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New repairability report ranks Apple, Samsung phones among the lowest
World's top phone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung were among the lowest in the US PIRG's 'Failing the Fix' repairability report, ranking below Motorola and Google
- PUBLISHED: Thu 9 Apr 2026, 2:14 PM
Despite being the world's top smartphone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung scored dismally in a new phone repairability report, ranking below every other major brand evaluated.
The US PIRG Education Fund's annual "Failing the Fix" report revealed shocking results: Samsung received a D grade while Apple landed in last place with a D-. In contrast, Motorola topped the rankings with a B+, and Google earned a C-.
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The repairability report utilises the European Union's EPREL repairability scoring system, which replaced France's older repair index. This updated system shows how easily phones can be physically opened and disassembled, which are critical factors when actual repairs are needed.
Several factors contributed to the poor Apple and Samsung repairability scores. Both companies offer more than five years of updates in practice, but only declared the EU-mandated minimum of five years in the EPREL database. This discrepancy resulted in the lowest possible software support scores.
A report cites how Apple and Samsung belong to trade organisations like TechNet and the Consumer Technology Association, which actively oppose Right to Repair legislation. The repairability report penalised both companies for this stance, while rewarding Google and Microsoft for supporting repair-friendly bills in Washington state.
It's also important to note that Samsung's evaluation covered only five models because several devices weren't yet listed in the EPREL database, compared to 10 models each for Apple and Motorola, creating somewhat uneven comparisons.
The EPREL system has a significant blind spot: it doesn't account for spare parts costs. High repair expenses often drive consumers to purchase new phones rather than fix existing devices, a critical factor the current scoring methodology overlooks.
The report's authors acknowledge this gap and urge the EU to incorporate parts pricing in future iterations of the repairability scoring system.
Despite methodological limitations, the message here is that the world's leading smartphone makers lag behind companies like Motorola and Google in device repairability, ultimately raising questions about their commitment to consumer rights.
