When it comes to phone repairs, Samsung users are in an increasingly tough spot

The right-to-repair movement seems to be gaining traction, with lawmakers in the U.S. finally considering regulations and holdouts like Apple offering self-service repair programs. That’s why it’s surprising that Samsung has taken such a massive step backward in repairing Galaxy phones. Over the last few weeks, two major Samsung repair partners have severed agreements to offer parts or services for Galaxy devices. One of them, iFixit, went as far as to say that Samsung’s approach to repairability didn’t align with its mission. Near simultaneously, a leaked repair contract outlined Samsung’s restrictive and anti-consumer policies that third-party authorized service providers must follow.

It’s hard not to see this as a snowball effect that drastically affected the repairability of Galaxy devices. Samsung might have weathered the storm if only one of these situations occurred. Combined, it’s a disaster for Samsung and any Galaxy device owner who may need to repair their phone in the future. As companies like Apple and Google are making progress forward toward repairability, recent developments show Samsung is trending in the opposite direction.

Repairing a Samsung phone today is difficult

Just a month ago, things looked a whole lot different

In case you missed the whirlwind of news coverage surrounding Samsung phone repairs of late, let’s do a quick recap. Things started on May 23, when 404 Media received and verified the authenticity of a leaked Samsung repair contract. There were many questionable things included in that contract — a contract that any independent repair shop must agree to become an authorized service provider.

Privacy violations were a big concern, as Samsung requires independent shops to provide the company with users’ names, contact information, phone identifiers, and complaint details. The contract also mandated that independent repair providers “immediately disassemble” any Galaxy phones using third-party parts and report them to Samsung. Not very consumer-friendly, I’d say.

That same day, iFixit made a press release explaining that the company was ending its Samsung collaboration. The partnership allowed iFixit to sell Samsung parts, necessary repair tools, and create official repair guides for Galaxy devices. To be fair, it’s not exactly clear which company decided to cut the other loose. iFixit says Samsung made it all but impossible for the partnership to succeed since the company imposed arbitrary quantity limits and offered non-competitive pricing. But iFixit says it won’t make its own repair guides for Samsung devices anymore, which doesn’t make a ton of sense — if iFixit is really worried about helping users repair their devices.

Either way, it’s a big loss for users. iFixit is a great way to buy parts and tools, as well as to learn a bit about repairing products. Now that iFixit is out of the picture, Samsung Galaxy owners have one less official avenue to buy genuine parts for their devices.

Well, two fewer avenues for repair, if we’re counting the loss of Best Buy as a Samsung-authorized service provider. According to The Verge, Best Buy’s Geek Squad will no longer repair Galaxy devices for most users as a Samsung ASP. Only those who bought their device at Best Buy and paid for a protection plan can receive services now. Geek Squad is in every Best Buy store, of which there are more than 1,000 worldwide. The Geek Squad subsidiary also employs roughly 20,000 employees. It’s impossible to understate how massive of a disappointment this is for Samsung users who want quick and reliable repairs.

This is usually where staunch right-to-repair advocates will point to two alternatives. “Just repair it yourself” or “support independent repair shops” are common retorts to concerns about the lack of official and corporate repair options. But these alternatives are easier said than done. We shouldn’t be encouraging users without the knowledge to safely and effectively repair consumer electronics to do so, full stop. Empowering users with knowledge and means is a great thing; however, not everyone can or should repair their devices.

It’s also worth noting that it’s not immediately clear which third-party repair shops are trustworthy. Most are led by honest people, but like in every industry, there are bad independent repair shops with scammy practices. For a consumer, going somewhere like Best Buy is an easier sell.

What it means for Galaxy customers

Do software updates matter if the hardware doesn’t run?

There are still a few official ways to get Samsung phone repairs completed. Samsung has its own repair services, although it’s sometimes hard to tell which are completed by the official Samsung Mobile Care team or third-party contractors. The company offers mail-in service, walk-in service, and a We Come To You program that brings technicians straight to your door. It also has a partnership with uBreakiFix, although customers have had questionable experiences getting service through that brand. While self-service repair through iFixit is dead, Samsung still sells parts through a company called Encompass at samsungparts.com.

However, Samsung phones have never been as easy to repair as iPhones, even if Apple’s “repairs” often consist of customers just getting a new phone at an Apple Store. Losing Best Buy as an authorized service provider is arguably a bigger problem than losing iFixit. Best Buy was somewhere you could count on for a quick, easy, and reliable Samsung repair. Now, where is that place? It’s probably not your local independent repair shop anymore, because that place is either unauthorized or has been forced to agree to Samsung’s problematic ASP contract. It’s also not Samsung Mobile Care or uBreakiFix, because countless Reddit threads and social media posts outline the problems there.

And the iFixit partnership ending is certainly a problem, even if it isn’t as glaring as the other cuts. I know iFixit, but I don’t know Encompass. If I were buying parts to repair my personal Galaxy Z Fold 4, I would feel much better about getting them from iFixit than a provider I’ve never heard of.

Another important thing to consider here is Samsung’s seven-year update promise for this year’s Galaxy S24 lineup. This kind of commitment only matters if these Galaxy phones are actually working six or seven years from now. That’s doubtful in light of these repairability developments. Google made the same seven-year commitment (and actually did it first), but it is firmly trending in the right direction. It’s doing an iFixit partnership the right way, designing Pixels with repairability in mind, and owning up to bad policy decisions.

As it looks now, I’d feel better about a Pixel 8 series device working for seven years than a Galaxy S24. After all, a battery replacement is all but a certainty over that long of a span. If you can’t get one easily on a Samsung phone, don’t even consider the update promise. Then again, Google does have its own fair share of repair problems — just look at the Pixel subreddit on any given day for proof.

Samsung can’t take the Apple route

Without repair improvements, it’ll be hard to recommend Galaxy phones in the same way

So, what do Samsung users do now if their Galaxy needs a repair? They really only have two good options: use Samsung Mobile Care or fix it themselves. uBreakiFix has a questionable track record, independent repair shops are bound by an awful contract, and Best Buy is no longer an option. Apple takes a similar approach to repairing iPhones, leaning on its own repair services first and foremost. However, there are many more Apple Stores in the U.S. than there are Samsung stores capable of offering first-party repair. And for what it’s worth, Best Buy is still an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Samsung can’t take Apple’s repair and service strategy. The company’s first-party offerings aren’t as compelling, and their partnerships are somehow worse. Samsung needed to lean on as many partners as possible to make the Galaxy repair experience as good as the iPhone’s. Without Best Buy and iFixit, it would be difficult to comfortably recommend Galaxy phones to anyone who isn’t willing to encounter massive headaches during a potential repair.