E-readers may be relatively cheap compared to your typical smartphone, but it’s always disappointing when they break, given how difficult it is to find parts for them. Now, iFixit has announced that it is offering OEM replacement parts for select Kobo eReaders, along with detailed guides on how to install them, starting today. The first supported e-readers are The Last of Kobo: Kobo Clara ColorTHE Clara B.W.and the Color Libra.
Kobo owners can purchase OEM batteries, motherboards, front and back covers, and display assemblies for these devices on iFixit’s new site. Kobo Repair Center Page. iFixit has a detailed guide for installing each part.
The parts and guides don’t mean these will be easy repairs. All three of these e-readers earned a 6/10 repairability score from iFixit, and looking through a few guides, it seems like it comes down to the biggest enemies of DIY electronics: glue, waterproof films, and clips. I haven’t done a huge number of repairs myself, but having taken apart and repaired – while breaking in a new way – a Samsung TV held together by clips, I can tell you that these repairs require patience and a touch delicate. Hopefully, if this deal extends to future Kobo e-readers, the company will make them a little easier to repair.
We’ve asked iFixit for more details on their future partnership plans and will update if they respond. All parts are available now, ranging from $29.99 for the front and back covers to $89.99 – $129.99 for the screen assembly, depending on the model.
