New report shows what Georgians are trying to fix

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Study demonstrates demand in Georgia for accessible electronic repair

Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center

Atlanta– According to a new report from Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center, even though Georgia residents demonstrate a strong interest in fixing their electronic devices, there are big obstacles in their way. “What are Georgians Trying to Fix?” analyzes data from the popular repair website iFixit.com, looking at the most common items people in Georgia want to fix, and what stands in their way. 

The report’s top findings include: 

  • 2.4 million Georgia residents visited iFixit.com last year.

  • The most popular products people researched on iFixit are cell phones.

  • Of the 10 most popular manufacturers, five provide no access to spare parts or technical service information, two more manufacturers provide only limited access. 

“With nearly a quarter of residents using iFixit, it’s clear that Georgians want to fix our stuff. After all, repairing an old device instead of buying a new one cuts waste and saves us money,” noted Environment Georgia’s Director Jennette Gayer. “But too often, consumers are stymied in their repair efforts because most of the top manufacturers won’t provide access to spare parts, repair software or service diagrams.” 

The report highlights the growing call for “Right to Repair” reforms, which would require manufacturers to make parts and service information available to consumers. 

“iFixit.com has many guides for problems that manufacturers have told people are unfixable, and advised them that they need to replace the device. For example, you can easily change the battery in an iPhone yourself,” explained iFixit’s co-founder, Kyle Wiens. “And while we can provide spare parts for that repair, sometimes, we just can’t get the parts: Only the manufacturer has access to what we need to fix the device.”

The most important repair guides on iFixit among Georgia residents were for cell phones, and Apple was the most popular manufacturer. Among personal electronics, battery repair was the most common guide type. 

“Throwing out a $1,000 smartphone because it needs a $40 battery is absurd,” commented Nate Minor, owner of ScreenFixing.com a repair shop located in East Atlanta. “It’s no wonder that we’re increasingly interested in fixing our electronics ourselves. Manufacturers should provide better access to parts and information, and if they won’t, state leaders should step up and enact Right to Repair reforms.”

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