The devices manufactured by Apple, Microsoft and Google they are significantly less repairable than those produced by competitors Asus, Dell and Motorola, according to a new report on the subject: the companies themselves confirm this. The report, published today by‘Education Fund del Public Research Interest Group of the United States, is based on data companies are publishing to comply with the world’s first reparability index law, which went into effect last year.
Apple, Microsoft and Google produce less repairable devices
The law requires manufacturers of certain electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops, to assign a score to each of their products based on how easily repairable it is and to make this score, together with the data contained therein, available to consumers to make an informed choice when purchasing.
“If a company actively lobbies, or is part of a coalition lobbying effort, to prevent access to information on service and repair tools, this indicates a hostile attitude towards the choice of repair – writes the author of the report Nathan Proctor – If you want to make sure your product is repairable now and in the future, you should consider the manufacturer’s approach to the repair ecosystem. “
Of the 10 classified companies, Apple it received the worst ratings, averaging 3.16 out of 10 points for macBooks and only 2.75 out of 10 points for iPhones. Microsoft it fared only slightly better on laptops, averaging 4.6 points, while Google it also received low ratings for the Pixel 4a, 6 and 6 Pro smartphones, which averaged 4.64 out of 10.
On the contrary, Dell e Asus have climbed to the top of the list of serviceable laptops. The 36 Dell and 22 Asus laptops evaluated average 7.81 and 7.61 points respectively. Motorola recorded similar numbers on the smartphone front, receiving 7.77 points out of 10 out of 18 phones.