Vote now: Would you repair your own phone?

Samsung announced a couple of days ago a self-repair program for its phones and tablets, and given how fragile phones are nowadays, this news got me thinking. With the right-to-repair movement now in full swing, it’s not surprising that one of the biggest smartphone manufacturers in the world is making such a bizarre move.

But let’s not slide down the slippery slope of politics, and focus on our favorite gadgets. There are two main culprits when it comes to smartphone repairs - the screen (and the back glass), and the battery.

Cracking the screen of your new Galaxy S22 Ultra is a very easy and uncomplicated task - even a kid can manage! Joking aside, when the whole front panel is glass (and curved in some cases), breaking your smartphone becomes as certain as paying your taxes - you can delay it but you just can’t avoid it.

The other issue concerns smartphone batteries - they tend to die after two-three years of service. And while it was crackingly (enough with the cracking, already!) easy to replace a battery a couple of years ago, now those little buggers are sealed tight under the glued and screwed back.

Okay, okay - I’m getting to the poll in a second! The thing is, even if provided with the right tools and clear instructions, I wouldn’t dare to try and replace my smartphone’s screen. The battery situation is a bit less anxiety-inducing but still a pretty far-fetched scenario.