In brief: Best Buy is now an authorized service center for Samsung mobile devices, meaning you’ll soon be able to head to one of more than 100 Best Buy locations across the country to get repairs on most Samsung phones, including the company’s latest foldables.
Samsung in announcing the service said repairs will be completed by Samsung-certified Geek Squad members that have been trained to use genuine replacement parts. Most in-warranty and out-of-warranty repairs, including screen and battery replacements as well as port and camera repairs, can be completed the same day. Repairs of Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold models will take a bit longer, and won’t be available until early November, we’re told.
It’s nice to have more widespread access to repair options, especially as flagship smartphone prices continue to climb. Now more than ever, it’s easier to extend the life of used devices with replacement batteries or breathe new life into a phone with a broken screen or a dead charging port.
My personal smartphone just celebrated its fifth birthday and aside from the battery which has lost about 20 percent of its total capacity, it still works just fine, and I’ve saved at least a couple grand by not upgrading annually or every other year.
Samsung has operated a pilot repair program at some Best Buy locations up to this point, so this might not be entirely new for everyone. In 2019, Apple teamed with the electronics retailer to expand its authorized repair program to nearly 1,000 locations.