 |
| (Image credit: iFitix via Google) |
What you need to know
- Google has announced a new partnership with iFixit for Pixel repairs.
- Google will make genuine Pixel parts available for consumers to purchase.
- The program will open later this year in the United States, Canada, Australia, and select EU countries.
Google supports its Pixel phones longer than most Android OEMs, and now the company is making it easier to hold onto your Pixel during its lifetime. On Friday, Google announced a partnership with iFixit that will provide consumers and repair professionals with genuine Pixel parts to repair their devices with.
The program will be available for nearly Google's entire smartphone lineup, from the Pixel 2 to the Pixel 6 series, including future Pixel devices. Parts available for purchase will include batteries, replacement displays, cameras, and more, and customers can purchase the parts individually or as part of iFixit's Fix Kits.
If this sounds somewhat familiar, Samsung recently announced a similar partnership with iFixit that will provide consumers with genuine parts and tools for a small selection of its best Android phones. Samsung highlighted the partnership as its effort toward promoting better sustainability with its products.
Google is also emphasizing its sustainability efforts, with 100% of its hardware products including recycled materials, carbon-neutral shipments of its hardware devices, and the aim to achieve plastic-free packaging by 2025. The company also highlights existing repair initiatives, like a partnership with uBreakiFix for out-of-warranty Pixel repairs and its recent Chromebook repair program for schools.
With devices like the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro receiving up to five years of software support, there are bound to be accidents along the way, not to mention potential battery issues. Having access to these parts and told will help ensure that you get the most out of your Pixel while it's still receiving new updates and features.
"If we're going to build a sustainable electronics industry, consumers must have options to repair products themselves," iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens says in a statement. "Google is making repair more affordable and accessible, even in places without repair shops. We are committed to enabling repairs at a place and time of your choosing." iFixit already has repair guides for most Pixel devices up to the Pixel 5, and soon they will also be available for Google's latest flagships.
Consumers will be able to purchase Pixel parts from iFixit "later this year" in the United States, Canada, Australia, and EU countries where the Pixel is sold.
