Oh shit. Your phone, laptop or tablet is on Fritz. What now?
Depending on which company made it, you Might be so You can save the trouble of dropping and repairing. That is, if you have the courage to open that device and fix it yourself. Over the past few years, some tech companies have made it easier to self-heal certain devices. Microsoft, Samsung, and Google come to mind.
Why are these companies doing this? Persistence over the years, largely due to the “Right to Repair” movement. Right-to-repair activists have been pushing legislation for years that would require tech companies to provide resources for self-repair, and in 2021, they could win legal victories in places like New York. I’m here. for the earth. Billions of electronic devices are discarded each year, creating large amounts of e-waste. A refurbished device is a device that has not been scrapped.
Related item: Samsung officially launches self-healing partnership with iFixIt
If you need a quick repair for your device, you may be able to purchase genuine repair parts and find simple online instructions to make it happen. Here are some of the biggest tech companies ( and one nifty startup) shows how it handles self-healing.
microsoft
Surface Pro 8 has a service guide on Microsoft’s website. Credit: Molly Flores/Mashable
Microsoft became one of the first big companies. Allow self-healing At the time of writing, this only applies to Microsoft’s Surface series of tablets and laptops, and only to certain models.
Thankfully, there is an easy way to check if your device is eligible for self-healing.Microsoft is website You can download a PDF service guide for each target device. These include, but are not limited to:
For parts availability, visit the Online Device Repair Hub i will fix Whether it’s Microsoft or the other companies on this list, they’ll be your best friend. Screens, batteries, kickstands, and other components for a wide variety of Surface devices are available at iFixit.
samsung
Get replacement parts for your Galaxy S21. Credit: Zlata Ivleva/Mashable
last summer, samsung launched Official self-healing partnership with iFixit.I have iFixit site page Dedicated exclusively to this partnership, we provide easy access to repair tools and guides for a handful of supported devices.
And being small means smallAs of this writing, iFixit only offers parts for the Samsung Galaxy S20 and S21 smartphone lines and the Galaxy Tab S7+. You can buy replacement screens, batteries, and charging ports for these devices, but only for these devices.if your Galaxy S22 Ultra Break, so far you’re out of luck.
Google’s self-healing program is pretty comprehensive. Credit: THOMAS URBAIN/AFP via Getty Images
Google Pixel fans will love this.
Google Also Partner with iFixit last year provided repair tools, parts, and information for Pixel phones. However, unlike Samsung, there doesn’t seem to be any major holes in the program.All Pixel phones are great pixel 7 pro (including budget Pixel A-series models) appear to be supported by genuine Google replacement parts. These include replacement screens and batteries.
Oh, iFixit also has helpful guides for each device. It couldn’t be more convenient.
apple
iPhone SE owners are lucky. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
apple I usually prefer to do things my way, and self-healing is no exception.
Instead of working with iFixit like everyone else, Apple created its own self healing website Provides access to tools, parts, and manuals. Currently the list of supported devices is rather limited. You can order each variant of the iPhone 12 and 13, as well as the latest parts. iPhone SEbut not yet compatible with any version of the iPhone 14.
Desktops and laptops are the same. You can order parts for the 2020 and 2021 models of mac book air When macbook probut not new M2 macbook airFor desktop, your options are the 2021 iMac, 2020 M1 Mac mini, and 2022 Mac Studio.
Still, it’s better than nothing.
Framework
Framework laptops may make you a computer repair expert. Credit: Molly Flores/Mashable
This last one isn’t a well-known brand like the others, but it’s super cool anyway, so it’s on the list.
of framework laptop is a laptop designed so that a layman like you or me can replace parts as needed, without a lot of expertise. It comes with a tool to open the laptop, and the individual parts inside are labeled with QR codes that link to repair manuals. The laptop has 4 slots into which you can insert any port you like.
Related item: Framework Repairable Laptops Googled
Need 4 USB-C ports? Just order 4 from framework store And you have it. The same goes for replacing basically any part of the device, from the battery to the motherboard. Don’t get me wrong, if you have no experience with self-healing devices, the repair procedure still looks pretty daunting, and you probably won’t find anything on the market that does this easily.
