A ranking made by the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), an American NGO, shows which are the most difficult smartphones to repair.
BGR, which cites the ranking, writes that the iPhone scored the lowest among the phones reviewed in terms of ease of repair.
PIRG gave Apple a weak D- grade, based on the European Union’s European Product Register for Energy Labeling (EPREL) criteria. EPREL follows the Ecodesign criteria that phones must meet to achieve high repairability ratings.
These include rules on disassembly and repair, according to which manufacturers must make spare parts available within 5-10 working days and for seven years after the end of a product’s marketing.
A device is considered repairable if it meets certain requirements, such as the ability to be disassembled, the availability of components, and the accessibility of instructions provided or recommended by the manufacturer.
Several of Apple’s smartphones, including the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 16e, have experienced the same issues with disassembly.
The main problems were the fact that all Apple phones were considered complicated to disassemble, having between four and even five types of screwdriver heads, as well as the use of adhesives, which made access to components difficult. To get to the inside of the phone, several screwdrivers of different sizes are required.
This is not only frustrating, but can also mean additional costs for purchasing the necessary tools before the repair can begin.
Apple smartphones can be difficult to open, but Samsung ranked second in the list of the most difficult phones to repair.
The company is widely regarded as the best Android phone manufacturer in terms of customer satisfaction, but repairing such a device can be quite complicated. Apple and Samsung are among the most well-known smartphone manufacturers, but repairing their phones can cost you more if they break.
On the other hand, Motorola phones are considered the easiest to repair, as they have obtained the B+ rating.
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