UK Surface owners can now take misbehaving laptops to Currys

Tell us what's worse Reg readers: Microsoft support or taking your broken hardware into one of those stores

UK owners of borked Surface laptops can now pop into their local Currys rather than deal with Microsoft's own support channels for their device.

The retailer has become Microsoft's first-ever retail authorized service provider (ASP) in Britain. According to Microsoft, this means "any customers with Surface laptops have a new pathway to repairing their devices should they need support."

The Register asked the company for a definitive list of Surface devices that could be brought to Currys for assistance, but the company has yet to respond.

The status means that as well as replacing the Surface unit within the warranty period, Currys can now perform repairs, although this will take place at the company's repair lab in Newark, UK. Components that can be replaced include the display, thermal module, kickstand, and Surface Connect ports.

Longtime campaigners for device repairability, iFixit, gave a cautious welcome to the news. Matt Zieminski, Partnerships Manager at iFixit, told The Register the announcement was a positive development for consumers, particularly since dropping into a Currys store was undoubtedly more convenient than mailing the device to Microsoft.

"I commend Microsoft for increasing accessibility to repair for consumers and working to reduce downtime when a repair is necessary," he said.

"However, even with these positive steps, there are practical considerations regarding the accessibility and scope of these services. It's crucial for consumers to have repair options that are both geographically feasible and economically reasonable.

"I see this move by Microsoft as a step towards a more robust repair ecosystem, but we also recognize the importance of continued progress towards comprehensive repair solutions that include wider availability of parts and tools, enabling consumers to undertake repairs themselves."

Microsoft gave iFixit the green light to start selling spares for Surface hardware last year, although the UK is not listed as a shipping destination.

John Crouch, Surface Category Lead at Microsoft UK, said in the announcement: "At Microsoft, we are constantly striving to provide our customers with more options and flexibility in how they use our products and services.

"By collaborating with Currys to offer a new UK pathway for Surface support, we believe we can better help our customers achieve their goals through technology."

Microsoft's Surface devices have become increasingly repairable in recent years, although the only way was up from the frankly dismal scores of earlier models. Surface was hardly the only offender when it came to difficult-to-repair devices - Apple still languishes at the bottom of laptop repairability charts in a recent study by the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), however, things are improving.

There is a trend, driven by a combination of regulators and consumer demand, to extend the life of devices and make them more repairable. By adding Currys to its list of authorized service providers, Microsoft has added 300 physical locations where users can seek support.

Surface owners may feel they have just lucked out. ®