Microsoft and iFixit launch official repair tools for Surface devices

Microsoft’s Surface devices are about to get a bit more repairable to end-users thanks to a collaboration with iFixit. If you’re not familiar with iFixit, it’s a company that sells all kinds of tools and provides tutorials on how users can conduct self-repairs on electronic devices. Additionally, the company often reviews the repairability of devices like PCs, where Microsoft’s Surface PCs have historically obtained very low scores due to most components being soldered or glued in place. Now, Microsoft and iFixit are making Surface repairs a bit easier by offering three new tools that help repairers carry out repair jobs more easily.

That makes this partnership all the more interesting, as Microsoft is actively giving independent repair shops and commercial customers the ability to conduct more repairs on their own, without forcing customers to go through Microsoft’s own support service. It’s not a perfect solution yet, but there are three tools being launched today:

• Surface Display Bonding Frame (Surface Pro 7, Pro 8 and Pro X) – This is an essential part of the process needed for replacing the screen. The bonding frame is used along with weights that press the display assembly into the chassis of the device so it’s properly attached.
• Surface Display Debonding Tool (Surface Pro 7, Pro 8, and Pro X)  – For the reverse process, this tool allows repair workers to remove the display without causing damage to other components by inserting the opening pick to the precise length required to detach the display.
• Surface Battery Cover (Surface Laptop 3 13-inch and 15-inch, Surface Laptop 4 13-inch and 15-inch, Surface Laptop Go, Surface Laptop SE, Surface Laptop Studio) – This covers the device to protect its internal components.

These tools are not available to the average customer, but authorized service providers by Microsoft or iFixit can use them, so you no longer have to go to Microsoft directly to get your Surface repaired, which could mean lower prices. For commercial customers, they might even have IT admins or other staff managing repairs and using these tools internally. It goes a long way in making repairs more accessible.

This move comes at just the right time, seeing as we’ve seen the push for the right to repair gain some strength over the past year. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission recently opened an investigation into repair restrictions imposed by some device manufacturers, which might have prompted Microsoft to offer some options ahead of any potential legal enforcement. Of course, it might just be a coincidence.

The post Microsoft and iFixit launch official repair tools for Surface devices appeared first on xda-developers.

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