Repairable smartphones

Abstract

The increasing global need for environmental preservation calls for new methods to increase the material efficiency of products. One way to do this, is by extending the use cycle of a product, by making the product more repairable. This thesis has studied existing use cycle extension strategies to propose a new smartphone ProductService System that stimulates consumers to choose for repair over replacement. The developed Product-Service System is a smartphone application. This application is provided to the user for free, and helps him to perform failure diagnosis, failure solution and failure prevention of the smartphone. The main objective of this research has been to develop a smartphone ProductService System that stimulates consumers to choose for repair over replacement. I have developed the app based on a literature review, consumer interviews, expert interviews, design iterations, and user tests. Literature review, consumer interviews, and expert interviews have provided insight into a way to assess the repairability of smartphones, as well as existing strategies that increase repairability. Based on the provided insights, I developed several directions for a possible Product-Service System to take shape. Based on consumer input, the most promising direction was chosen, after which the final concept has been developed in two main iterations, including a user test. Finally, I have shown that the app does not only seem to contribute to use cycle extension, but that it also fulfils consumers’ needs and preferences, is economically sustainable, and is feasible for any business to achieve. This thesis has two main contributions. First of all, the developed repairability scoring system can be applied in both academia and businesses to rate a product’s repairability. In this thesis, the framework has only been applied to smartphones, but its theoretical background allows it to be applied to any other electronic product as well. Secondly, I have shown that the developed app poses an interesting business opportunity, and that it can be applied in practice by anyone who is willing to take up the development of the app.