Samsung Exposed - Will You Call This a SCAM?

Summary

Zash from C4 Tech discusses Samsung's contradictory practices regarding device longevity. Initially, Samsung's Galaxy Alpha was a premium mid-ranger with unique features, but it evolved into overpriced phones in competitive markets. The Galaxy Upcycling program, aiming to repurpose old devices, was scrapped due to internal conflicts, reflecting Samsung's corporate approach that stifles innovation. iFixit's partnership with Samsung for spare parts also ended due to restrictive demands and high costs, illustrating the company's hypocritical stance on sustainability and repairability. EU regulations offer a potential solution, mandating easy repairability, but Samsung's strategies continue to hinder consumer repair efforts.

Takeaways

• 📱 Samsung's initial ideas for device longevity and innovation are often compromised by corporate interests, leading to less effective implementations.
• 🛠️ The Galaxy Upcycling program, which aimed to repurpose old Samsung devices for new uses, was well-received but ultimately discontinued without a clear reason.
• 🤝 iFixit, known for repair guides and toolkits, partnered with Samsung to sell spare parts directly, but faced limitations and issues that led to the partnership's end.
• 💡 The concept of repurposing old devices for new functions, like using old smartphones as smart doorbells or baby monitors, was innovative but not fully realized by Samsung.
• 📉 Samsung's A series evolved from a premium mid-range line with unique features to overpriced phones in competitive markets, reflecting a shift in strategy.
• 🔒 Samsung's contracts with independent repair shops include strict terms that may infringe on customer privacy and limit the availability of genuine parts.
• 💻 The idea of using old devices as functional PCs or servers is appealing but has been hindered by corporate decisions prioritizing new sales over device longevity.
• 💰 Genuine part replacements, especially batteries, are often overpriced, making third-party options more attractive despite potential design challenges.
• 🛑 EU regulations are pushing for more repairable smartphones, which may force Samsung to change their design approach to comply with these standards.
• 😤 Samsung's practices are seen as hypocritical, promoting environmental benefits while making it difficult for consumers to repair their devices and extend their life.
• 🌍 The issue of repairability and corporate control over spare parts is not unique to Samsung; other brands like Apple have similar or worse practices.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic discussed in the video script is Samsung's practices regarding the lifecycle of their devices, focusing on their attempts to prolong device life through programs like Galaxy Upcycling, and the subsequent issues and hypocrisy involved.

What was the initial idea behind Samsung's Galaxy Upcycling program?

The initial idea behind Samsung's Galaxy Upcycling program was to take old Galaxy smartphones that had reached the end of their life and repurpose them for new uses, such as running Linux, serving as retro handhelds, or being used as smart doorbells and baby monitors.

Why did Samsung's Galaxy Upcycling program fail to materialize as initially planned?

The program failed to materialize as initially planned because, according to the script, Samsung's corporate system did not fully support the idea, and there was a lack of marketing push behind it. Eventually, the project was called off without an official explanation.

What is iFixit and what is their role in the context of the video script?

iFixit is a company that provides guides to help people fix their own devices and sells toolkits and spare parts. In the context of the video script, iFixit was initially interested in partnering with Samsung on the Galaxy Upcycling program and later on selling first-party spares for Samsung phones.

What were the limitations imposed by Samsung on iFixit when selling first-party spares?

Samsung imposed limitations such as not allowing iFixit to sell more than 7 units to a customer per quarter, which restricted their ability to sell to independent repair shops and made it difficult for them to operate effectively.

Why did iFixit end their collaboration with Samsung?

iFixit ended their collaboration with Samsung due to issues with the terms of the partnership, such as the limitation on the number of units they could sell per customer per quarter, and the high cost of genuine parts that did not make financial sense for the end consumer.

What is the 'Galaxy Upcycling for Home' and how does it differ from the original Galaxy Upcycling idea?

Galaxy Upcycling for Home is a modified version of the original Galaxy Upcycling program where only select hardware is allowed to run select functions. It differs from the original idea in that it is more limited in scope and does not allow for the broad repurposing of EOL devices that the original concept proposed.

