Last November, in a significant victory for the right-to-repair movement, Apple announced the Self Service Repair program, which allows phone owners to order replacement parts for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 in the US. While the company's strategy is flawed, at least. until activists' concerns are addressed, it is still a step in the right direction. Now, following in Apple's footsteps, Samsung has announced a similar self-repair program in the US, where Galaxy S20, S21 series, and Tab S7+ users can order device parts directly from the company — making some of the best Android phones even easier to keep alive for longer. There's no word on when the Galaxy S22 series will be supported, though.

The Korean smartphone maker has partnered with iFixit on this initiative. Apart from device components, users will be provided access to the necessary tools and detailed repair guides. Initially, under the self-repair program, Galaxy device owners will be able to order replacement displays, back glass, and charging ports and will further expand to more devices and components in the future. Customers will also have an option to send the faulty parts back to Samsung for recycling purposes, which will ultimately help users extend the lifespan of Galaxy devices and minimize e-waste.

Samsung is only making an announcement today, though. The actual details on the pricing of the parts and tools and how the program will work will be revealed closer to the launch of the self-repair initiative later this summer. The initiative is also limited to the US for now. Nevertheless, the largest smartphone manufacturer allowing customers to self-repair their device and provide them with access to genuine components can compel other companies to follow suit as well, which would be a major win for the right-to-repair movement. It is also regularly setting the benchmark for other OEMs to follow, first with its four OS update policy and now with the self-repair program.