Mobile phones are one of the world’s most commonly used mobile devices, with approximately 7.07 billion smartphones in use worldwide as of 2024. Over the years, rising prices and economic decline have resulted in many consumers choosing to keep devices longer, but electronics only last so long. All mobile devices will inevitably need to be repaired somehow, but rising costs have also made OEM repairs astronomical, leading many to favor the Right to Repair. Since the repair movement has grown in popularity, mobile phones have become more repairable as tech companies strive to appease consumer demands.
The Right to Repair
Initially, tech giants like Apple and Microsoft lobbied against the right-to-repair movement. This pushback has been a source of frustration among consumers for years as technology prices continue to rise, especially with little to no difference between cell phone models. However, many OEMs have begun showing support by implementing repair policies and adjusting the manufacturing process to be more repair-friendly.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) first released a scorecard in 2022. It later released a 2024 “Leaders and Laggards” report card scoring 21 products on the availability of repair materials based on New York’s right-to-repair law. In this year’s “Failing the Fix” scorecard, the PIRG announced that cell phones have improved overall repairability.
“Specifically, they have all gotten easier to disassemble, which makes the biggest difference for people who want to open up the phone to fix it,” the report stated. “Apple had the most improvement in this area, followed by Motorola.”
The 2025 update showed that Apple’s and Google’s cellphones got a B-, while Motorola’s scored a C+ and Samsung’s cell phones earned a C-, compared to 2022 when Apple scored an F, Google a D, Motorola a B, and Samsung a C.
While cell phones from all major manufacturers have become more repairable, laptop repairability has plateaued. According to the report, there were no significant improvements across the eight most popular U.S. laptop brands. The report concluded that “Advocating for the Right to Repair is having an impact, but there’s still a lot of work left to do.”
Right to Repair Risk Factors
While the right-to-repair movement aims to help consumers, some manufacturers have announced self-repair kits that could do more harm than good. Every electronic device contains a battery of some sort, and almost every device today is made with lithium-ion batteries. Batteries, in general, can swell and cause issues when they get too hot, but Lithium Ion batteries are known to combust when damaged and cause chemical fires.
The right to repair primarily pushes OEMs to release the necessary information for third-party repair shops and other professionals performing device repairs. ITAD enterprises like HOBI collect used IT assets and ensure they are responsibly disposed of, and some offer repair and remarketing services to maximize the value of used devices. As an R2v3, RIOS, and ISO 14001 certified IT asset management and disposition enterprise with more than 30 years of industry experience, HOBI focuses on maximizing economic return and prioritizes contributing to reducing the carbon footprint through reuse and e-recycling.