What is the significance of the EU regulations mentioned in the script?

The EU regulations mentioned in the script are significant because they require smartphones to be easily repairable, especially the battery, which needs to be easily replaceable. This could potentially force Samsung to make design changes to comply with these regulations in the future.

How does the script describe Samsung's approach to device repairability and the environment?

The script describes Samsung's approach as hypocritical, noting that while they provide long software updates to extend device life, they also make it difficult to repair devices with expensive genuine parts, restrictive contracts, and design choices that complicate repairs, which contrasts with their claims of being environmentally conscious.

What is the script's view on Apple's repair practices compared to Samsung's?

The script suggests that while Samsung has significant issues with their repair practices, Apple is considered even worse, particularly noting Apple's anti-repair measures and the difficulties associated with their devices' repairability.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Samsung's Hypocrisy in Device Longevity Practices

Zash from C4 Tech discusses Samsung's inconsistent approach to device longevity. Initially, Samsung devices are innovative but become less so as they pass through the corporate system. The Galaxy Alpha exemplifies this, starting as a premium mid-ranger with unique features like glass packs and IP ratings, but eventually becoming overpriced and less competitive. The script also delves into Samsung's Galaxy Upcycling program, which was intended to repurpose EOL devices for new uses, like running Linux or as smart doorbells. Despite promising prototypes, the project was mysteriously canceled without explanation, suggesting internal conflict over the potential impact on new device sales.

05:00

🛠️ iFixit's Collaboration with Samsung and Its Challenges

The script continues with iFixit's experience working with Samsung. iFixit, known for repair guides and toolkits, partnered with Samsung to sell first-party spares. However, Samsung imposed restrictions, such as limiting sales to 7 units per customer per quarter, which was impractical for repair shops. The high cost of genuine parts, especially batteries, made it uneconomical for consumers, contrasting with the cheaper, readily available third-party options. Despite these issues, iFixit's partnership with Samsung was meant to demonstrate Samsung's commitment to repairability, but it ended due to the impractical terms and lack of genuine support for independent repair technicians.

10:00

📱 The Reality of Samsung's Repair Policies and EU Regulations

The narrative explores Samsung's repair policies, highlighting the discrepancy between their public image and actual practices. While Samsung claims to support device longevity with long software updates, their contracts with repair shops and restrictions on part sales make it difficult for consumers to repair their devices. The EU's new regulations, requiring smartphones to be easily repairable with replaceable batteries, pose a challenge to Samsung's current design. However, the script suggests that Samsung and other brands are trying to circumvent these regulations, making it hard for consumers to repair their devices and encouraging them to purchase new ones instead.

15:02

📚 Reflections on Samsung's Practices and a Call to Action

In the final paragraph, the script reflects on the mixed emotions evoked by Samsung's practices, ranging from sadness to anger. The author shares snippets from iFixit's blog post about ending their partnership with Samsung, indicating a disappointment in Samsung's approach to device repair and sustainability. The video concludes with a call to share these insights with others, emphasizing the importance of being aware of the practices of tech companies and their impact on consumers and the environment.

Keywords

💡Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy refers to the act of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. In the video, the term is used to describe Samsung's practices, which appear to support device longevity and environmental sustainability but actually hinder repairability and consumer choice, as seen in their approach to the Galaxy Upcycling program and the limitations set on selling spare parts.

💡Galaxy Alpha

The Galaxy Alpha is a smartphone model from Samsung that initially started as a flagship phone but evolved into a mid-range series. It exemplifies the transformation of Samsung's product strategy over time, which the video discusses in the context of how Samsung's initial innovative ideas are often compromised by corporate interests, leading to a dilution of the product's original premium features.

💡Galaxy Upcycling Program

The Galaxy Upcycling Program was an initiative by Samsung aimed at repurposing old Galaxy smartphones for new uses, such as running Linux or serving as smart doorbells. The concept was praised by iFixit's CEO but was eventually discontinued without a clear explanation, highlighting the video's theme of corporate decision-making that contradicts initial innovative and environmentally friendly intentions.

