Key Takeaways:
- Repairability Crisis:Apple’s iPhone ranks as the least repairable phone, closely followed by Samsung and Google, according to US Pirg’s “Failing the Fix” report.
- Transparency Drives Lower Scores:New European laws requiring repairability scores have unveiled a stark reality, leading to lower, more accurate ratings for manufacturers, despite some superficial “right-to-repair” concessions.
- Advocacy for Longevity:Consumer groups are pushing manufacturers to prioritize product durability, ease of repair, and software support over planned obsolescence, arguing against a “dystopian” future of constant e-waste.
In an era dominated by rapid technological cycles and planned obsolescence, a new report delivers a sobering verdict on the state of consumer electronics: most of our beloved devices are designed to be difficult, if not impossible, to fix. The consumer advocacy group US Pirg has just released its annual “Failing the Fix” report, revealing that Apple’s iPhone stands out as the least repairable smartphone on the market, with Samsung and Google not far behind. This comprehensive evaluation marks a significant turning point, being the first report to widely leverage repairability scores mandated by new European laws, offering an unprecedented look into manufacturers’ true commitment to product longevity.
The Unflattering State of Smartphone Repairability
The “Failing the Fix” report pulls no punches. While Motorola emerged as a relative champion in the smartphone category with a B+ rating, other industry giants fared poorly. Google’s phones received a C-, Samsung’s were handed a D, and Apple’s iPhones landed at the bottom of the list with a dismal D-. These scores are a stark indicator that despite growing consumer demand for repairable products, many leading tech companies continue to prioritize design choices that impede rather than facilitate repair.
The trend isn’t confined to smartphones. Laptops, too, show a similar disparity. Asus topped the laptop list with a B+, demonstrating that repairable designs are indeed achievable even for complex devices. In contrast, Apple’s MacBooks languished near the bottom, earning a C-. This consistent pattern across different device categories highlights a systemic issue within many segments of the tech industry.
European Laws: A New Era of Transparency
What makes this year’s “Failing the Fix” report particularly impactful is its reliance on new legislative frameworks in Europe. A 2021 French law now mandates that products be labeled with a repairability score, providing consumers with crucial information at the point of purchase. Building on this, the European Union’s 2023 law established the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL), which grades devices from A to F based on an array of key repairability factors. These factors include ease of access and disassembly, battery endurance, ingress protection (like waterproofing), and durability against repeated falls.
These European initiatives have fundamentally shifted the landscape of repairability assessment. “Despite many right-to-repair concessions companies have made—like making their tools, parts, and repair instructions publicly available—those rankings are lower than years past, largely because of the new information that has been gleaned from European Laws,” explains Nathan Proctor, senior director of US Pirg’s campaign for the right to repair. This newfound transparency forces manufacturers to self-report on specific design elements, revealing a truer picture of product repairability than previous, less standardized evaluations.
US Pirg’s Holistic Approach: Beyond Design Scores
To arrive at its comprehensive ratings, US Pirg goes beyond simply collating the EPREL and French repair indexes. The group integrates additional US-specific factors into its methodology, crucially examining whether companies actively lobby against right-to-repair legislation or are members of trade associations that do so. This unique dimension adds a layer of accountability, linking corporate political activity directly to product repairability scores.
“If you’re buying your equipment from a company that’s spending their money to lobby against your right to repair that thing, that doesn’t speak well for their support, for your ability to fix that,” Proctor asserts. “So we also dock points for some of those legislative activities.” This approach underscores a core tenet of the right-to-repair movement: a company’s commitment to repairability should extend beyond product design to its advocacy efforts and overall corporate responsibility.
Apple’s Complex Repairability Journey
While Apple’s D- rating places it at the bottom of the smartphone repairability list, it’s worth noting a nuanced improvement. iPhones have climbed from an F rating in 2022 to a C- in a recent internal assessment—a progression that suggests some movement, albeit within a still-challenging framework. However, the current low D- score in US Pirg’s report, informed by EU data, largely comes down to software support and how companies self-report under these new regulations.
Proctor points out the inherent problem with “grading on a curve” when assessing repairability. “When we’ve been grading on a curve, Apple has not been a standout in the bad column,” he notes. “But why are we grading on a curve? We should just have longer lasting products.” The critical issue often lies in software updates that effectively render older, perfectly functional hardware obsolete, forcing consumers into premature upgrades. This software-driven obsolescence, combined with proprietary parts and complex disassembly procedures, contributes significantly to Apple’s low scores.
A Call to Action for a Sustainable Future
The ultimate goal of publishing these scores, Proctor explains, is to shine a spotlight on the critical importance of repairability, accessibility, and waste reduction. The current trajectory of disposable electronics is economically draining for consumers and environmentally disastrous. “This is an emerging, vitally important issue that we need better leadership on from companies and from other public policy officials,” Proctor states passionately. “We should not be trashing all of our internet connected stuff every couple of years because it’s impossible to use it with the software. It’s totally unsustainable. It’s crazy. Let’s not build that world. That world is a dystopia.”
The report serves as a powerful incentive for manufacturers to rethink their design philosophies. By making products easier to fix, companies could foster greater consumer loyalty, reduce electronic waste, and contribute to a more circular economy. Despite the grim current ratings, Proctor remains optimistic about the potential for change. “I’m actually pretty confident that some of that stuff’s going to get addressed,” he adds, offering a hopeful nod to the industry’s capacity for innovation. “Apple engineers are good at making stuff. They’re good at solving problems.” The challenge now is to direct that problem-solving prowess towards durability and repairability, rather than perpetual consumption.
The Bottom Line
US Pirg’s “Failing the Fix” report is a clarion call for a fundamental shift in how tech products are designed, sold, and supported. With Apple, Samsung, and Google languishing at the bottom of repairability rankings, and new European transparency laws exposing the truth, the pressure is mounting on manufacturers to prioritize durability and ease of repair. Consumers, regulators, and advocates are demanding an end to planned obsolescence and a move towards a sustainable future where devices last longer, are easier to maintain, and contribute less to the growing tide of e-waste. The onus is now on tech giants to innovate for longevity, not just novelty.
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