Google’s Repair Policy Is Broken

Pixel Imperfect

What is peculiarly egregious astir this deficiency of repair options is Google knows however to grip this properly. If your Pixel breaks, you tin precise apt get it fixed.

“Repair options see mail-in service, walk-in repairs astatine authorized locations, and adjacent DIY repairs with authoritative parts and guides provided by our spouse iFixit,” Nickel told WIRED successful an email. “Our repair enactment site, located here, is the champion introduction constituent for support.”

You tin get genuine parts for the Pixel 2 done the new Pixel 8A from iFixit. If you’re unfamiliar, the iFixit website is simply a fantastic assets for anyone looking to repair their gadgets. It provides parts, repair kits, and video tutorials, and the institution consults with galore large manufacturers, including Microsoft, Fairphone, Logitech, HP, and Lenovo, to marque their devices much repairable.

Currently, iFixit provides authoritative parts for Google, HTC, Fairphone, Motorola, Teenage Engineering, Vaude, and Valve devices, among others. However, the repair institution precocious ended its concern with Samsung owed to a deficiency of follow-through from the electronics giant, though iFixit inactive offers repair kits for Samsung devices.

Apple maintains rigid power implicit its repairs, fiercely resisting due enactment for unapproved third-party repair shops oregon amateur location repairs, though it conceded a small crushed connected iPhone parts recently. Regardless, iFixit does connection kits for galore Apple devices too. Still, Apple volition astatine slightest hole your breached devices, adjacent if it charges a premium.

Nickel says Google does connection replacement parts to DIY enactment partners, similar iFixit, wherever possible, and it hopes to amended repairability for its gadgets, though this seems to beryllium driven by legislation. While the right-to-repair question has gained immoderate ground, the interaction of federal authorities successful the US and the UK remains to beryllium seen, and tech companies proceed to resist, making what galore campaigners consciousness are minimal efforts.