Samsung has announced it is expanding its self-repair program, which it launched last year with iFixit, the leading online repair community. “The expanded program,” Samsung says, “now features genuine repair parts for the Galaxy Book Pro 15” and Galaxy Book Pro 360 15” PCs, as well as the Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra family of products.
Customers can now purchase official parts for the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra, in addition to those for the Galaxy Book Pro (15-inch) and Pro 360 notebooks. This comes as the tech world is preparing for the company’s upcoming Unpacked event where the Galaxy S23 will be unveiled.
After the initial rollout of Samsung’s DIY repair program which Innovation Village reported in August, users had access to only a small selection of OEM parts, including back covers, USB-C charge ports, and screens for the Galaxy S20 and S21, and the Tab S7. However, the expansion of officially repairable devices to include S22 devices didn’t change anything.
When you consider the options, it’s annoying that Samsung only ships genuine Galaxy S screens and batteries as single units. This means you have to pay for a new screen even if your battery is bad or not funtioning well. Morever, the company’s decision to use permanent adhesives for the battery makes it difficult to separate the two halves without the use of chemicals and/or careful prying.
However, until Samsung revamps the inner workings of its phones, self or DIY repairs will be difficult. The iFixit OEM guide for removing the USB-C / charging board from an S22 Ultra has 39 steps, and removing the display and battery assembly from the board requires another 21. Imagine!
Samsung should have included the S22 parts when it first started its repair program, but it didn’t. At least, the company has finally made them available. The ability to swap out components like the battery or the top case and keyboard on the Galaxy Book Pro and Pro 360 notebooks on your own is a huge plus.
In the meantime, Apple’s own self-repair program does not yet include an option for users to perform self repairs on their iPhone 14 devices. The MacBook Pro has a self-repair option now as well, though it’s more expensive than fixing a Samsung laptop.
Even though Samsung’s Fold devices are selling like hotcakes, users will most likely invest in a Samsung Care Plus plan should life happen. And because new phones are on the horizon, all we can do is speculate about how long it will be before the first owners of the new phones will be able to stock up on parts, particularly for those who are considering using their next phone without a case.
