Samsung’s new self-repair program is better than Apple’s. The South Korean company announced on Wednesday that it would start offering free self-repair for its Galaxy devices starting in March. Apple, on the other hand, only offers limited support for its devices through its Genius Bar. Samsung says that the self-repair program will cover “common issues” with Galaxy devices, such as battery life and performance problems. The company also plans to release a software update in early 2019 that will allow users to fix their own problems without having to go through the Genius Bar. Samsung is hoping that this program will make its devices more customer-friendly and increase loyalty among Galaxy owners. Apple has been criticized for not offering enough support for its devices. In particular, many users have complained about poor battery life and performance issues on Apple products. Samsung’s new self-repair program could potentially address some of these issues by providing users with access to free repairs and updates. However, it remains to be seen whether Galaxy owners will be willing to take advantage of this offer given Apple’s longstanding reputation for providing superior customer service. ..
Samsung announced back in March that it was working with iFixit to provide official replacement parts for Galaxy phones and tablets, in addition to updating repair guides and other documentation. Starting today, you can now buy genuine Samsung parts for the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21 series, as well as the Galaxy Tab S7+. Repair guides have also been updated and expanded for those devices.
There are many devices missing from that short list — Samsung sells two other Tab S7 models, the Galaxy S22 series, and many Galaxy A budget phones. Replacement parts are also only available in the United States for now, and some components (like camera modules) aren’t available. iFixit says it is “working towards more devices and additional comprehensive parts.”
The new program is similar to iFixit’s partnership with Google, which officially started in June and offers similar replacement parts and official repair guides for Google Pixel phones. Part availability is better with Google’s devices, though — you can buy (at least some) replacement components for all of Google’s phones since the 2017 Pixel 2.
Even in its current limited form, Samsung’s repair program is far simpler and more accessible than Apple’s self-repair program that started in May. Apple requires people to rent tools and equipment for iPhone repairs, and completing a screen or battery swap involves calling a remote technician for the iPhone to recognize it as a genuine part. Samsung and Google don’t have the same digital lockout mechanisms on their devices.
Source: iFixit, Samsung
