iFixit Goes Inside the Surface Go, Awards a Low Repairability Score

It’s not been long since Microsoft’s smallest Surface ever, the Surface Go, came out. And the folks at iFixit have already torn the entire device down. iFixit, for those unfamiliar, tears down latest hardware and awards them a “repairability” score that’s essentially an indicator of how easy it is to repair or upgrade a device.

And like every other Surface device to date, the Surface Go isn’t any better when it comes to the repairability score. iFixit awarded the device with a repairability score of 1 out of 10, which means it’s going to be quite challenging to repair or upgrade the hardware. The main complaint from iFixit continues to be revolved around the usage of adhesive: when the Surface Laptop got a repairability score of 0, iFixit called it a “glue-filled monstrosity”. And that’s no different here. On the Surface Go, iFixit complimented the easily disconnectable battery, but that later got shattered by the two “giant pads of adhesive” holding the battery cells together.

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iFixit says the lack of modularity and upgradability will make repairs “unnecessarily” expensive, and “severely” limit the device’s lifespan. In fact, replacement of any part on the device will require you to remove the display assembly completely, which is easily prone to damage. Either way, that’s expected on a 10-inch computer.

Microsoft’s Surface has never been known for upgradability. The company’s Surface Book 2 and Surface Pro got a repairability score of 1 as well, with the Surface Laptop getting a score of 0, and the Surface Studio coming up strong with 5. The small, cramped form factor of these devices make it incredibly hard to tear them down and upgrade all the different parts, and that’s expected here on a 10-inch device. Even Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a repairability score of 2, so Microsoft isn’t doing too bad here.

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Conversation 29 comments

  • mrdrwest

    03 August, 2018 - 9:00 pm

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">I can only hope the warranties are generous.</span></p><p><br></p><p>I've always found these iFixIt scores pointless for precision, THIN formfactor hardware.</p><p><br></p><p>Be that as it may, if precision manufactured devices can be repaired within justifiably reasonable prices and turn around time, great!</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      04 August, 2018 - 9:24 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#299026">In reply to mrdrwest:</a></em></blockquote><p>The problem is that<em> nobody wants to sell anything but thin. </em>The option to purchase a 2” thick beast really doesn’t exist. </p><p><br></p><p>And that sucks.</p>

  • thea2_

    Premium Member
    03 August, 2018 - 9:55 pm

    <p>I guess globs of glue are cheaper than bolts and receiving mount points. Wonder what the reject rate is on the assembly line and how they recycle the rejects.</p>

    • train_wreck

      04 August, 2018 - 1:58 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#299030">In reply to thea2_:</a></em></blockquote><p>Can these things even be recycled at all? Without significant damage to internals?</p><p><br></p><p>This is a big problem that the majority of the tech industry seems to ignore.</p>

  • zybch

    03 August, 2018 - 10:30 pm

    <p>Absolutely expected for a device like this where portability is going to rate a lot higher on people's radars than the ability to replace a drive or upgrade the RAM. Also, for $400 what do they expect, desktop PC ease of disassembly?</p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      04 August, 2018 - 6:09 pm

      <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/165180/ifixit-goes-inside-surface-go-awards-low-repairability-score#299031&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to zybch:</em></a></p><p>Tangent: batteries do fail before the rest of a device becomes obsolete. A tablet with a bad battery isn't usable, and getting new batteries into glued-together devices usually means a week or two without the device.</p>

    • Nonmoi

      04 August, 2018 - 11:48 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#299031">In reply to zybch:</a></em></blockquote><p>Its less about price, more about design. For example, all windows tablets, Surface Pro 3 and up are consistently harder to repair than the HP tablets of last 2 generation, and HP tablets are at similar or cheaper price.</p><p><br></p><p>https://www.ifixit.com/tablet-repairability</p><p><br></p><p>Now, not all consumer will need/willing to do repair by themselves, it is actually more about the cost of up hold warranty for MS itself. (Remeber how Band was cancelled largely because the warranty cost is too high?) </p>

  • Samr

    03 August, 2018 - 11:44 pm

    <p>The extremely poor repairability of the Surface range of products is the best reason in my opinion not to buy them if your employer is not paying. One fault outside of warranty will write them off.</p><p><br></p><p>Also factor in the lack of outside of warranty support for repairs.</p><p><br></p><p>Apple for all its faults will relatively cheaply repair its products way outside of warranty. There is a vast array of outside repair facilities that are much cheaper as well. As a result Apple products have a very very long service life with even secondhand values being high.</p><p><br></p>

    • soundtweaker

      04 August, 2018 - 12:03 am

      <blockquote><a href="#299035"><em>In reply to Samr: How about when when Apple tried to charge peple for a router firmware update. No thanks I'll stick with Microsoft. Surface is better quality anyway.</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • Waethorn

        04 August, 2018 - 10:50 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#299038">In reply to Soundtweaker:</a></em></blockquote><p>What?!?</p><p><br></p><p>Last time I looked they're both made by Foxconn.</p>

      • Hawaiianteg

        05 August, 2018 - 6:41 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#299038">In reply to Soundtweaker:</a></em></blockquote><p>It wasn’t for a router it was to upgrade old WiFi chips to N speeds. This was required because of some stupid IRS requirements. Eventually that rule no longer exists but it did back then so your point is moot and a horrible reason to mock apple.</p>