💡iFixit

iFixit is a company known for providing repair guides and selling toolkits to help consumers fix their devices. In the script, iFixit is portrayed as a partner that initially collaborated with Samsung on the Galaxy Upcycling Program and later on selling first-party spares. However, due to restrictive terms and lack of support for independent repair shops, iFixit ended their collaboration, reflecting the video's broader message about the challenges of the repair ecosystem.

💡EOL (End of Life)

EOL stands for 'End of Life,' which in the context of technology, refers to the point at which a product is no longer supported or updated by the manufacturer. The video discusses how Samsung's approach to EOL devices has shifted from innovative repurposing to a more traditional and less environmentally friendly model, impacting the overall theme of device longevity and sustainability.

💡Independent Repair Shops

Independent repair shops are businesses that offer device repair services outside of official manufacturer channels. The video script describes how Samsung's policies, such as limiting the number of spare parts that can be sold to a customer per quarter, negatively affect these shops and, by extension, the feasibility of repairing devices outside of official channels.

💡Repairability

Repairability refers to how easy it is to fix or repair a device. The video criticizes Samsung for making it difficult to repair their devices, not only through design choices but also through the high costs of genuine parts and restrictive contracts with independent repair technicians, which ultimately discourages consumers from repairing their devices.

💡Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is the concept of using resources in a way that preserves the environment for future generations. The video points out the discrepancy between Samsung's public image of promoting sustainability and their actual practices, such as discouraging device repair and thus contributing to electronic waste.

💡EU Regulations

EU Regulations refer to the legal requirements set by the European Union. The video mentions upcoming regulations that will require smartphones to be more easily repairable, particularly in terms of battery replacement, which is seen as a positive development for the repairability of devices and a potential challenge to Samsung's current practices.

💡Anti-Repair Practices

Anti-repair practices are strategies employed by manufacturers to make it difficult for consumers or third parties to repair their products. The video discusses how companies like Samsung and Apple use such practices, such as proprietary parts and software locks, to control the repair ecosystem and push consumers towards buying new devices instead of repairing old ones.

💡Middleman

A middleman is an intermediary in a transaction who connects a buyer and a seller. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe companies like iFixit, which Samsung wants to bypass by selling parts directly to independent repair shops. This is part of Samsung's strategy to control the repair market and maintain higher margins on spare parts sales.

Highlights

Zash from C4 Tech discusses Samsung's hypocritical practices regarding device longevity.

Samsung's initial pure and innovative ideas often become compromised in the corporate system.

The Galaxy Alpha started as a premium mid-ranger but evolved into overpriced phones in competitive markets.

Samsung's Galaxy Upcycling program aimed to repurpose old devices for new uses but was abruptly canceled.

iFixit's partnership with Samsung for spare parts faced limitations, affecting independent repair shops.

Samsung's contracts with repair shops require sharing customer information, raising privacy concerns.

The high cost of genuine Samsung parts makes third-party replacements more appealing despite potential design challenges.

Samsung's practices are compared to Apple's, with Apple being worse in terms of anti-repair measures.

EU regulations are pushing for smartphones to be more easily repairable, affecting Samsung's design choices.

Samsung's approach to repairs seems aimed at discouraging DIY fixes and promoting new device purchases.

iFixit praises Samsung's initial upcycling idea but criticizes the lack of support and follow-through.

The story of Samsung's upcycling program and iFixit's partnership reveals a conflict between corporate interests and consumer repair rights.

Zash emphasizes the importance of understanding the implications of corporate repair policies on consumer choices.

The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share the information if they find it compelling.

Snippets from iFixit's blog post are shared, providing insight into their decision to end the partnership with Samsung.

