Samsung is adding 300 new stores in the US for in-person phone repair

Samsung’s third-party device repairability front wasn’t in the nicest of light earlier this year when a leaked contract emerged, highlighting some of Samsung’s questionable practices.

This took place back in May, and put Samsung under blast for reportedly requiring repair shops to share information about customers who come into their shop to get their Samsung devices repaired. The contract also highlighted that the tech giant required shops to “immediately disassemble” Samsung devices brought in that have been previously repaired using aftermarket parts, and “immediately notify” Samsung about it. In exchange, Samsung offers said third-party shops access to its genuine repair parts.

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iFixit subsequently ended its partnership with Samsung, quoting that the tech giant’s approach to reparability does not align with that of iFixit’s. This came as a major blow, considering that iFixit was one of the few official sources where users could buy genuine Samsung parts for DIY repairs. The final nail in the repairability coffin came in the form of major retail giant Best Buy ending its repair partnership with Samsung in June.

Four months later, things are starting to look a little bit brighter for Samsung, as it hs just announced an expansion to its partnership with Cell Phone Repair by Assurant (CPR). CPR has been one of Samsung’s independent repair providers for the past three years, with over 100 Samsung authorized locations in the US. As part of the expansion, by the end of 2024, Samsung will add over 300 new CPR locations to its repair network, bringing the total to 400. For reference, CPR currently has 434 locations in total across the US (yes, I counted manually).

It is unclear if CPR complies with the same stipulations as other third-party repair shops under contract.

Find your nearest Samsung authorized CPR store

Source: Samsung

Samsung suggests that all technicians working at CPR are Wireless Industry Service Excellence certified, “with most repairs taking less than 1 hour.” The tech giant also suggests that technicians have access to Samsung’s training tools, videos, genuine parts, and equipment — ensuring repairs meet industry standards. It’s worth noting though that repairs are limited to the Galaxy S9 and later released devices.

CPR’s website indicates that it is currently offering repairs for screen damage, battery replacement, and water damage. CPR’s website is also where you can find a repair location closest to you. Alternatively, you can find authorized and independent service locations on Samsung’s website.