Samsung Exposed - Will You Call This a SCAM?
Summary
TLDRZash 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
🤔 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.
🛠️ 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.
📱 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.
📚 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Hypocrisy
💡Galaxy Alpha
💡Galaxy Upcycling Program
💡iFixit
💡EOL (End of Life)
💡Independent Repair Shops
💡Repairability
💡Environmental Sustainability
💡EU Regulations
💡Anti-Repair Practices
💡Middleman
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
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