    • the_real_entheos

      04 August, 2018 - 7:01 am

      <blockquote>Excellent point. It's not just that they are almost impossible to repair, but that out of warranty repair costs will surely be more than the device's value. It's a real shitty thing they do for our future generations that have to deal with our trash. We can help by not purchasing them, though with consumers, MS apparently encourages this.</blockquote><blockquote><a href="#299035"><em>In reply to Samr:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • lvthunder

        Premium Member
        06 August, 2018 - 1:35 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#299089">In reply to the_real_entheos:</a></em></blockquote><p>There is a difference between being able to repair something and being able to recycle something.</p>

    • curtisspendlove

      04 August, 2018 - 11:29 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#299035">In reply to Samr:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>Apple for all its faults will relatively cheaply repair its products way outside of warranty.</em></p><p><br></p><p>In general, I disagree with this. Repairs on modern Apple devices are pretty steep. In fact I’ve considered buying new replacements instead of repairs for certain things.</p><p><br></p><p>This is the trade off for “thin and light”, and the “computer as an appliance” concept. </p><p><br></p><p>The good news is that they will usually work with you. I have also had them consider repairs “warranty“ repairs that might technically not have been. </p><p><br></p><p>Edit: it occurred to me your “relatively cheaply” qualifier might have mean “compared to new”. I can agree with that. </p>

  • curtisspendlove

    03 August, 2018 - 11:46 pm

    <p>I don’t care if t is repairable or upgradable, as long as Microsoft is willing to replace it if it breaks (not due to my own fault). </p>

  • Jeffery Commaroto

    04 August, 2018 - 7:13 am

    <p>For anyone here who has had a Surface device and run into issues, curious to hear what their experiences have been getting service.</p>

    • SRLRacing

      04 August, 2018 - 2:29 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#299090"><em>In reply to Jeffery_Commaroto:</em></a><em> I'd compare it with a phone service experience. You come in, they run some diagnostics. If its broke and you are still under warranty or a service agreement they hand you a brand new one.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • MikeGalos

    04 August, 2018 - 8:15 am

    <p>Of course it got a low score. It's a tablet form factor.</p><p>You want easy repair and upgrade, get a thick laptop or, better yet, a desktop.</p><p>That's kind of the whole tradeoff you make for portability.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    04 August, 2018 - 10:56 am

    <p>This is a surprise? Thin to win, ya know. Also, cheaply made to win.</p>

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    04 August, 2018 - 6:18 pm

    <p>In my own experience, as bad as Surface Gos may be, they shouldn't need anywhere near as frequent repairs or replacements as Kindle Fires. Still, people do tend to let batteries run down to zero too often (though Windows should be better about shutting down while still above 0% than other tablet OSes), so batteries do tend to need more frequent replacement than manufacturers may anticipate.</p>

    • pecosbob04

      06 August, 2018 - 1:18 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#299187"><em>In reply to hrlngrv:</em></a><em>"</em>people do tend to let batteries run down to zero too often (though Windows should be better about shutting down while still above 0% than other tablet OSes)"</blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote>Why do you think they should be better/</blockquote><p><br></p>

  • Daniel D

    04 August, 2018 - 7:02 pm

    <p>When you have to compare your product to Apple and argue its ever so slightly better for repairability, you know you are in trouble. This isn't a win for anyone except Microsoft, who wants your Surface in landfill as quickly as possible.</p>

    • PeteB

      05 August, 2018 - 7:06 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#299188">In reply to Daniel_D:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yep in the landfill next to all the Surface RT's. Remember those? Good god. </p><p><br></p><p>Unfortunately from the looks of this Go it seems MS hasn't learned.</p>

    • TheFerrango

      08 August, 2018 - 2:33 am

      <blockquote><a href="#299188"><em>In reply to Daniel_D:</em></a></blockquote><p>but the repairability is worse than Apple's stuff…</p>

  • glenn8878

    04 August, 2018 - 10:56 pm

    <p>You don’t repair them. You’re more likely to stop using it after 2 years due to lack of processor speed. Get a laptop. </p>

  • Nonmoi

    04 August, 2018 - 11:11 pm

    <p>Totally as expected, if you want a PC that is truly portable/pocket-able and can be repaired more or less like a normal PC/laptop, then you should go for a GPD WIN2/Pocket2. </p>

  • jules_wombat

    05 August, 2018 - 10:57 am

    <p>Yeah Great for Dolphins. </p><p>Lets all just trash our old Tech. The selfish Western lifestyle really has to ask questions of itself, on how its raping the earth of precious metals, dumping 3 year old tech into landfill. Our Great Great Grandkids will be so proud of us. </p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      06 August, 2018 - 1:31 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#299279">In reply to Jules_Wombat:</a></em></blockquote><p>There is a difference between repairability and the device being recyclable.</p>

  • dstrauss

    06 August, 2018 - 4:08 pm

    <p>Why do people obsess about repairability of tablet devices – if your device must be upgradeable or easily repaired, stick to laptops with removable bases (i.e. HP x360 line or something comparable).</p>

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