail and service locations across the US. These parts will be offered at the same price as Samsung’s service partners. The self-repair programme seems to be largely conducted by iFixit with Samsung providing the genuine spare parts for the same.

A quick glance through the iFixit website shows repair kits ranging from $66.99 (approximately Rs. 5,200) to $239.99 (approximately Rs. 18,000) depending on the device selected. The replacement back panels are also available in different finishes and will match the colour of the device being repaired.

For now, the Self-Repair programme is limited to certain types of repairs only. This would include replacing a display screen, a device’s back glass, and charging ports, which seem to be fairly basic in nature. Samsung does have plans to add more repair options that can be conducted by a user in the future, along with supporting more Galaxy devices. The company has yet to announce the availability of its self-repair programme outside the US.

Samsung recently announced a new Repair mode for its older Galaxy devices in Korea. The repair mode once enabled by the user will secure personal data by providing only limited access to the repair technician at its service centres. The mode will only be available on Samsung’s Galaxy S21 models for now and will be expanded to additional models in the future.