Microsoft has decided to partner with iFixit to offer official repair tools for Surface devices.
iFixit is well-known for offering the tools required to repair your own devices, but also for performing teardowns to reveal just how difficult some devices are to repair. Now it's managed to convince Microsoft to let it manufacture and sell official Surface repair tools.
As iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens points out, "Having OEM tools available will give repair technicians the ability to help their customers keep their devices alive for longer." And it's independent repairers and authorized service providers iFixit is targeting with these new tools, of which there are three initially available.
The available tools include a Surface Display Bonding Frame and Surface Display Debonding Tool (for the Surface Pro 7+, Pro 8, and Pro X), and Surface Battery Cover (for the Surface Laptop 3, Laptop Go, Laptop SE, and Laptop Studio). The battery cover ensures no accidental contact can be made between the motherboard and other sensitive components, where as the other two tools are there to help deal with that most difficult of substances: adhesive.
iFixit says "successfully working with adhesive is one of the most challenging aspects of repairing the Surface line," so any tool that helps is going to be welcomed by repairers, especially those who regularly deal with Surface devices. New repair manuals for each product are also being worked on to hopefully ensure no damage is caused when using them and strong, precise bonds are achieved once components have been swapped out and you need to put all the bits back together.