Samsung and iFixit have finally launched their self-repair program, allowing owners of a phone from the Galaxy S20 and S21 lines, as well as the Tab S7 Plus, to purchase replacement parts.
The initial announcement of the self-repair program was made back at the end of marchand not much has changed since then. In the three product lines (opens in new tab), you can buy repair kits for the screen and battery, charging port and rear window; standalone batteries are not included. What’s new is access to free online repair guides that tell you how to fix your phone through step-by-step walkthroughs that include images.
repair packages
Replacement parts and step-by-step instructions are available on the iFixit website.
You start by going to iFixit’s Galaxy page and selecting the template (opens in new tab). Prices between lines S20 and S21 are mostly uniform. Charging port replacement costs $66.99. Rear window kits are $76.99, except for the base S21 model, which is $66.99. The display and battery kits vary depending on the phone. The cheapest is, again, the base S21 (opens in new tab) ($167.99) with the most expensive being the S21 Ultra (opens in new tab) ($239.99).
Prices are a little different for the Tablet Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (opens in new tab). The display kit is $226.99, the rear window and battery pack are $86.99, and the charging port is $66.99. In addition to product-specific parts, each repair kit comes with the same tools: suction handles, iFixit opening tool (opens in new tab)calipers and a little driver just to name a few.
Each of the repair kits also comes with a free return label so you can send your old parts back to Samsung for proper disposal. iFixit even includes instructions on how to properly dispose of lithium ion batteries (opens in new tab). You can’t just throw these batteries in the trash as they can literally explode. We should also mention that some repair kits, like the S21 5G screen and battery pack (opens in new tab)are limited to seven per customer.
Step by step
As for the step-by-step instructions, Samsung has a accessible landing page (opens in new tab) for quick access. By iFixit’s own admission, repairs can be a little difficult to do. O Galaxy S21 Ultra screen and battery replacement page (opens in new tab), for example, is listed as moderately difficult and may take a few hours to complete. The repair involves using one of the pickaxes and the suction handle to open a phone and disconnect certain parts to replace the battery.
The instructions go through everything in minute detail, but if you don’t feel confident doing it yourself, Samsung has other options. You can use Samsung store locator (opens in new tab) to find an authorized workshop or send the phone.
Just be sure to put your phone in repair mode to protect your data before bringing it in.
limited in scale
The limited amount of devices you can fix is a little disappointing. It would have been nice to have Samsung’s latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S22, in the program. The announcement states that there are plans to include more devices, but no date has been given.
We reached out to Samsung to ask when more devices will be added and if it will be possible to purchase a replacement battery separate from the display kits. A Samsung representative got back to us but had no new information to give. The only way to get a new battery is to buy the display kit for now. The company revealed that “additional parts will be added as the program grows,” but didn’t say anything specific or exactly when.
Still, it’s great to have these repair options. Samsung has finally teamed up with companies like Google and Apple to offer repairs to their phones. Up until The valve is doing the same with Steam Deck. All of these are great achievements for consumers and the environment.
For iPhone owners, we recommend checking out our Apple self-service repair story for details about your program.