Smartphone repair from home: A growing trend among brands

As cell phones have evolved and enhanced their features over the years, their upkeep and repair has become even more complex.

There’s a growing movement of cell phone users that are repairing their devices from home. (Unsplash)

As cell phones have evolved and enhanced their features over the years, their upkeep and repair has become even more complex. Old brick cell phones were damage-resistant and when they did get busted, replacing a battery or changing the dial pad was really easy for any owner.

Today's smartphones are different. The high costs of modern smartphones translate into quite high repair costs because producing items such as the screen of a mobile device can exceed $200. This has led to a culture in which people often prefer to buy a new device rather than pay for a repair -- a habit that also negatively impacts the environment.

According to the United Nations, by 2023 globally, eight kilograms of e-waste will be produced per person, some 61.3 million tons of waste per year with only 17.4% of this e-waste being recycled.

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Some more conscious brands are seeking to become more sustainable, stripping down the unneeded bell and whistle accessories included in a newly purchased smartphone as well as offering customers premium services to avoid high technical support costs for repairs.

AppleCare+, for example, provides an extended warranty and premium technical support for Apple users, although this involves paying a monthly fee that can be expensive depending on the device.

But while brands catch up, there's a growing movement of cell phone users that are repairing their devices from home.

The wave of sustainability has reached smartphones

On June 28, HMD Global, the company behind Nokia smartphones, announced the new Nokia G42, a device that is part of the brand's sustainability program and can be repaired by customers in their own homes through repair kits offered through iFixit, an American online electronics repair site.

Although every time a brand announces a smartphone that can be repaired at home it becomes something of a media draw, the reality is that this initiative has been adopted by several brands in the market for some time now. In 2021, Apple announced a self-repair program for iPhone, allowing users to buy kits to fix their own devices. Samsung followed suit and in 2022 partnered with iFixit to offer a similar program. Google has also joined the trend, announcing last year a Pixel smartphone self-repair program also in partnership with iFixit.

Repairing a foldable smartphone at home? Google will make it possible

With little data to date on the impact of such programs, Google could take an even riskier step by extending its self-repair program to its first foldable smartphone, the Pixel Fold.

According to 9to5Google, Google's partnership with iF ixit, which facilitates Pixel phone repairs through the marketing of official parts and guides for almost all models, will be extended to the Pixel Fold, making it the world's first foldable smartphone to support such home repairs.

According to the report, users will be able to replace the battery, the foldable screen, and the charging port by following step-by-step instructions and using the appropriate original parts and tools that will be provided through the two companies' partnership.

In addition, Google will also offer mail-in and walk-in repair services for the Pixel Fold, as well as an Extended Warranty (Preferred Care) that will cover accidental damage and mechanical breakdowns after the warranty. With this option, customers will be able to repair or replace their Pixel Fold by paying a deductible.

Undoubtedly, self-repairing smartphones at home is a trend that more and more users are demanding, as it allows them to save money, time, and resources. Importantly, it also contributes to reducing electronic waste.

Therefore, it is important that brands facilitate this option to their customers, offering manuals, tools, and spare parts compatible with their devices.