Tech Companies Are Making Your Devices Hard to Repair. 3 Ways To Help Them Last Longer

It wasn't that many years ago, we lived in a world where our electronic gadgets would last, for a long time. If for some reason they broke, we could take them to a place where they could be easily repaired. In our current digital world, thinking that devices will last a long time is purely fantasy. The growing trend among most IT brands is to make our tablets, phones and other devices lighter, small and thinner. In doing so, engineers are creating devices that are more difficult, if not impossible, to repair. Wonder why your devices are so expensive to repair? Well, many of the factors I'm talking about play into this. I'm going to show you ways your favorite gadget developers are make your devices harder to fix and give you a few tips on working around these limitations.

Making devices harder to repair and making repairs expensive is how gadget manufacturers continue to generate profits. Yearly device roll-outs keep people interested in having the latest and greatest, but if you're like me, you don't want to keep buying new tech no matter how cool it looks. To deal with the people who don't want to get new tech every years, devices creators have designed tech that isn't designed to last long and that is hard to repair. How are they doing this, check out the following:

Most smart devices and computers are becoming more fragile by design. Modern smartphones and tablets look pretty darn cool, right? That thin design and that all glass cover looks awesome when we hold it, but that glass design isn't too cool when we drop it. It's true that manufactures have introduced stronger glass, but one of the biggest problems with smartphones, tablets and laptops are broken screens.

Repair manuals and spare parts aren't easily available. Very few manufacturers provide information on fixing their products. Dell and HP are some of the few that provide you access to parts to fix their products. In most cases, you have to rely on YouTube videos if you hope to repair a device you've damaged or that has failed. If you're looking for parts, there are a ton of vendors that sell replacement parts, but many of these vendors can't be trusted because the parts they sell, don't last long.

Devices are purposefully made difficult to repair and maintain. Got a tablet, smartphone or computer you want to upgrade, forget it. Why? On most of these gadgets, pieces that used to be easily replaced are soldered or glued into place, making repair even hard or impossible. RAM, one of the easiest upgrades to make in laptops is now being integrated into the motherboard of newer models. The same is happening with hard drives and batteries.

The tools used to repair devices are hard to obtain. Let's say you got the parts to repair your device, you would run into another road block because you would needs special tools to take apart your devices. All Apple products need special tools to repair those devices, from special screw drivers to open them up, to heat guns to loosen the glue and special parts to pry oven your device. Even when repairing could be possible, it's very expensive and time consuming.

Want to help you devices last longer? Follow these steps:

1. Get a case for your mobile devices and use it. Cases come in numerous styles, thicknesses and materials, offering great protection. Smartphone and tablet users, need to invest in an Otterbox. Laptop users should invest in a Thule Gauntlet.

2. Purchase a screen protector or a screen guard. This is a film you apply on your mobile screen to shield it from scratches. Now a days, a tempered glass is also available for the mobile screens to protect them from damage.

3. Get the Extended Warranty. If you are accident prone with your devices, you need to go ahead and purchase the extended warranty that includes physical damage protection. If something happens to your device, it's covered by the warranty which eliminates the need for expensive repairs.

It's hard not to love our slim and portable devices. With technology becoming more throw away, make sure you are taking steps to ensure your devices last for a long time.