The repair company, iFixit, has told Americans to start seriously considering device repair in response to President Trump’s tariffs on imports. It warned that almost every bit of new tech is going to be more expensive for American consumers as vendors increase costs to cover the tariffs. By repairing your devices instead of simply replacing them, you can keep your items working for longer, giving you more time to save up for future purchases.
While repairing is a great option for cost-conscious businesses and consumers, iFixit warned that the cost to repair is also likely to increase, but nowhere near as much as buying new devices. iFixit said that it will try to keep the price of its products down while maintaining quality and safety standards, but is unlikely to mitigate the costs entirely.
An analysis by the Consumer Technology Association released in January said that tariffs could inflate consumer tech prices by over 16%; the unveiled tariffs were higher than the CTA expected, though. iFixit also linked to a Wall Street Journal article that says the manufacturing cost of an iPhone could rise from $550 to $850, with consumers shouldering most of the burden.
To help businesses and consumers maintain their existing products, iFixit has again called on policymakers and manufacturers to enable the repair of products. It said that it’s no good waiting for a manufacturing renaissance to take place in the US as that will inevitably take time, and consumers will be hurt in the meantime.
Manufacturers who decide to make repairing their devices easier will come out on top, according to iFixit. The repair firm said that this benefits consumers, making them more likely to be repeat buyers, and it’s good for the manufacturers’ sustainability efforts. It also said that at a time of economic uncertainty and growing tensions around the world, reparability adds to economic resilience and a sustainable future.
Like human health, prevention is always better than treatment. So, if you have a phone, you can make sure you keep it alive longer by putting a case and screen protector on it to help avoid serious damage. You can also look in the settings for controls to prevent using your volume and power buttons to cut down on wear.
Source: iFixit
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