Microsoft has revealed it is working with a “major US retailer” to build out its authorized repair network which will become available in early 2023.
In a statement(Opens in a new window) to iFixit, the tech giant said the move is to “bring repair options closer” to customers. Microsoft is also making moves to deliver a “broad availability of spare parts for independent repairers and consumers” in the first half of 2023.
The company increased repairable features starting with the release of the Surface Pro 9. The tablet was released on Oct. 12 and carries various novel improvements such as a screwed-in battery, motherboard, thermal module, and surface connect port.
Microsoft is to make the Surface Pro 9 service guides, which include full repair instructions available for public download, “by the end of the calendar year.”
Tech companies have moved toward building out their self-repair capabilities in recent months. In August, Apple began selling official replacement parts for MacBooks through the company’s self-service repair store.
The store launched in April for US customers initially as a way to fix broken iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and third-generation SE models, but 2020 MacBook Air and 2021 MacBook Pro models built with the company’s M1 Arm chips were brought into the fold in August.
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The company plans to expand the store to the European market before the end of the year, as well as expand(Opens in a new window) the service to Mac models with Apple silicon chips. Since 2019, Apple has nearly doubled(Opens in a new window) the number of repair service locations to which it supplies parts and tools.
Meanwhile, Google and Samsung have partnered with iFixit to offer repair parts for users. Under the agreement with Samsung, customers with Galaxy S20 and S21 or the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus tablet can access repair guides and official Samsung parts at a lower price than independent contractors. Owners can replace the USB-C charge port, and the back cover/glass, and switch out the screen and battery.
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