Samsung Announces U.S Galaxy Self-Repair Program in Collaboration With iFixit

By Betty Joita

Posted on April 1, 2022

Starting this summer, Samsung’s U.S customers will have the ability to self-repair the Galaxy S20 and S21 devices, and the Galaxy Tab S7 +.
This is really good news for the Right To Repair movements, which has started to gain more and more traction in the U.S

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For now, this program has been referred to by Samsung as just the Self-Repair Program. Even better, the company will collaborate with iFixit, the internet’s largest online community dedicated to, well, fixing things. The community has been talking about repairing electronics and other goods for years, as well as the benefits doing this has on the planet.

“We are excited to be consulting with Samsung to help them develop a solution for DIY parts and repair information,”Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit said regarding the partnership. “Every time you fix a device, you’re helping the planet.”

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As far as this program goes, Samsung customers, the Korean company explains, will have access to original device parts, repair tools, and illustrated step-by-step repair guides. In the initial phase of the project they will be able to replace the display assembly, rear glass and charging ports of the Galaxy S20 and S21, and the Galaxy Tab S7 +.

In addition to all this, the program will also inform the users how to return used parts to Samsung for responsible recycling. This is just as important as the repair program itself, as some of the parts might end up in the general household trash instead.

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“At Samsung, we’re creating more ways for consumers to extend the lifespan of our products with premium care experiences,” Ramon Gregory, Senior Vice President of Customer Care at Samsung Electronics America has said about the program. “Availability of self-repair will provide our consumers the convenience and more options for sustainable solutions.”

Samsung has been historically quite good at this: currently it has over 550 ‘We Come To You Vans’ in the U.S, who offer in-person service for a drive up to 60 minutes. Their repair time is around two or less hours.

The company is also working on additional nationwide support that will see it ship an empty box to the user’s home for them to package their device. This box will either be picked up from their home for free or they will have the option of dropping it themselves to their local UPS store.

We don’t know yet if Samsung plans to extend the program outside the U.S.