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Motorola Becomes First Smartphone Company To Sell DIY Repair Kits To Its Customers (vice.com)
As Apple continues to fight independent repair, Motorola has partnered with iFixit and pledged to support the right to repair movement. From a report: It is excellent news that Motorola has decided to make it as easy as possible for you to repair your phone. The company announced that it would begin selling replacement parts for all of its recent phones to customers, and it has partnered with iFixit to sell repair kits for phones like the Moto X, Z, G4, G5, and Droid Turbo 2. The kits come with tools, genuine Motorola-branded replacement parts, and instructions on how to fix your device. iFixit is currently selling replacement batteries, screens, and digitizer assemblies. "Motorola is setting an example for major manufacturers to embrace a more open attitude towards repair," iFixit wrote in a blog post announcing the partnership. "For fixers like us, this partnership is representative of a broader movement in support of our Right to Repair. It's proof that OEM manufacturers and independent repair can co-exist. Big business and social responsibility, and innovation and sustainability, don't need to be mutually exclusive."
I have two Nexus 5 phones (for myself and my wife) that have together had six screen replacements and four battery replacements. I've done this all myself and I'm now getting quite good at it. Replacement screens and batteries are inexpensive and readily available. These phones are over five years old and they still work just fine. They run all of the current communications protocols (LTE, 3G, Bluetooth, Near Field, etc.) so they are not yet obsolete. The latest version of open source software is available for them.
I really appreciate not spending money on new phones every few years.
I think manufacturers need to realize that this is mature technology and customers don't need to upgrade frequently. The latest phones are just bells and whistles. The current focus is on better cameras and the new ones are better but I'm not a professional photographer and if I was I wouldn't use a camera phone. The "old" 8MP camera in the Nexus 5 is just fine for snaps.
Happy to see Motorola taking this route instead of trying to extort money for a new sale from you.
(ProTip... any glue used for phone assembly is easily softened with a heat gun.)
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
You are likely wrong, I would guess; just considering how prevalent how to videos for so many things on YouTube and elsewhere have become; from auto mechanics, to fishing and hunting, to gardening, and more; I would place good odds on the market being primed for this.
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My phone is dying and was already looking at Moto as the replacement, very favorably. This seals it. I am buying X4.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact