Apple earned the lowest grades in a report on laptop and smartphone repairability released today by the consumer advocacy group Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund. The report, which looks at how easy devices are to disassemble and how easy it is to find repairability information, gave Apple a C-minus in laptop repairability and a D-minus in cell phone repairability.
For its “Failing the Fix (2026): Grading laptop and cell phone companies on the fixability of their products” report, PIRG analyzed the 10 newest laptops and phones that were available via manufacturers’ French website in January. PIRG uses devices available in France because much of its criteria stems from the French repairability index, a grading system for device repairability that must be displayed on products sold in France. The group, along with other right-to-repair advocates, believes vendors should apply the French requirements to devices sold in other geographies as well.
To calculate laptop vendors’ grades, PIRG used the French index but gave more “weight to the physical ease of disassembling the product” because it believes that “is what consumers generally expect a ‘repair score’ to refer to.” The other French repairability index categories are:
It’s interesting to see the findings on laptop repairability, especially how major brands like Apple and Lenovo ranked. Repairability is such an important issue for consumers, and it will be intriguing to see how this impacts their future designs and policies.
I agree, it really highlights the trade-offs between design and repairability. It’s worth noting that while Apple focuses on sleek aesthetics, some users might prefer brands that prioritize easier repairs for longevity. This could influence buying decisions in the future!