The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 might be popular with reviewers, but repairing the phone yourself could be a massive nightmare.
With every major new phone release comes the usual iFixit report. The tinkerers at iFixit regularly pull apart expensive smartphones and try to put them back together again – all in the name of science. It might not mean much to the average user, but iFixit’s repairability reports are an immensely valuable resource for people who are keen to repair their own smartphones.
So how did the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 fare under iFixit’s scrutiny? Not that well, unfortunately. Here’s the full video:
In the report, the phone is praised for the modularity of its components; this means that they can be replaced independently. We also learn that tinkerers will benefit from the fact that all the screws in the phone are standard Phillips screws.
However, repairing is still a tough ask. Tough adhesive and a glued-on rear panel make it “unnecessarily difficult” to replace the battery, for a start. But it’s also tough to replace other components:
“All repairs require removing the glass rear panel, which is challenging due to the large amount of adhesive. Replacing the display requires removing the glass rear panel and the display, both of which are fragile and secured with strong adhesive.”
All this resulted in the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 earning a lowly repairability score of 4/10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. By contrast, Apple’s iPhone 7 earned a far higher 7/10, despite iPhone devices having a reputation for being tricky to repair on your own. It’s not a massive surprise, however; the similarly designed Samsung Galaxy S8 also earned a 4/10 score, based on largely similar complaints.
Of course, we wouldn’t recommend letting this put you off buying a Galaxy Note 8. We’re convinced that it’s a quality phone, and most users won’t (and shouldn’t, for that matter) repair their own handsets.
Related: Best Android phones
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
