A phone becomes expensive to own when a worn battery, cracked screen, or damaged charging port turns into a complicated repair.

In 2026, some manufacturers make those jobs considerably easier, but repairability still varies widely between models.

Fairphone has centered its phones on modular, owner-replaceable hardware for more than a decade. HMD has adopted similarly repair-friendly designs, while Apple and Google have made common repairs easier on some mainstream models.

For this comparison, we prioritized current phones with independent iFixit repairability scores, available parts or repair documentation, and practical access to components such as batteries, displays, and charging ports.

Most repairable phones at a glance

iFixit changes its scoring methodology over time, so the scores are useful indicators rather than perfectly standardized measurements across every phone generation.

Fairphone Gen. 6+ offers the most modular design

The Fairphone Gen. 6+ keeps the modular construction of the Gen. 6, which earned 10/10 in an iFixit teardown.

Owners can replace 12 modules, including the battery, display, cameras, and USB-C port. The battery and screen avoid adhesive, and Fairphone sells replacement parts directly.

The Gen. 6+ also carries a five-year warranty and software support through 2033. That combination addresses both sides of device longevity: replacing worn hardware and keeping the phone supported after the repair.

HMD Skyline also performs strongly on hardware repairability. iFixit gave it 9/10, citing its screw-assisted opening mechanism, replaceable display, accessible battery, and modular charging port.

Its shorter software-support period is the main trade-off. Buyers planning to keep a phone for several years should compare repairability with current software support windows before choosing a model.

iPhone 17e and Pixel 10 bring easier repairs to major brands

The iPhone 17e received a provisional 7/10 from iFixit. Its dual-entry design lets technicians reach internal components from either side, while Apple’s electrically releasable battery adhesive makes battery replacement easier.

Apple also publishes repair manuals and sells replacement parts. The USB-C port remains a more involved repair because several components must be removed to reach it.

Google’s Pixel 10 received a provisional 6/10. Its back panel can be removed without heat, battery removal is easier than on previous Pixels, and the USB-C board is replaceable.

The display still relies heavily on adhesive, limiting the Pixel’s score. Google offsets some of that hardware complexity with seven years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates.

Samsung’s self-repair program does not eliminate hardware complexity

Samsung’s US Self-Repair program provides genuine parts, tools, and documentation for supported Galaxy phones. One UI 9 is also making repair support easier to access from the device.

Recent Galaxy hardware remains more difficult to work on than the highest-scoring phones in this comparison. The Galaxy S25 Edge received a provisional 5/10 from iFixit despite improvements to battery removal and a modular USB-C port.

Its display and back cover still rely heavily on adhesive. Samsung therefore offers stronger access to DIY repair resources than its hardware repairability score alone might suggest.

An independent iFixit score for the Galaxy S26 series was not available when this article was written, so we have not ranked those models alongside independently tested phones.

Which repairable phone should you buy?

The Fairphone Gen. 6+ offers the most repair-friendly hardware in this group, with 12 replaceable modules, readily available spare parts, and software support through 2033.

HMD Skyline provides similarly accessible hardware but a shorter software-support period. The iPhone 17e is the strongest option here for Apple buyers, while Pixel 10 combines improved repair access with seven years of updates.

For long-term ownership, we recommend checking four things before buying: whether the battery and display can be replaced without excessive adhesive, whether high-wear components such as the charging port are modular, whether spare parts and manuals are available, and how long software updates will continue.

Also read: Samsung is reportedly exploring self-healing display glass for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, which could reduce surface damage without necessarily making the phone easier to repair.

An old phone can still work in 2026, but age alone does not determine whether a carrier will activate it. A hand-me-down smartphone from several years ago may work perfectly, while an older 4G phone can fail because it lacks the right voice support or carrier compatibility.

Four checks matter most: the phone needs current network support, VoLTE, a compatible IMEI result, and an unlocked status. Software support matters too, especially if you’ll still use the phone for apps, payments, email, or other sensitive tasks.

T-Mobile’s current BYOD guidance recommends checking the IMEI, the phone’s unique device identifier, and unlock status before activation. Its compatibility tool can return fully compatible, partially compatible, incompatible, or blocked.

2G and 3G phones are effectively out

The major US networks have moved beyond the technologies many older phones were built around.

T-Mobile’s Network Evolution page says its 2G GSM network was retired on August 3, 2026. Its 3G UMTS network was retired in July 2022, following the shutdowns of Sprint’s 3G CDMA and LTE networks earlier that year.

AT&T phased out 3G in February 2022. Verizon completed the retirement of its 3G CDMA network at the end of 2022 and says 4G devices without VoLTE also lost calling, texting, and data service.

That means a 2G- or 3G-only phone is no longer a practical option on the major US networks. A 4G label alone is not enough either. The phone still needs VoLTE and carrier support.

Run these four checks before activating an old phone

Network support depends on the exact model. Phones sold for different carriers or countries can support different frequency bands, so an imported phone may connect to LTE while still missing bands needed for reliable US coverage.

