Screws, Spares and Stubborn Plastic: Which Gadget Brands Actually Want You to Fix Your Own Stuff
There's a particular kind of rage that comes from a cracked screen on a Tuesday. Not because the glass is broken, but because you already know the drill: a fortnight without your phone, a repair quote that reads like a ransom note, and a customer service script that keeps saying "replacement" like it's a soothing word. In 2026, repairability is no longer a niche hobby for people with tiny screwdrivers and too much time. It's a buying decision. So here's the straight-talking rundown of which gadget brands actually let you fix your own kit — and which ones would rather you just bought another one.
The quick verdict
Reviewr repair rating (out of five):
- Fairphone: 5 — modular, spares in the shop, manuals that don't assume you're an engineer.
- Framework: 4.5 — laptops built like Lego for grown-ups; UK stock can be patchy.
- Apple: 3 — the parts exist, but the hoops are real.
- Samsung and Google: 2.5 — improving, but still a postcode lottery for parts.
- Nothing: 2.5 — decent intentions, not quite kitchen-table friendly.
- Sonos and most telly brands: 2 — fine if you're patient, grim if you're not.
- Amazon and the budget end: 1 — the manual is a QR code and the spare part is a new device.
The gold standard: Fairphone and Framework
Fairphone remains the benchmark. You can buy a replacement battery, camera module or USB-C port without a secret handshake. The company publishes step-by-step guides, and the whole thing is designed to be opened with a normal screwdriver rather than a heat gun and a prayer. It isn't the cheapest phone on the shelf, and the camera won't worry a flagship, but if you keep phones for four or five years, the maths starts to make sense.
Framework is the laptop equivalent. Swap a mainboard, a screen or a battery, keep the chassis, and carry on. The catch for UK buyers is stock and shipping — it's better than it was, but you're not popping to Currys for a replacement hinge. Still, the principle is right: the device is a set of parts, not a sealed relic.
Apple: the velvet glove
Apple's Self Service Repair programme is real, and for a certain kind of confident tinkerer it works. You can order parts and tools, follow a manual, and get a phone or laptop back in action. But the small print is where the mood sours. Parts pairing means some replacements need software calibration, and the deposit for loaner tools is not pocket change. It's repairable in the way a fancy restaurant is "casual" — technically true, practically a performance.
For most people, the honest verdict is: Apple will let you repair, but it won't make it easy. If you're near an Apple Store and you've got AppleCare, you'll probably never use the self-service route. If you're in a hurry and out of warranty, you'll feel the pinch.
Samsung and Google: two steps forward, one step sideways
Samsung has expanded its self-repair programme in recent years, with parts and guides for selected phones and tablets. The problem is coverage. Walk into a UK repair shop with a mid-range Samsung and you may find the part is available; walk in with something a bit older or a bit rarer and you're suddenly in the land of "we'll have to send it off". Google's Pixel parts are available through iFixit in some markets, and the company has been more transparent than most, but the UK picture is still uneven. Neither brand is hostile to repair. They're just not making it a headline feature.
Nothing, the London-based phone brand, deserves a nod for actually talking about repairability. But talking is not the same as a spare-parts shop on your high street. It's a work in progress.
The telly and audio crowd
Here's where the mood drops. Most big-screen TVs are not designed for home repair. A cracked panel is usually the end of the story, and the cost of a replacement panel can be close enough to a new set that the decision makes itself. Sonos speakers are similarly sealed — great sound, but a failed component often means a trip to a service centre rather than a five-minute fix at the kitchen table.
LG and Samsung both publish some service information, and independent repairers can often source parts. But "can often source" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. If your telly box dies in January, you're not fixing it with a YouTube video and a spudger. You're waiting.
Warranty traps and parts pairing
Two things to check before you buy anything this winter. First, does the warranty explicitly allow third-party repair? Some policies are fine with it; others use vague language about "unauthorised service" to wriggle out of a claim. Second, ask whether the part you're replacing needs software pairing. A new screen that won't talk to the rest of the phone is just a very expensive piece of glass.
The UK's right-to-repair rules, which came in back in 2021, still mostly cover white goods rather than the black rectangles in your pocket. That's why the brands' own policies matter so much. There's no law forcing Apple or Samsung to sell you a battery at a fair price — just market pressure and the occasional EU nudge.
What to check before you buy
- Is there a parts shop? Not a support page — an actual place to buy a battery, screen or port.
- Are the manuals free and public? If you have to sign in to see a diagram, assume the answer is no.
- What tools do you need? A Phillips screwdriver is fine. A heat gun and a suction cup is a warning sign.
- Does the warranty survive a DIY fix? Read the wording, not the marketing.
- How long do you actually keep kit? If the answer is "two years", repairability matters less than price. If it's "five", it matters a lot.
The bottom line
Fairphone and Framework are in a different league. Apple will sell you the parts but make you work for them. Samsung and Google are improving without quite earning a gold star. The telly and audio giants are still mostly in the bin-it camp, and the budget end of the market is a write-off unless you enjoy e-waste with your savings.
Repairability isn't about being handy. It's about whether a company respects your time and your money after the sale. This winter, that's worth more than a free case and a screen protector.
