What is the right to repair and why is it important?

If your mobile is several years old, you may have noticed that it begins to fail. It may be a problem with the welds, or that the battery is starting to go bad. Or that the screen, the element that breaks the most due to something as common as a fall due to a trip, push or carelessness, has broken. Sometimes it happens to repair it It has a cost that sometimes does not compensate and it is better to switch to a new mobile model. Against these design decisions, several legislators from different parts of the world are promoting a series of regulations on the occasion of the "right to repair«.
But what is the right to repair? What does that involve? We are going to explain it to you here, so that you can see the importance of companies advocating this philosophy when designing their devices, and that it is regulated so that it is designed around it.
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What is the Right to Repair?
The Right to Repair is what the federal and community regulations for electronic devices are known. can be easily repaired without having to send the device to the technical service. This means that, for example, a device must be repairable, preferably in unofficial workshops so that not all of them go through the official workshop; and if possible, that the user himself can repair it on the table at home.

This is done by designing the terminals so that both opening them and removing the components is easier. Repair tools such as precision screwdrivers, or picks to lift lids may be required. But that its access should be easily accessible. An example of this is IFixIt, a company and community that sells materials and tools in addition to distributing repair manuals so that users can repair terminals and devices.
IFixIt has partnered with different manufacturers directly, so that users have access to tools to repair their mobiles. But not all manufacturers advocate this, others even make it difficult. This is because they see a huge series of benefits in that it can only be repaired with the official technical service.
What benefits does the right to repair have?
First of all, there is you will be able to save on mobiles or portable if you can easily replace the part that is giving you trouble. These are usually mainly the screen that is broken by falls or scratches with other objects in bags and pockets; the battery that degrades with use, and the connector that can lose pins with a bad pull.

Imagine dropping your screen, but for the price of the screen and basic tools, you can replace it at home. With the right to repair, it is possible to simply order a replacement battery compatible with your mobile, and not have to buy a new mobile because the battery no longer lasts a whole day. These repairs that Being very expensive, they motivate many people to buy a new mobile, they can be easily done and thus not have to buy a new device. With this, it is expected that there will be savings in the pockets of users, and that resources will be saved.
What does it mean that a mobile is easy to repair?
For a mobile to comply with the idea of the right to repair, it has to follow a series of guidelines that we list below.
That it is possible to repair the mobile without taking it to the official technical service
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is the most important step. If there is only one step to make the replacement or repair, or you have to contact the official technical service and pay for them or have their approval, then you no longer comply with the right to repair. Little by little, the repair manuals of many devices have been released, and more unified materials are being used.

Apple has been by far the most opposed to the right to repair. Their devices have had to go through official workshops, which charge to repair terminals, often within the warranty period but with use cases that they do not cover. Just being able to take your iPhone or iPad to an unofficial workshop, such as a neighborhood workshop to have your mobile repaired and therefore more options, already begins to implement the right to repair.
That a mobile does not put obstacles when it comes to being repaired
Another important point is that a mobile can be opened to be repaired. But that has to come from the final design of it itself. We have an example of this in a French regulation of 2021 in which devices were asked to be rated on how easy they are to repair, taking into account the steps that must be done to be able to open it and remove the parts to replace the damaged component.
With that regulation, it was seen that Apple designs iPhones to be difficult to repair. Generally, they make it difficult to get parts, there are many intermediate steps to open the device, and above all, they invalidate any warranty and even disable mobile options such as FaceID if you change components to repair it yourself. This would apply to non-official workshops, which waste more time and need specialized parts for repairs, and that expense is passed on to end users.
Make the parts accessible
It is useless that a mobile can be opened with generic tools, if they offer you the parts you need to fine-tune it. These are the spare parts, which, being official, at least according to Spanish regulations, have to be given for at least ten years after manufacturing the product. This means that, if your mobile phone that you bought three years ago is no longer sold tomorrow, for ten years They must give the option of having spare parts in official workshops, and ideally in unofficial and for users.

And it would not be very rare for it to happen, since numerous pieces are usually made for the official technical service. Another thing is that they make it available to more users.
Why is it important for countries to enforce the Right to Repair?
Many people will think that, "Why if it's so profitable or the right to repair, manufacturers don't already do it?«. And it is true that they are gradually implementing it, but it was not until communities such as IFixIt formed more than twenty years ago to put pressure on, and large territories such as the United States and the European Union implemented requirements. After that, some brands have started to develop devices that are easier to repair.

The idea of regulations by large territories is that, in order to operate in key territories, it does not compensate them to make devices and technical services segregated by territory and therefore the regulation applies to everyone. That is, a regulation imposed by the United States, being so large, will affect the devices that are also sold in the European Union, and in the opposite case.
Example of the importance of Right to Repair regulations
Apple, which has been using its proprietary Lightning connector for years for the iPad and iPod, will have to ditch it and use the USB-C connector. This is due to an obligation of the European Union. The regulation comes into effect as of 2024, and it is expected that the first iPad and iPhone with USB-C will hit the market this year 2023, thus displacing those that use Lightning.

There we have an example of the importance of federal and community regulations. Let's say that the connector of an iPhone breaks, so being Lightning, you have to go through the official Apple service. For 2023 devices with USB-C connector, it would do for a shop to get a replacement for any USB-C connector To repair it.
Why is it so difficult to repair a mobile?
If you wonder why it costs so much to repair a mobile, it is mainly because the manufacturer earns a lot for the technical service. Thus, revenue can be obtained from a mobile through direct sales, royalties from its application store, and official repair services.
By doing that yes or yes you have to go through the official technical service, and that taking it to a neighborhood workshop is not an option; it is possible to direct users to specific services. That is a large amount of money from people who prefer to pay less in order not to renew their mobile.