Gone are the old computers of the past with their open sides where computer repair specialists could plug and play a number of different graphics cards, hard drives and ports. In the modern day we rely on smart devices with lightweight parts which are often wielded together with glue. Whilst our lightweight devices may be cosmetically appealing, this causes some problems for computer and laptop repair experts who sometimes find it impossible to repair these devices.
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Modern smartphones
Many modern smartphones are “out of the box” and do not allow the battery to be taken out. For example the Samsung S7 was the first phone to remove the ability to take out the battery, other models have followed suit including the Sony Xperia Z5 & Z5 compact. Whilst these phones are quite solid and simplified, if the battery ceases to work it cannot just be simply replaced without going to a repair store.
Because of many smartphones replacing small screws with glue, some become impossible to repair or actually at risk of further damage after initial repairs owing to the glue seals being broken.
Limiting the options when it comes to repairs
Particularly this applies to Apple products, if you damage your device or something goes wrong in the software then you are obliged to use their official repair services. Whilst many products have a minimum of a one year warranty, if you chose to go to an independent repair specialist then this will invalidate the warranty. The problem comes with that the official manufacturer repair services will cost a lot more, many see this as slightly unethical. With such a short warranty many in Bristol are opting for repairs from their local Apple mac repair specialist.
Is the new Microsoft Surface 10 the most unrepairable device?
Recently Microsoft released the latest Surface, a tablet and laptop hybrid which brags the mobility and touch friendliness of a tablet with the high spec of a laptop. Laptop repair specialists however do not rate this device very highly on repairability. On opening the device it becomes impossible to put it back together, making it destructive to attempt to repair or upgrade the device. This may lead some to rethink their decision to fork out a whopping £949 for the device.
Will unrepairable, non-upgradeable devices matter in future? It might not do with the attitude that many young people have towards tech. Tech becomes outdated and in the modern day it’s often that someone upgrades to a new device and leaves the old one behind. Instead of a phone lasting 3-4 years, many will get a new mobile every year.
