Posted inNews

Lenovo’s 2024 Thinkpad T14 and T16 laptops have user-replaceable parts (including batteries)

As laptops have gotten thinner and lighter, PC makers have moved away from including user-replaceable parts. The first to go were user-replaceable batteries, but a growing number of notebooks also have memory, and sometimes even storage, soldered to the motherboard. But a key selling point for Lenovo’s new ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and ThinkPad T16 Gen […]

Posted inNews

Fairphone 5 schematics, repair, and recycling documentation is now available

Fairphone has been putting an emphasis on the repairability and sustainability of its phones for much of the past decade. The company has a long track record of delivering software updates for old phones, offering phones with user-replaceable batteries, and selling spare parts for users that want to perform their own repairs. Starting with the […]

Posted inNews

Nokia G310 is a cheap, repairable smartphone coming to the US

Once upon a time it was easy to find smartphones with removable back covers and user-replaceable batteries. But these days most smartphones are glued tightly shut, making them difficult to repair without specialized equipment and expertise. This year HMD has started to make repairability a distinguishing feature though, starting with the Nokia G22 and G42 […]

Posted inNews

Europe will require all phones and other gadgets to have user replaceable batteries by 2027

The European Union has adopted new regulations regarding batteries that could extend the lifespan of gadgets, cut back on electronic waste, and generally improve sustainability. While the regulations apply to all sorts of batteries and covers things like waste collection and use of recycled materials, one section has been gathering a lot of attention: smartphones […]

Posted inNews

Lilbits: Pixel Fold is easily broken, easily repaired (somewhat) and would you stream Windows 11 from the cloud?

A few years ago, Microsoft introduced Windows 365 as a way to let business customers stream a Windows 11 desktop to just about any device. Now there’s evidence that the company could be planning to offer something similar for consumers… if it can convince anyone to pay to a monthly fee for the service. Windows […]

Posted inNews

Microsoft now sells some replacement parts for Surface devices

Microsoft is the latest major tech company to jump on the repair-it-yourself bandwagon. You can now buy replacement parts for components in some recent Surface tablets, laptops, and all-in-one PCs. The company says the goal is to make it easier for “technically inclined consumers” to perform out-of-warranty repairs without taking their products to a shop […]

Posted inNews

Lilbits: Pixel 7 colors revealed, Steam Deck repair centers opened, and Khadas VIM1S single-board PC detailed

Valve has already made it (relatively) easy for folks to repair broken Steam Deck hardware at home by partnering with iFixit. Prefer to leave things to the professionals? Now official Steam Deck repair centers are open. In-warranty repairs will be performed free of charge, but there’s also an option to pay for repairs that aren’t […]

Posted inNews

Steam Deck spare parts and repair guides are now available from iFixit

The Steam Deck is a handheld gaming PC that crams the guts of a laptop computer into a compact design that’s meant to be held in your hands. But despite the tight fit, Valve promised earlier this year that the Steam Deck would be user-repairable. And now the company is delivering on that promise. Spare […]

Posted inNews

Lilbits: Apple’s Self Service Repair isn’t all it’s cracked up to be

Apple launched its Self Service Repair program in April in what appeared to be a major win for the right to repair movement. Folks who want to buy a replacement screen, battery, or other components without taking their phone to a repair shop can now do that. But actually fixing a phone by yourself? That’s […]

Posted inNews

Apple’s Self Service Repair program goes live (for iPhone 12 and newer)

Apple is making it easier for iPhone owners perform their own repairs rather than taking their phones to a shop to replace a cracked screen, broken speaker, or dead battery, among other things. The Self Service Repair program that Apple promised to launch is now live for customers in the US who want to perform out-of-warranty […]