Tariffs Make Repair an Even Better Choice

Tariffs seem poised to make nearly every new piece of technology more expensive for US consumers. But in times of economic uncertainty, repair offers resilience and keeps costs down by letting you keep your current devices working like new for longer.

That’s not to say repair is immune; the cost of getting quality parts and tools will also go up. We’re doing everything we can to mitigate these new costs while maintaining our high standards of quality and safety, though we won’t be able to avoid them entirely. But the cost of repair will likely remain significantly lower than the price of a new device.

Tariffs inflate costs and create economic uncertainty. An analysis in January 2025 by the Consumer Technology Association (an organization we usually disagree with, due to their anti-repair positions) indicates that proposed tariffs could raise consumer electronics prices by up to 16.4%. Last week’s announcement revealed tariffs even higher than CTA assumed, further emphasizing the need for repair. For example, the manufacturing cost of a new iPhone is expected to jump from about $550 to $850—and some if not all of that increase will need to be passed on to consumers.

While shifting manufacturing to the U.S. could mitigate these impacts, it’s a slow, uncertain, and expensive solution. Building factories, training workers, and establishing supply chains domestically takes years, and some manufacturers might never fully transition.

This makes enabling repair the best way to manage costs and still keep customers happy. Instead of waiting for a manufacturing renaissance, we must prioritize making our current products last. Manufacturers should anticipate challenges, not merely react to them. They must empower consumers with knowledge and ensure trustworthy parts and tools are accessible.

Right to Repair laws across the United States, Europe, and elsewhere are slowly convincing manufacturers to support repair, but manufacturers who embrace repair solutions proactively benefit both their customer base and their own sustainability efforts. That is to say that even if tariffs are rolled back, manufacturers that decided to embrace repair will still come out ahead.

Countries with a current repair movement. Source: Repair.org

Currently, aftermarket ecosystems partially enable repair for many devices, but gaps remain. Manufacturers must bridge these gaps by:

Providing clear, accessible repair documentation
Making parts affordable, ideally less than a third of the cost of replacing a device
Ensuring widespread availability and fast delivery of replacement parts, consumables, and other components
Designing devices with repairability in mind from the outset.

We remain committed to supporting manufacturers in their efforts to make repair more accessible—and today, we’re doubling down on that commitment. We’re launching new opportunities to collaborate and help consumers keep their devices working longer, while creating real economic and environmental value. Here’s how manufacturers can partner with us to make that happen:

Host and Develop Repair Documentation: Collaborate with us to create and disseminate comprehensive repair guides, ensuring consumers have the knowledge to maintain and fix their devices.
Distribute Genuine Parts: Utilize our global parts marketplace to make authentic components readily available to consumers and professional repair businesses to facilitate successful repairs.
Share Repair Insights: Leverage our data and experience to understand the repairability of your devices, develop more repairable hardware, and gain insight on the most common repairs.
Build Repair Ecosystems: Work with us to establish repair networks that enhance brand loyalty, increase customer retention, and open new revenue streams through repair services.
Connect With the iFixit Pro Network: Support small businesses, strengthen local economies, and create jobs in communities around the world by leveraging our network of over 17,000 qualified independent repair professionals to provide customers with the option to have a repair performed locally.
Support Educational Initiatives: Contribute to training the next generation of engineers, technical writers, and repair advocates by donating devices to our university education program.