In recent years, phone makers have been making efforts to make their products more repairable. Some do so on their own, while others are forced by regulatory bodies (mainly European). Google and Apple have shared details about their measures for more environmentally friendly devices. Samsung has also made some pro-repairability decisions in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, although it could do more.
Galaxy S flagships have never been among the most repairable phones on the market. That said, this year Samsung has taken a step forward to try to change that. The most premium model in the Galaxy S25 series went through the iFixit test table. The analyst found a couple of key decisions that could be indicative of Samsung’s approach going forward.
Galaxy S25 Ultra’s repairability is better thanks to easily changeable battery and modular cameras
One of the main problems for the repairability of Galaxy S flagship phones is the battery. Removing the cell is usually a real pain due to the high presence of adhesives. This forces the use of both heat and tools to pry it free. However, the new S25 Ultra is radically different in this regard. The battery is now attached to the device via four adhesive tabs that are easy to peel off. You won’t need any additional tools or solvents to remove these adhesives, which is great. This makes homemade battery replacement more viable once it has degraded.
Samsung has also implemented a modular rear camera system. This means you won’t have to replace all the sensors if one gets damaged. You can just swap out the broken one, and the system should work just fine. This helps to potentially save costs when sourcing repair parts. That said, the front camera is still tricky to remove. Samsung has used epoxy glue to attach the sensor, which makes things extra complicated.
The easy-to-remove battery and modular cameras should help the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra get a high mark for repairability. However, there are other factors that have led iFixit to give it just a 5/10.
Other factors remain problematic
First, the heavy reliance on adhesives inside the device can be a problem. You’ll have to replace these adhesives every time the phone goes through a repair, which could be solved with more clips or screws. The company’s official repair guides are “mediocre,” according to the analyst. Instructions in the guides can be “unintuitive and complicated.”
Lastly, the availability of repair parts for Galaxy S devices is not that good. Getting them can be a real problem if you want to do a home repair. Prices for parts kits can also be too high. At the end, you’ll still be dependent on Samsung’s official technical service in many cases.
Samsung may have taken the first steps towards a fully home-repairable flagship phone. The easily replaceable battery and modular cameras are good decisions. However, the South Korean giant needs to work on parts availability and better official repair documentation. Plus, it would be a huge help if there were fewer adhesives on future Galaxy S phones.
2025-02-12 15:05:22