VoLTE, or Voice over LTE, is just as important. A phone can support LTE data without supporting the carrier’s LTE voice service. Verizon’s shutdown guidance specifically says 4G non-VoLTE devices are no longer supported.

Run the IMEI through the destination carrier’s compatibility checker rather than relying only on the specifications. A fully compatible result is the safest sign that activation should work, while a partial or incompatible result deserves a closer look before buying a SIM or switching service.

The phone also needs to be unlocked if it is moving to another carrier. Unlock requirements vary, but carriers commonly require eligible devices to be paid off and in good standing.

Software longevity belongs in the decision too. Recent Samsung and Google phones now receive much longer software support windows, while older models may already have stopped receiving security updates.

A new SIM cannot fix an incompatible phone

Once the phone passes those checks, activation itself is usually straightforward.

A compatible device can use either a physical SIM or eSIM if the phone and carrier support it. Changing the SIM type cannot add missing LTE bands, VoLTE support, or carrier approval.

T-Mobile says many smartphones released since 2020 support eSIM, although availability varies by model and region. With eSIM, activation can often complete within minutes.

After activation, test voice calls, texts, and mobile data. If data or MMS does not work, check the APN settings. Some older and imported devices may require manual configuration.

If you’re transferring an existing phone number, keep the old service active until the port finishes. T-Mobile says number transfers can take from a few minutes to several hours.

A phone can connect and still be too old to use safely

Carrier compatibility is only one part of keeping an old phone useful.

Older devices may no longer receive security patches or current app versions. More than a billion older Android devices were estimated to be outside Google’s current security-update coverage earlier this year, making unsupported Android phones a separate concern from whether they can connect to a cellular network.

Apps can impose their own cutoffs too. WhatsApp, for example, is ending Android 5 support in September 2026.

Before putting an old phone back into regular use, check whether it still receives security updates and whether the apps you rely on still support its operating system.

If the phone supports the carrier’s LTE bands and VoLTE, passes the IMEI check, is unlocked when necessary, and still receives acceptable software support, it can remain perfectly usable in 2026. If one of those checks fails, a new SIM is unlikely to rescue it.

Also read: If replacement is unavoidable, our guide to the most repairable phones in 2026 compares current models by repairability, parts access, and software support.

A supposed expert institute publishing academic-looking research was actually part of a covert influence operation supported by ChatGPT, according to OpenAI.

The company said Tuesday it banned a cluster of accounts originating in Russia that were used to promote the International Burke Institute, a self-described Israel-based expert community. OpenAI’s investigation uncovered copied academic research, misleading author attributions and a “sovereignty index” that portrayed Russia favorably while criticizing Western governments.

The operation shows how generative AI can support more than mass-produced social posts. It can also help operators build the surrounding infrastructure — research, branding and coordinated accounts — needed to make an influence campaign look more legitimate.

A fake institution with real-looking research

The operation centered on the International Burke Institute, whose website was registered in February 2025 and presented itself as an Israel-based “expert community.”

OpenAI reviewed 36 articles published on the site between September 2025 and May 2026 and found that 34 appeared to have been copied from elsewhere, sometimes with incorrect authors. One article on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, for example, appeared to originate from Cambridge University Press but was attributed to a different academic.

The site also claimed connections to prominent figures including Francis Fukuyama and Noam Chomsky, according to OpenAI.

The institute’s most distinctive feature was its “sovereignty index,” which rated countries across political, economic, technological, information, cultural, cognitive and military measures. OpenAI said the index was used to praise Russia and attack Western governments.

Must-read security coverage

AI was the amplifier, not the whole operation

The ChatGPT accounts generated promotional posts and replies designed to push people toward IBI content. One operator also produced German-language material for a Telegram channel called “Lahme Ente,” which criticized Ukraine, the EU and Germany while advocating closer relations with Russia.

Another created logos for about a dozen Telegram channels focused on countries including Germany, the U.S., France, Poland and Türkiye and used ChatGPT to summarize their activity in Russian.

OpenAI said the campaign’s immediate reach was modest. Most posts received few views, while the associated Telegram channels generally had 10,000 to 20,000 followers each.

That limited reach does not make the operation insignificant. The more important development is the way AI was used as one component of a larger credibility-building system. OpenAI said, “The significance of the operation lies less in the audience it reached, however, than in the infrastructure it had built.”

That distinction matters for platforms, businesses and consumers. Generating a convincing post is increasingly easy; building an apparently independent institution around that content could also make coordinated messaging look more credible and therefore harder for users to recognize as part of an influence operation.

OpenAI said activity involving ChatGPT also gave investigators signals that helped connect parts of the wider campaign. That creates an unusual dynamic for influence operators: the same AI tools that make coordinated activity easier to scale can also leave patterns that platforms can use to uncover it.

More news: Microsoft Teams is rolling out a new policy that lets IT administrators automatically block detected external meeting bots, giving organizations more control over third-party AI assistants in sensitive calls.