The iPhone Scores a D– for Repairability

iPhone 17 Pro Max sits at the bottom of a new smartphone repairability ranking that grades brands on how easy their devices are to fix.

The scores come from the PIRG Education Fund’s “Failing the Fix 2026” study, which combines EU repairability data with additional US-focused inputs. Instead of rating only one model at a time, the report assigns a grade to each major brand’s wider lineup.

The headline grades

The report places Apple last with a D– grade. Samsung is next with a D, while Google Pixel phones land at C–. At the top of the smartphone list, Motorola leads with a B+.

These are brand-level results, so they reflect an overall picture rather than a single standout device.

What “repairability” measures in practice

The scoring approach draws on factors commonly used in EU repair scoring, such as how many steps it takes to access and replace parts, whether proprietary tools are needed, spare-parts availability, repair documentation access, and software support commitments that keep devices usable over time.

In plain terms, a lower score usually points to repairs that take longer, require tighter part pairing, or depend more on official service routes.

Why buyers should care

Repairability is a cost issue, not just a hobbyist issue. Screen damage, battery wear, and charging-port failures are common problems over a phone’s life. When a brand scores poorly, it can mean higher out-of-warranty repair bills, fewer practical third-party options, and longer downtime.

This matters even more when you’re cross-shopping high-end phones like iPhone 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S26 Ultra, and Pixel 10 Pro, where the purchase price is already high.

Specs still drive most comparisons

Repairability is one input, but most buyers still start with the core hardware checklist: display refresh rate for scrolling and gaming feel, battery capacity for predictable day-to-day runtime, camera module size for pocket feel and table wobble, charging habits including wireless charging support, and accessory systems where MagSafe compatibility is often a deciding point for iPhone users.

The report doesn’t replace those priorities, but it adds another lens: what happens after year one, when battery health drops or a screen crack becomes a real expense.

How to use this information

If you keep phones for multiple years, repairability can change the total cost of ownership. If you replace yearly, it may matter less—though resale value can still reflect how repair-friendly a brand is perceived to be.

For side-by-side comparisons that include iPhone 17 Pro Max along with Galaxy S26 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro, Komodoty can help you line up the basics quickly: Komodoty.