The “right to repair” movement has gained significant momentum, pushing back against manufacturers that intentionally design products to be disposable. Despite this, many of today’s most popular tech items remain effectively unrepairable for the average consumer or even for professional technicians. Companies use tactics like gluing components together, using proprietary screws, and soldering essential parts directly to the motherboard. This forces consumers into a costly cycle of replacement over repair, contributing to a massive amount of electronic waste.
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1. Apple AirPods and Other Wireless Earbuds
Wireless earbuds, especially Apple’s AirPods, are the poster child for unrepairable tech. The components are tiny and packed tightly into a sealed, glued-together plastic casing. The small lithium-ion batteries are the first part to fail, and it is virtually impossible to replace them without destroying the earbuds. Repair experts at iFixit have consistently given AirPods a repairability score of zero out of ten, meaning they are designed to be thrown away once the battery dies.
2. Most Modern Smart TVs
You might assume a large, expensive TV would be repairable, but that’s rarely the case. The most common failure points are the LED backlights or the main circuit board. However, manufacturers rarely make replacement parts available to consumers or independent repair shops. The high cost of labor combined with the difficulty of sourcing parts means that the cost of a professional repair often exceeds the price of a brand-new television.
3. Thin-and-Light Laptops with Soldered Components
To make laptops thinner and lighter, many manufacturers now solder key components like the RAM (memory) and the SSD (storage) directly onto the motherboard. This practice, common in products like Apple’s MacBook Air and the Microsoft Surface Laptop, means you can never upgrade or easily replace these parts if they fail. A single faulty memory chip can render the entire expensive logic board useless, forcing a complete replacement.
4. Sealed Smart Home Devices
Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo Dot and the Google Nest Mini are built as sealed units. They are not designed to be opened or serviced. If a speaker blows or the internal electronics fail after the warranty period, there is no official repair path. You cannot order replacement parts, and their construction makes them difficult to open without causing permanent damage. Your only option is to buy a new one.
5. Modern Smartphones
While some smartphone repair is possible, manufacturers are making it increasingly difficult. The extensive use of strong adhesives to glue down batteries and seal screens makes even a simple battery or screen replacement a risky job that can lead to further damage. Companies also use a technique called “parts pairing,” where a new part, even a genuine one, will not function properly unless it is authenticated by the manufacturer’s software, limiting the effectiveness of third-party repairs.
6. All-in-One Computers
All-in-one computers, like Apple’s iMac, integrate the computer’s components directly into the monitor. This sleek design comes at a major cost to repairability. To access any internal parts, you must painstakingly remove the screen, which is often held on with strong adhesive tape. Once inside, many components are difficult to access and replace, making repairs a job for only the most specialized technicians.
7. Most Fitness Trackers
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Fitness trackers from brands like Fitbit are another example of a sealed electronic device not meant to be repaired. They are exposed to sweat, water, and constant movement, and are thus sealed tightly for durability. This makes it nearly impossible to replace a failing battery or a broken screen. Once the device stops holding a charge or the display dies, it becomes e-waste.
8. Inkjet Printers
Printers are a classic example of a product that is often cheaper to replace than to repair. The manufacturers sell the hardware at a very low price, sometimes at a loss, and make their profit on expensive ink cartridges. If a printer’s print head clogs or a mechanical part breaks, the cost of a repair service and parts will almost always be more than the price of a new, entry-level printer.
The Throwaway Economy
The design of these unrepairable products fuels a throwaway culture that is both costly for consumers and detrimental to the environment. By demanding products that are built to last and supporting the right-to-repair movement, consumers can push back against planned obsolescence. Until then, we are left with a growing pile of electronics that are designed to be replaced, not repaired.
Have you ever tried to repair a tech item only to find it was impossible? What do you think about the “right to repair” movement? Share your story!
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