Transcripts

hey guys zash here from C4 Tech and I

recently came across a very interesting

article from Android authority and I

thought I'd share my thoughts on it with

you guys so this is something about

Samsung and the hypocritical practices

when it comes to prolonging the life of

a device now firsthand I've experienced

something with Samsung like an idea when

it comes out of Samsung at Inception

it's usually very pure very good very

interesting but then this idea gets run

through the poll gets run through the

corporate system that is Samsung and

finally the end result the

implementation turns out to be man now

the perfect example the public publicly

known example for this would be the

Galaxy Alpha what did it start as a

flagship phone that wasn't priced

Flagship and then it kind of morphed

into the a series and even then back in

the initial days of the a series it was

a premium mid-ranger it had glass packs

when the competition didn't have that it

had IP ratings but none of the

competition offered it it offered

something that other people didn't and

yes it did charge a premium for it but

today it's completely morphed into what

we have the a Ser today what is it it's

just overpriced phones that in

competitive markets like India Samsung

sells offline or they sell it in western

markets where they don't have a lot of

competition as their primary mid-range

smartphone now something like this

happened with iix it now to give you

guys the full picture we're going to

have to go back to 2017 so at this point

Samsung was trying to launch something

called the Galaxy upcycling program this

was being pushed by Samsung employees on

a cab team and the idea is extremely

cool so basically it was supposed to be

take your old Galaxy smartphones on at

EOL that's end of life that's not being

updated anymore and repurpose them to do

something very cool now this is what we

do with our laptops and our desktops

right back when I was in India and I was

building new PCS uh for my Prem editing

rigs the older ones I kind of turn them

into servers run uplex server off it

kind of use it to back up other devices

and I'm sure you guys would have done it

with your laptops or your desktops as

well and what is a smartphone at the end

of the day it is a very compact PC so

over here they were doing things like

running full-fledged Linux on Old Galaxy

devices use it as a retro handheld now

yes we can do that today by running the

relevant emulators on Android but you

get what I'm saying wiping the factory

firware installing something specific to

get something specific done on Old

Hardware that was awesome sounded great

but then again this booth it tells it

all you immediately know the might of

Samsung's marketing was not behind this

it was just basically some people

getting a green light on an idea that

sounded interesting without a lot of

thought going into it but this booth is

where I fix it came to know about this

and they were very interested on

partnering with Samsung on this project

cuz like I said it's a super cool

concept Concept in fact this is what the

CEO of Fixit had to say this was I think

one of the best ideas that not only

Samsung has ever had but anyone in the

entire device ecosystem has ever had so

he contacted Samsung flew over to South

Korea had some initial talks after which

he ended up on stage at SDC Samsung

developer conference announcing this

project at this point they had very

interesting prototypes on display a

cluster of Galaxy S5s mining Bitcoin

older Hardware being used as smart

doorbells baby monitors and so on but

after this we says the project was

called off there was no official

explanation given I fix it looked stupid

for basically promoting vaporware and

they did not even get a proper

explanation on this in fact he actually

said the folks at Samsung who built it

just stopped replying to my emails his

guess on what happened which makes

logical sense to me was before a full

fled launch someone H up the poll

decided hey there's nothing in it for us

cuz some firmware wasn't being used and

these devices were kind of taking away

from some other devices that you know a

potential buyer could buy a Samsung iot

device instead of repurposing existing

Hardware so that was kind of eating into

their sales they didn't want to do that

for all their talk of wanting to extend

lifespan of devices and be green and all

that they really didn't want this to

happen so they kind of pull the plug on

at at the last moment but again remember

what I said at the start you know ideas

that at the start they come out pure

they have they have good intentions then

they get run up the corporate ladder and

they kind of become a empty husk a

soulless husk of what the idea initially

was that happened here too cuz we did

get Galaxy F cycling in a Way galaxy OB

cycling for home wherein select Hardware

was allowed to run select functions it

is kind of a mess uh cuz you know we

went from the initial idea where any any

existing Galaxy Hardware that's EOL end

of life that could be repurposed to do

things like run a full desktop Linux

operating system to select Hardware

doing select functions it's not really

