Samsung has 2,000 Authorized Service Centers (ASC) across the U.S. that allow it to cover more than 80% of the U.S. population with two-hour repair service, plus more than 700 UbreakiFix locations and 200 Best Buy stores that offer same-day repairs. However, it’s a big country, which means that even with this extensive network of repair providers, there are still places where you might find it challenging to get in-person repairs done on your Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or Galaxy A54.

Now, Samsung has announced a new partnership that will help fill in some of these gaps. Customers in underserved areas will be able to get easy walk-in service for in-warranty Galaxy smartphone repairs at select Batteries Plus stores throughout the U.S.

While Batteries Plus has long been a Samsung Independent Service Provider (ISP), this program only equips its locations to handle out-of-warranty repairs on a subset of Samsung phones. Customers who encounter problems with Samsung’s newest phones and aren’t fortunate enough to live or work close to a Samsung Care location have little option but to mail their smartphones in for service. That’s less than ideal for a device like a smartphone, which many folks use to organize and manage their entire lives.

In an initiative to make in-warranty repairs accessible to more of the population, Samsung has announced that 35 Batteries Plus stores will become fully authorized Samsung service centers (ASCs), where they will be equipped to handle in-warranty repairs and service more device types — including foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5.

To ensure these locations are up to speed, Batteries Plus technicians working in those selected locations will undergo the same comprehensive and rigorous Samsung Certified training program on top of their current Wireless Industry Service Excellence (WISE) certification, joining a network of over 10,000 other Samsung Mobile-certified repair technicians in the U.S. All repairs will also naturally be done with Samsung genuine parts and equipment.

“We know the important role that Galaxy smartphones play in people’s lives, and it can be inconvenient to part with it for an extended time due to repair,” said Mark Williams, Samsung’s vice president of customer care. “Our enhanced partnership with Batteries Plus fills a crucial gap in communities where there isn’t an existing Samsung Care location or other authorized service centers. This means more customers can benefit from our customer-first care experience and get in-warranty repairs.”

While Samsung hasn’t published a list of the specific 35 Batteries Plus locations that will now act as Samsung Authorized Service Centers, customers will be able to find them, along with other ASCs in their area, via Samsung’s online service locator. they can then schedule appointments directly through BatteriesPlus.com. The company notes that the 35 new ASC-certified Batteries Plus stores were strategically chosen in areas where no other convenient Samsung Care or other Samsung authorized service centers currently exist.