Break, no fix: Apple and Samsung make repairs hard
(2026/04/07)
- Reference: 1775574532
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/04/07/apple_samsung_repairability/
- Source link:
Samsung and Apple phones are more difficult to repair than those from other makers, according to a report ranking devices by how easy to fix they are.
The two premium smartphone brands came out at the bottom of the table when scored by the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group.
Although a US body, its fifth edition of " [1]Failing the Fix " reviews kit using the EU's European Product Registry for Energy Labelling ( [2]EPREL ) criteria for assessing smartphones, while keeping the repairability index introduced by the French government for judging laptops.
[3]
PIRG found that Samsung came second to last with a D rating, while Apple ranked last with a D- grade, meaning both the leading manufacturers have a lot of room for improvement.
[4]
[5]
Motorola leads the list of phone makers with a B+ score, followed by Google with a C- rating.
Apple is also at the bottom of the laptop table with a C- score, while Lenovo fares little better with a C rating. Pride of place goes to Asus, which achieved a B+ grade, followed by Acer with a B score. HP and Dell both managed a B-.
[6]
Both EPREL and the French scheme score products based on ease of disassembly; the quality of the repair information or documentation; spare part availability and pricing; and software updates. So it isn't just about finding that the device is [7]held together with glue .
EPREL gives ease of disassembly a greater weighting, which better takes into account the realities of repair, PIRG said, such as how many steps it takes to carry out simple repairs such as replacing a phone's battery.
Unfixable products have become a key issue for consumers and the environment alike. The organization claims Americans could save a total of nearly $50 billion a year if they were able to repair kit instead of having to replace it.
[8]
Last year, it was reported that the [9]average e-waste footprint per person amounted to 11.2 kg (nearly 25 pounds) annually. The UN also issued a warning some time ago that the electronic waste pile is [10]growing almost five times faster than the world is managing to recycle it. E-waste is said to be the fastest-growing source of waste in the United States.
"We are inundated with overly disposable gadgets and then our landfills are inundated with them next," said Nathan Proctor, senior director of PIRG Education Fund's Right to Repair campaign.
"The goal of our work on Right to Repair is to make sure people can fix stuff when it breaks. This report can help consumers buy from companies that value repair and ensure that their devices are designed to last."
However, PIRG claims that eight out of the ten brands it looked at belong to trade associations opposed to the right to repair. These include TechNet and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
[11]Apple signs meaningless deal to make some less-important parts in America
[12]Apple iOS 26 set to dump 75M iPhones on the e-waste pile
[13]Apple's 'Awe Droppings' fall close to the tree
[14]Apple's ultra-thin iPhone flops as foldable iPad hits a crease
Software support timelines are another way that manufacturers limit device lifespan, PIRG says. It points out that when a phone or laptop no longer receives security updates, it effectively becomes unsafe to use, even if the hardware still functions.
This was a point of contention last year, when the organization claimed that the end of support for Windows 10 would see [15]up to 400 million PCs potentially consigned to the scrapheap because they were unable to upgrade to the next version.
But it isn't all bad. PIRG says that with the iPhone 16 and iOS 18, Apple introduced a new on-device Repair Assistant and now allows genuine Apple parts to be calibrated and reused in repairs. This is a meaningful shift from previous policy, which required Apple authorization to complete even basic repairs.
The organization concludes by stating that there needs to be a consistent repair score that allows US consumers to choose repairable products. An American Right to Repair score, modeled on the EU system used in this report, would give consumers a simple way to compare repairability, it added. Heaven forbid it actually adopt the EU system, of course – that would be madness. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/failing-the-fix-2026/
[2] https://eprel.ec.europa.eu/screen/product/smartphonestablets20231669
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2013/02/14/surface_pro_teardown/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/16/ted_talk_electronic_waste/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/21/ewaste_grows/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/26/apple_expands_list_of_bits/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/02/apple_ios_26_waste/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/09/apples_awe_droppings_fall_close/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/23/apples_ultrathin_iphone_flops/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/11/electronic_waste_graveyard/
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The two premium smartphone brands came out at the bottom of the table when scored by the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group.