the same thing right an empty soulless

husk of the initial idea now if you

aren't familiar with iFixit they

basically provide guides and help people

fix their own devices personally I've

used I've used their guides to uh change

the battery on my Nvidia Shield portable

to kind of fix up new Nintendo 3DS XLs

and it's always been very competent I've

really liked their guides uh how the

their business model works is basically

they sell toolkits best money I've ever

spent they make profits of that and of

course they tie up with Brands they sell

spares and they make a small margin on

these sales so this is exactly what back

in 20202 Samsung approached them for so

now at this point it's been 5 years

since they basically promoted paperware

and they were still they still wanted to

work with Samsung again now at this

point I Fixit had worked with other

brands like Motorola and Google on

selling first party spares so like

Android authority says this was not an

entirely new thing like Galaxy up

cycling and never before done project it

was just selling spares what could go

wrong so that is where they were coming

from and I understand the optimism there

so back in 2022 may they started selling

first party spares for Samsung phones

and right off the bat there were issues

now yes iFixit had been doing this with

other brands for a while but Samsung had

different demands for example iix it

couldn't sell more than 7 units to a

customer per quarter now this sounds

weird right cuz ask yourself this

question your local repair shop if they

are moderately busy how many Samsung

phones do you think they're repairing

per day per day it's got to be seven at

least seven right so seven per customer

per quarter

means I fix it just couldn't sell to

Independent repair shops which is a huge

chunk of their customer base and

replacement parts are usually expensive

it's not just Samsung it's easy to you

know chalk this up as Samsung's

corporate greed but it's not just

Samsung let's go two years back take

motola for example the HED Plus in the

US a display replacement for it costs

$120 uh Google's pixel 7 a display

replacement costs

$147 Samsung yes the s22 it costs $160

but Samsung sells the display and the

battery as a combo and for the other

phones I mentioned the battery

Replacements cost $40 $50 so Samsung

actually is offering better value if you

wanted to buy both the display and the

battery now this is not a big deal if

you've cracked your display but the most

common part that needs replacement in a

phone is the battery now if you look at

battery replacement costs Al loone and

if you're buying the genuine stuff

you're spending $160 for a s22 a phone

that you can buy refurbished for just a

little bit more makes absolutely no

sense now does it and if you're just

looking at the battery replacement cost

for the genuine part it's more than

three times as expensive as say Google

or Motorola hell even Apple it's more

expensive than Apple's battery

replacement costs no don't think I'm

saying anything nice about Apple because

Apple are no Angels they have much worse

anti- repair stuff than Samsung they are

much much worse if anything Samsung has

been taking Pages out of Apple's

Playbook and that's what's making

Samsung really bad right now uh so Apple

if I were to talk about Apple and repair

that could be like an entire season's

worth of videos because they have the

worst practices possible for example uh

I saw this video Once where I think it

was an iPhone 13 like somebody bought

two iPhones they pull out the displays

on both and just swap them and you still

lose functionality because every part

it's kind of the serial number is

hardcoded or not hardcoded the serial

number is kind of uh registered on the

motherboard and you cannot just change

that stuff so even if you're buying

genuine Apple parts and you're replacing

stuff by yourself you're losing

functionality now if you care even just

a little about the repair stuff I highly

recommend watching Louis rossman's

videos man's been doing amazing work big

shout out huge respect okay okay sorry

kind of got sidetracked now yes

technically you can buy a third party

battery replacement which are available

very easily much cheaper and you can use

that get your battery replaced great yes

the design is a pain it's going to take

a lot more work to get to that battery

yes the iPhone has a better design when

it comes to battery replacement but

technically it can be done and Samsung

from the s23 series if I can remember

correctly they've even been adding these

little pull tabs to make it slightly

easier to replace not a lot but slightly

but yeah it's there but the point is

when I fix it couldn't really sell to

repair technicians and the genuine parts

they don't really make Financial sense

for the end consumer to buy the entire

partnership felt like it was just there

for sure just to let legislators know

that they don't need to push any

legislation Samsung's already checking

all the right boxes they're doing the

right things so these issues led to

iFixit ending their collaboration with

Samsung just a few months back now this

is not an issue that's isolated to iix

it it wouldn't be this big a problem if

