Microsoft has made no secret of its desire to increase the repairability of Surface devices, which now includes the availability of replacement parts. Microsoft said in a statement to iFixit that it intends “wide availability” of components for consumers and independent repair businesses in the first half of 2023. Complete repair guides for the Surface Pro 9 are also expected by the end of this year. With the assistance of a “major US store,” a larger repair network will be accessible in early 2023.
The company’s recent designs reflect this changed approach. Microsoft claims that repairability was a “primary emphasis” in the design of the Surface Pro 9, and iFixit confirms this in its independently done breakdown of the Windows tablet. The user-accessible SSD is just the beginning. When you’re delving into the internals, the battery is screwed in rather than glued in, and the display is simpler to remove. According to iFixit, this is the “most repairable” Surface ever, and a stark contrast to the infamously difficult-to-fix models of the past.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has shown a preference for do-it-yourself repair. The Surface Laptop 3 was simpler to open, and the ultra-slim Surface Pro X had a user-replaceable SSD. iFixit also advises that it won’t be able to accurately assess the Surface Pro 9’s repairability until manuals and components are available. The RAM is still soldered on, even though it may provide improved performance and energy savings. This is a significant step in the right direction, but it is not the final answer.
Microsoft, like previous initiatives by Apple, Google, Samsung, and others, isn’t acting just out of goodwill. Federal and state governments are putting pressure on the tech sector to increase repairability, notably via “Right to Repair” legislation that demands access to components, records, and diagnostics. Governments may have stepped in if Microsoft had not made the Surface family simpler to repair on its own.