Although a US body, its fifth edition of " [1]Failing the Fix " reviews kit using the EU's European Product Registry for Energy Labelling ( [2]EPREL ) criteria for assessing smartphones, while keeping the repairability index introduced by the French government for judging laptops.
[3]
PIRG found that Samsung came second to last with a D rating, while Apple ranked last with a D- grade, meaning both the leading manufacturers have a lot of room for improvement.
[4]
[5]
Motorola leads the list of phone makers with a B+ score, followed by Google with a C- rating.
Apple is also at the bottom of the laptop table with a C- score, while Lenovo fares little better with a C rating. Pride of place goes to Asus, which achieved a B+ grade, followed by Acer with a B score. HP and Dell both managed a B-.
[6]
Both EPREL and the French scheme score products based on ease of disassembly; the quality of the repair information or documentation; spare part availability and pricing; and software updates. So it isn't just about finding that the device is [7]held together with glue .
EPREL gives ease of disassembly a greater weighting, which better takes into account the realities of repair, PIRG said, such as how many steps it takes to carry out simple repairs such as replacing a phone's battery.
Unfixable products have become a key issue for consumers and the environment alike. The organization claims Americans could save a total of nearly $50 billion a year if they were able to repair kit instead of having to replace it.
[8]
Last year, it was reported that the [9]average e-waste footprint per person amounted to 11.2 kg (nearly 25 pounds) annually. The UN also issued a warning some time ago that the electronic waste pile is [10]growing almost five times faster than the world is managing to recycle it. E-waste is said to be the fastest-growing source of waste in the United States.
"We are inundated with overly disposable gadgets and then our landfills are inundated with them next," said Nathan Proctor, senior director of PIRG Education Fund's Right to Repair campaign.
"The goal of our work on Right to Repair is to make sure people can fix stuff when it breaks. This report can help consumers buy from companies that value repair and ensure that their devices are designed to last."
However, PIRG claims that eight out of the ten brands it looked at belong to trade associations opposed to the right to repair. These include TechNet and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
[11]Apple signs meaningless deal to make some less-important parts in America
[12]Apple iOS 26 set to dump 75M iPhones on the e-waste pile
[13]Apple's 'Awe Droppings' fall close to the tree
[14]Apple's ultra-thin iPhone flops as foldable iPad hits a crease
Software support timelines are another way that manufacturers limit device lifespan, PIRG says. It points out that when a phone or laptop no longer receives security updates, it effectively becomes unsafe to use, even if the hardware still functions.
This was a point of contention last year, when the organization claimed that the end of support for Windows 10 would see [15]up to 400 million PCs potentially consigned to the scrapheap because they were unable to upgrade to the next version.
But it isn't all bad. PIRG says that with the iPhone 16 and iOS 18, Apple introduced a new on-device Repair Assistant and now allows genuine Apple parts to be calibrated and reused in repairs. This is a meaningful shift from previous policy, which required Apple authorization to complete even basic repairs.
The organization concludes by stating that there needs to be a consistent repair score that allows US consumers to choose repairable products. An American Right to Repair score, modeled on the EU system used in this report, would give consumers a simple way to compare repairability, it added. Heaven forbid it actually adopt the EU system, of course – that would be madness. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/failing-the-fix-2026/
[2] https://eprel.ec.europa.eu/screen/product/smartphonestablets20231669
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2013/02/14/surface_pro_teardown/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33adUqH3EzCjshP25yGOJysgAAAA4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/16/ted_talk_electronic_waste/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/21/ewaste_grows/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/26/apple_expands_list_of_bits/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/02/apple_ios_26_waste/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/09/apples_awe_droppings_fall_close/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/23/apples_ultrathin_iphone_flops/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/11/electronic_waste_graveyard/
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Keyboard swap = 96 screws
Teach me to get a T14s and not a T14
Now found the former is 96 screws according to the vids, whereas the T14 is 4 from memory