Forget software updates, expensive repairs are the biggest hurdle to smartphone longevity

Thankfully, many of our readers haven't needed to repair their devices...yet.

Forget software updates, expensive repairs are the biggest hurdle to smartphone longevity

In an age when thousand-dollar smartphones are the norm, treating our devices well is becoming increasingly important. However, mistakes happen, even to the best of us. They get smacked, dropped, and chipped, and there will likely come a point when a repair is necessary. Samsung appeared to acknowledge this eventuality, shacking up with iFixit to improve its devices’ repair processes. The two companies have since divorced, with iFixit criticizing Samsung’s stance on aftermarket service and high component prices.

With Samsung making software updates a significant reason to purchase its flagship devices, iFixit’s criticism highlights the company’s latest issue with hardware repairs. There’s no point in purchasing a phone with seven years of software update support if you cannot keep its hardware running. Of course, in light of this situation, we wanted your views on smartphone repairs.