Last week, Google announced a partnership with iFixit to make it easier for Pixel users to repair their phones themselves. I like this take on self-repair, though there are unanswered questions remaining.

Last week, Google announced a partnership with iFixit to make it easier for Pixel users to repair their phones themselves. Their announcement was centered around the sale of replacement parts for Pixel, from Pixel 2 to Pixel 6 Pro. The replacement parts can be bought individually or in kits with the necessary tools. All European countries, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Australia will get the option to buy these replacement parts.

Google plans to partner up with more local repair shops and provide them with training, documentation, spare parts, and tools. They also mentioned their repair, recycling, trade-in programs, and extended support for Chromebook repairs.

I like their plans to partner up with iFixit and provide replacement parts for Pixel users, though their lack of clear communication leaves some important questions open. What repairs can be done by yourself? How many certified repair shops are there? And most importantly: is this a PR-Stunt?

# I really like the partnership!

Google takes a more genuine and honest approach to the right to repair than other companies did. iFixit would not partner up with Google if they were to introduce this repair program purely for good press. iFixit’s motives are clear: make repairs available to everyone. That is why  I doubt that they would accept a partnership with a company with a completely different vision.

In contrast to Google, Apple chose not to collaborate with any third party, giving them the freedom to cancel their program, stop supporting older iPhones, and sell their replacement parts at premium prices. However, Google’s collaboration with iFixit sends a message to the rest of the industry and I would love to see iFixit becoming a standard in repair programs of bigger companies, as long as they stay independent, of course.

The partnership between iFixit and Google shows commitment and binds Google to a longer-term repair program.

# What can you repair?

What I didn’t find in Google’s blog post, were the different types of repairs you could do yourself. The only information we got from Google, was the following:

> things like batteries, replacement displays, cameras and more
> 

*Google, & Corrales, A. (2022, April 8). Coming soon: More ways to repair your Pixel phone. Google | The Keyword. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/pixel-phone-repairs/*

These seem like basic repairs, so a cracked display is nothing to worry about. But what about broken back glass, broken camera segments, or charging ports? There are no official answers, but we can assume that you will be able to buy most of the replacement parts for most of the iFixit guides covering Pixel 2 up to Pixel 6 Pro. So headphone jacks, charging ports, and more should be available for sale, no guarantee, though.

## Become a certified repair shop.

Similar to Apple’s certification system, Google partners up with independent repair shops in the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Again, Google did not elaborate further in their blog post, but we can find repair shops on the [“Pixel Phone Help”](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/10227672?visit_id=637855547231196943-518045257&rd=1) page.

You can still send your device to Google themselves for repair, that hasn’t changed.

# I hope this isn’t for PR!

Apple’s Self Service Program was announced to get ahead of the right to repair movement and calm down the media. As of today, there are no replacement parts available on Apple’s website, or not easily accessible for purchase: Did anything happen after the announcement in November of 2021?   I don’t think so.

![Screenshot 2022-04-13 194547.png](https://bittn.uber.space/uploads/Screenshot_2022_04_13_194547_95a9873173.png)

Google hasn’t published anything else since April 8 either, but iFixit has lots of detailed guides for almost every Pixel (except Pixel 5a)! We don’t know in what way Google contributed to these, but this already fulfills half of their promise

If Google published this post purely for PR, then they’d be a) too late, b) foolish to partner up with iFixit, and c) foolish for bringing up this topic again. I hope their attempts at a self-service repair program are not solely intended to calm down the media but come from a more customer-oriented origin.

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Google Pixel Repair Program

Leica − being an absolute chad − relaunched the M6 in late 2022. With the current trends in the analog world, this signifies to the rest of the world, arguably the normal world, that film is not dead − yet. But Leica aims to prove that its camera is more than a fashion statement. 

I am definitely too broke to realistically advocate for it: The Leica M6 is a beauty. Even before the German brand relaunched its icon, the M6 stood out to me as being a well-designed, well crafted and expensive analog camera.

Do I have any right to claim these impressions as being facts? No. 

So let’s get into it. 

To brush over the original Leica M6, the camera was produced from 1984 up until 2002. It featured an amazingly spicy body of which even the new Leica M11 is jealous. The loading mechanism is interesting, to say the least, but simple to load − I have to trust *[Negative Feedback](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkaQP9ZqBLc)* on this one. It is a rangefinder camera, which makes it immediately five times better in my opinion.

Leica − being an absolute chad − relaunched the M6 in late 2022. With the current trends in the analog world, this signifies to the rest of the world, arguably the normal world, that film is not dead − yet. But Leica aims to prove that its camera is more than a fashion statement. 

![Retro camera as a fashion statement?](/uploads/sergey_sokolov_rb_ULY_Bd_Wuok_unsplash_89c512b467.jpg)

Even though I know it will financially drown me, I really want to use a Leica M-series camera at some point before film is truly forgotten. But before that, we will see if the Leica M6 2022 is going to be a success or not and if it will land in the hands of fashion icons or legendary photographers.

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Leica − an absolute chad − and the new (old) M6

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I am a tech and photography enthusiast, publishing content about everything that I think is worth sharing! Even with some experience, learning something new happens daily. I try to share my opinions and newly gained knowledge with you. Stick around and you're bound to find something interesting.

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