iFixit News

Buyers’ Guide: What Soldering Setup Do You Actually Need?

Charlie Sorrel — Mon, 25 May 2026 12:49:00 +0000

In life, it’s almost always possible to get by with bad tools, or even the wrong tools. But at some point, using a flathead screwdriver as a chisel gets old. And trying to desolder a joint by heating it and swiping at the melting solder with a bit of torn cardboard gets old fast. For specialty tasks like soldering, having the right kit not only helps get the best results, it might also mean the…

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The Trump Phone Looks Suspiciously Like a HTC U24 Pro

Shahram Mokhtari — Fri, 22 May 2026 01:03:03 +0000

In case you hadn’t heard, there’s a Trump phone now. Last June, an announcement from Trump Tower promised a new wireless service with its very own phone, “Made in America.” We were skeptical, knowing how little of the smartphone manufacturing pipeline exists in America. When we saw the first renders, we were even more skeptical: it looked suspiciously like a S24/25 Ultra. But that was before…

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How to Find a Good Local Repair Shop

Elizabeth Chamberlain — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:52:40 +0000

Need help fixing something, but not sure who to trust? Finding a good repair shop can save you time, stress, and money, especially when the repair is complicated or the device really matters. But before you look for a local shop, it’s worth checking whether you need one at all. At iFixit, we’re built around a simple idea: helping you fix your own stuff. We publish free repair guides…

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Why Do We Keep Letting Amazon Kill Kindles?

Charlie Sorrel — Mon, 18 May 2026 18:41:55 +0000

On May 20, 2026, Amazon is slapping long-time Kindle users in the face. In mere days, devices older than 2012 will be barred from the Kindle store. That means no new books, and if you happen to log out of it, that device loses access to your library, too. This isn’t just sunsetting security updates. It’s literal forced obsolescence. We’re joining our allies at the consumer advocate…

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How to Keep Your Robot Vacuum Running for Years (Not Months)

Charlie Sorrel — Fri, 08 May 2026 12:06:00 +0000

A robot vacuum cleaner is a lot more complex than a regular vac, but with the right care it can last you for years. The truth is that you can’t just set one of these things up in the corner of a little-used room, empty it once in a while and leave it at that. You’re going to have to do regular maintenance checks on the bot, change out pads and filters, and also prep the rooms so that the…

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E-Bike Maintenance 101: What Every Rider Should Know

Charlie Sorrel — Thu, 07 May 2026 23:56:25 +0000

E-bikes might take less effort to ride than their human-powered cousins, but they can make up for it in extra maintenance. You have to take care of the motor, the battery, and the electronics of course, but brakes and tires will also wear faster, thanks to the higher weight and speed of an electric bike. The good news is, most of this isn’t any harder than keeping a pedal-powered bike ticking…

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We’re Now Scoring Wireless Headphones (and One of Them Already Hit 10/10)

Carsten Frauenheim — Fri, 01 May 2026 22:30:54 +0000

Earbuds tend to hog the wireless audio repair conversation, mostly because they keep handing us 0/10 scores like party favors. But over/on-ear headphones have been quietly accumulating their own catalog of repair sins: glued-in batteries, soldered charge ports, integrated headband cushions, and “just buy a new pair” warranty responses when the cushions wear through after a year. Today…

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Why Your Washing Machine Smells (and How to Fix It for Good)

Charlie Sorrel — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:31:47 +0000

When was the last time you cleaned your washing machine? Never, because, like soap, it’s self cleaning, right? And yet: it smells. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to return your washing machine to a non-gross, non-stinky status, and there are some simple tricks that will help to keep it from happening so soon the next time. The inside of your washing machine is damp and dark…

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Spring, Solder, and Side Quests

Sandra Hiller — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:27:11 +0000

What sticks with me from the past few months of events isn’t the number of calendar days or the names of the people I’ve met (I’m terrible with names, by the way), and it’s certainly not the details of all the talks I sat in on. It’s the stories of the people I met. Their weird questions. The things they carry in their backpacks “just in case.” At Easterhegg, someone came up to me with their…

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What Every Renter Should Know About Plumbing Repairs

Charlie Sorrel — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:07:00 +0000

This is the second post in a “What Every Renter Should Know” series. Also check out What Every Renter Should Know About Electrical Repairs. At home, plumbing is where the biggest repair emergencies will happen. Sinks block, pipes burst, dishwasher hoses leak. Mostly you won’t be installing plumbing like you might install electrical systems, other than hooking up washing machines and…

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