With over 20 years of repair experience iFixit, earlier officially launched its own FixBot AI Robot, can assist users in repairing various different equipment, from commonMobile phone、Tablet、LaptopSpeakers, and so on, all the way to refrigerators, cars, and trucks. And it’s not just text; it also supports voice chat, meaning you can get repair guidance without looking at the screen. Note that some features require payment. However, since it’s just been launched, iFixit is offering a limited-time free trial, so you can try it out. It supports Chinese.
iFixit launches FixBot AI bot to help you diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair devices such as iPhones and laptops.
According to iFixit’s description, this is “an AI tool designed to help you diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair various devices,” and it can do the following:
- Listen to your description of the problem (by voice or text) and help you figure out what might be wrong with the device.
- Provide repair steps, citing professional teardown and repair guides on iFixit.
- Analyze images or videos (e.g., photos you take of your broken phone, laptop, or home appliances).
- Real-time troubleshooting, like talking to a repair technician.
- Recommended tools, parts (e.g., replacement batteries, screens, etc.)
Although general AI chatbots can also do this, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, etc., FixBot has an advantage: it is trained on iFixit’s vast repair database and also provides illustrated repair guidance, unlike other AI chatbots that can only provide text. It’s somewhat like the concept of a “repair-specific version.”
Below is the official promotional video. After watching it, you should know what it can do. The AI can also converse in Chinese, including voice:
There are two ways to use it: the web version or the app. Personally, I recommend the app as it’s more user-friendly.
Here, I’ll demonstrate. iFixit App versionWhether on the web or in the app, you need to log in to use it, and then you’ll see the AI chatbot icon at the bottom. After opening the chat window, first select the device you want to ask about:
It supports a very wide range of devices, from tablets, electronic products, computer hardware, vehicles, medical equipment, skills, cars and trucks, clothing and wearable smart devices, all the way to cameras, and so on. Since there are so many, it is recommended to just use the search function. After selecting, press the arrow on the right:
You can then start asking questions about the device. For example, when I asked how to replace the battery, Fixbot first gave me iFixit’s illustrated repair guide, then went on to explain important notes, the tools needed, and the steps. The default replies are in Simplified Chinese, but if you’re not used to it, you can also ask for replies in Traditional Chinese.
You can continue asking related questions afterward. I followed up with, “What should I note during the repair process?” and Fixbot listed all the precautions. Tap the waveform icon below the chat input box to switch to voice chat mode, which also supports uploading photos:
Additionally, the iFixit App now also offers a “Battery Health” feature you can try, though it’s still in beta, so you might run into some issues:
Some features were originally meant to be paid, such as voice mode, but for now they are open to everyone for free. After future pricing is introduced, the text chat portion will still be free.
Source: KOCPC Chinese