The 2026 data in the “Failing the Fix” report card, published annually by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund since 2022, is based on the French Repairability Index law and the EU’s EPREL rules. Samsung received the lowest grade among smartphones with a “D,” while Apple received a “D-.” The use of extensive adhesive, Apple’s proprietary screws and its parts-pairing practice were criticized. Motorola, which has also returned to Turkey, received a B+, while Google received a C-. No meaningful progress has been seen in laptops since last year. ASUS received the highest grade, a B+; Acer remained at B, HP at B-, DELL at B-, Lenovo at C and Apple at C-.
Why it matters
The report card’s use of French law and EU rules as common criteria broadens comparisons between brands beyond technical specifications to include repair conditions. The fact that practices such as adhesive, proprietary screws and parts pairing lower scores shows that repairability depends both on device design and on manufacturers’ parts-use policies. While smartphone grades diverge markedly, the lack of progress in laptops since last year indicates that manufacturers’ approaches in the two categories are not changing at the same pace. Motorola’s return to Turkey makes the brand’s relatively high grade directly relevant to users there as well, while it remains unclear whether manufacturers receiving low grades will change the practices that have drawn criticism.