Best Buy is shutting down its Samsung repair program
theverge.com
theverge.com
HOWEVER, any small shop here is brick and mortar, and can handle repairs if you are out of new device replacement warranty from your seller. Granted, parts might be oem. And their fulfilment times are capricious.
Apple, on the other hand, has several shops (not over 20), but iphones can't be serviced anywhere else. And For a 2 year old model, it is usually better to pay your other arm or leg than to repair your old iphone.
Does Samsung want to lower the bar to Apple level?
Samsung doesn't want you to repair, or even for them to do it. They want to sell you a new phone as often as possible.
It's just that the repairability thing is favourable publicity, as is the environmentalism that it helps further. So they made a token effort to pretend they care and market the hell out of it, meanwhile hamstringing the usefulness of the program so as for it not to actually impede the sales of new phones.
Basically the exact same thing Apple does (see Louis Rossman's vids about it).
Recently ifixit has been calling out their BS and it looks like best buy is too.
As for the parts replacement, that's something what can't be done overnight and there is a big room for improvement.
So does Samsung. 7 years even on their latest models. So it's exactly the same. But updates have nothing to do with repairability anyway.
The problem is more with repair, of accidental damage and out of warranty damage. Both have extension plans but they're too expensive.
> As for the parts replacement, that's something what can't be done overnight and there is a big room for improvement.
Yes but both have been tooting their own horn for years and this and both make it as difficult and expensive as possible. Samsung by making only few parts available at high prices. Apple by only selling kits with tooling for a high price that you have to send back. And locking parts to specific phones.
I think Apple is even worse than Samsung. Not just with repairability but also all the malicious compliance around sideloading.
I closed my Amazon account a few years ago (after the whole peeing in bottles scandal) and have been using Best Buy ever since. Their stores are actually well run these days, with a good selection and helpful staff. Returns are easy. Prices are reasonable and can be price matched to Amazon if need be. Among big box retailers, they actually provide a decent experience. The 90 day (or was it 45? can't remember) return policy (with a membership) is nice too.
Now that Circuit City and Radio Shack and Fry's are gone, they're like the only remaining national electronics chain. There's still Micro Center, but only in some areas.
Just wondering what you don't like about them?