it were but we've been seeing more and

more Partners doing this in fact if you

look at the US Best Buy is no longer an

authorized service provider for Samsung

phones now if you've personally taken

your phone to an independent repair shop

and gotten it fixed you might be

wondering how is that possible well it

is because Samsung does not want a

middleman like iix it to sell to

independent uh repair shops that's

because they want these independent

stores to actually buy from them

directly like I said at the start of

this video the ideas as they come out

like the at the initial phase they're

pure they're good the intentions are

good and here the intention is

definitely good right why pay a

middleman there's a margin that

Samsung's going to keep there's a margin

that the repair Shop's going to keep why

does the end consumer have to pay more

good but then again here's where

Samsung's contracts come into play they

have some very weird requirements claes

in those contracts so for an independent

store that is buying parts from Samsung

in in return apart from paying Samsung

they they're also expected to give

information to Samsung information like

name of the customer contact info phone

identifier the reason the customer

submitted the phone in all this needs to

be provided and for some people this is

an invasion of privacy but hey I'm

Indian we don't really give too much

weightage to that so as long as you fix

my phone for cheap I'm good I'm happy

and as the manufacturer once you sign

into their phone they get a ton of your

details anyway but it doesn't end there

you know how I spoke about you could

Source a third party battery for the

phone so let's say you do that because

the genuine replacement makes absolutely

no sense as a combo too expensive does

not really work for most consumers now

after that let's say your volume button

gets stuck or you break the typc port so

you take it to your local repair

technician who is having a contract with

Samsung to buy parts from them then they

are contractually obligated to

disassemble you your phone get a lot of

information from you and submit it to

Samsung why what does this accomplish

for a brand that removes Chargers from

the box because they want to go green

and save the environment how does adding

extra e-ways to set environment help

anybody you know on one hand they're

providing seven years of software

updates so that you can hold on to your

device longer and on the other hand they

don't want you to actually fix devices

you know they don't want you to use

aftermarket batteries they don't want

you to I don't know this is just so

hypocritical from Samsung now it's not

all doom and gloom that is a little ray

of sunshine at the end of the tunnel and

that is EU regulations so eu's latest

regulations they require smartphones in

the future to be easily repairable

especially the battery it needs to be

easily replaceable and iix it says

Samsung's current design is just not

going to cut it and they're going to

have to make design changes with a

upcoming flagships upcoming phones that

are launching in the EU and yeah we've

seen this done before EU did for his

Apple to finally switch to type-c and

yeah the side loading apps thing has

been a fiasco Apple's been dragging

their feet they've been making

everybody's lives miserable for that but

hey there has been some impact so maybe

something happens with Samsung 2o and

sadly that's exactly what brands like

Samsung are preemptively trying to work

around you know they have created this

this kind of scenario where it looks

like they are letting you fix your

phones they're letting you repair your

devices but the reality is they're

crippling you at in every way possible

whether it's with the design whether

it's with the insane cost of the combos

they sell or if it's the limitation of s

units per customer per quarter which

stops any independent service technician

from buying uh sparis from say iFix set

or having these contracts with

independent technicians when they want a

source products from Samsung which

overall basically what they're trying to

do is create an environment where it's

so damn difficult to repair your own

phones that you say check it I'll buy a

new one here Samsung take more money and

it's not just Samsung a lot of brands do

it Samsung is probably one of the worst

offenders when it comes to the Android

set of things Apple whole different

level anyone commenting here saying hey

why don't you talk about apple apple is

much worse here take it from me Apple is

much much worse outside of the design

aspect where swapping a battery is

relatively easier outside of that one

thing they have nothing else on Samsung

so Samsung's bad Apple's worse so

anyways guys this is a story after

reading I had mixed emotions I was sad I

was angry I found it interesting and I

thought I should share it with you guys

and if you do find it interesting too if

you have the same feelings then do share

it with your friends and uh I'm going to

leave you guys with some interesting

Snippets from the original blog post

from iix it when they discontinu that

partnership so anyways thanks for

watching Ash out