Repairability ratings based on official government criteria in Europe have found that Apple gets the worst ratings for the repairability of both iPhones and MacBooks.
However, in the laptop rankings the MacBook Neo was found to be very much an exception, so perhaps there’s hope for the future …
The French government imposes a legal requirement on manufacturers to display their repairability ratings according to a set of criteria intended to allow for like-for-like comparisons between brands. The EU has very similar criteria, and US Consumer Organization Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) uses these for its rankings.
Its latest report provides repairability grades for four smartphone brands and eight laptop brands, with Apple getting the lowest score in both categories. PIRG says that it reviewed detailed repair information for a total of 105 devices.
The grades factor in seven different issues that impact on the practicality of carrying out repairs:
- Repair documentation
- Ease of disassembly
- Spare parts availability
- Spare parts pricing
- Fasteners used
- Tools required
- Longevity of software updates
Apple’s failing scors
Motorola topped the smartphone repairability rankings with a B+ grade. Google was in second place at C-minus, followed by Samsung at D and Apple in last place with a D-minus rating.
For laptops, Asus got the best repairability score of B+, while Apple got the worst of C-.
The MacBook Neo is an honorable exception
There is one point in Apple’s favour, however. First, the MacBook Neo is a clear exception, being widely praised for its repairability. This echoes the conclusion reached by iFixit after its teardown a few weeks ago.
iFixit published its own teardown and repairability analysis of the MacBook Neo, and found that it is “the most repairable MacBook in fourteen years.”
Whether this is a one-off exception relating specifically to the design of this model, or represents a change in direction for the company, remains to be seen.
Photo: iFixit
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