Logistics likely takes time for all of this as well as the legal side of things. It's not as simple as "poof, self repair!" as much as Samsung and Google are making it seem with iFixit.
they promote right to repair, but are doing some "not ideal" things, like reselling stuff from china at 2+ times the price without providing better quality
seems like they are just a business and have chosen a good niche that now became very popular
Decided to swap the battery as well
iFixit parts list
Google Pixel 4 Rear Panel Assembly - 75$
Google Pixel 4 Battery Fix Kit - 37$
total - 112$
I bought them from AliExpress, same quality (official parts I guess)
Rear Cover With Camera Glass Replacement For Google Pixel 4 - 23$
High Quality Replacement Battery GO2OI-B For Google Pixel 4 - 12$
total - 35$
seems like a serious rip off, which makes me not like them
do you know how a normal business works?
To make it clear, it's not theoretical, I bought the parts for 35$ instead of 112$, and the are exactly the same as from iFixit or better.
I just dislike the aura of "iFixit is fighting for you, doing the right thing!" and then proceed to rip you off.
Also, on aliexpress things go trough a few middlemans (and aliexpress cut). They probably buy bulk from alibaba or another channel, and prices there are lower.
The fact that you can buy from the same suppliers and avoid that markup also means that you're now responsible for waiting the extra time to ship from China instead of iFixit, and you're responsible for making sure you really are getting the quality tools instead of the lookalike ripoff tools, etc....
If you value your time so little that doing this process makes you think that iFixit is a ripoff, well that tells me that you're looking at the wrong end of the telescope.
Just mention to people when talking about iFixit that they could by the same product for a few times less.
I don't have a problem if anyone uses them, just that usually resellers increase the price much less than them. I am sure they could reduce the price to half and still make a very good profit, but that is not in the interest of the business. A lot of people are hearing about iFixit now with the right to repair push and I assume they don't know that the products they are selling on their website have such inflated prices as compared to real price.
Those jewelers you see with those three balls hanging outside their door? That's a statement by the jeweler that they are "triple-key", which means that they intentionally limit themselves to 3x markup on most items (the expensive ones). It used to be that many jewelers had a much larger markup that they typically charged, and many still do.
So, if you want to spend your time dealing with a wholesaler that might or might not be the same supplier that iFixit uses, and you want to take your chances on whether you're getting dodgy equipment from some fly-by-night Chinese company that has copied the look of the quality tools you might otherwise get from a trusted retailer, then more power to you.
I'll stick with the trusted retailer, myself. I think iFixit is one of the few relatively honest companies left in the business, and I'd prefer to continue to support them with my business.
Luxury jewelers have a pretty high markup because of the brand. Do not mix reselling stuff from china and jewellery business. Usual jewelers keep prices depending on the price of material and the weight, not at 3x markup.
When buying from aliexpress/ebay you are buying a single piece, like from a retailer, same process as from ifixit. So by you logic if every retailer has 3X markup, but iFixit has price 3 times higher than the aliexpress retailer, it means that iFixit has at least 9X markup.
You also see reviews, and based on them you can decide who you trust. That is time consuming, and I would prefer to be a place where I can buy without having to worry, however also don't try to rip me off because they thought I would pay anything for cheap stuff imported from china.
You cannot reasonably compare their prices with any other wholesaler or manufacturer.
But you do you.
But don't worry, feel free to think what you want.
I can't count how many gotchas I would have missed, or how much permanent damage I would have caused, if I didn't have their guides to point out hey, these screws are technically slightly different or hey, this cable may as well be made out of gossamer threads with how fragile it is.