Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google just announced a Pixel self-repair program.
- Partnering with iFixit, Google will sell repair kits for Pixels so anyone can fix their phone.
- This program is very similar to Samsung’s, which launched a few weeks ago.
In 2021, Apple announced it would offer a self-repair program for iPhones. Although the program still doesn’t have a name or a launch date, it will allow anyone to buy kits to repair their smartphone. In March 2022, Samsung launched a similar program in collaboration with iFixit.
Unsurprisingly, Google’s system sounds the same as the one offered by the other two companies. You’ll be able to buy repair kits for various aspects of a Pixel phone, including the display, battery, and camera. Those kits will come with genuine Google parts and, in some cases, tools and instructions from iFixit.
There will be kits for every Pixel phone from the Pixel 2 onward, including future unreleased Pixel devices. The program will be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. It will also be available in the specific European countries where Pixel is available.
This new Pixel self-repair program will undoubtedly make right-to-repair enthusiasts happy. However, all three of these programs from huge electronics companies are likely preemptive responses to future right-to-repair legislation, rather than giving consumers what they want. But hey, at least the option to fix things yourself is finally on the way, right?
