iPhone and Mac DIY fix

Self Service Repair. © Apple.

Quite a turnaround for Apple, which has long been vigorously opposed to the idea of anyone fixing their own device! The company just unveiled Self Service Repair, a new program that will provide genuine Apple tools and parts to customers who are comfortable doing their own repairs. Available at first for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series, and soon for Mac computers equipped with M1 chips, the service will come online early next year in the United States and will expand to other countries throughout 2022. The initial phase focuses on the most replaced modules, such as the iPhone screen, battery and camera, while the possibility of other repairs comes into play later in the year. Apple will make repair manuals available for review before purchasing components, and customers get a recycling credit when they return used parts. The company reiterates that “for the vast majority of customers, visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair.”

This sudden about-face is surprising given that the California company publicly resisted the right-to-repair legislation in the United States, arguing that it could threaten the safety of consumers and devices. Before relaxing its position, it stood in the way of small independent repairers, refusing to provide them with spare parts for iPhones. Presumably, Apple is simply anticipating upcoming legislation, especially in the European Union but also in the United States, where the Biden administration has asked the Federal Trade Commission to prepare regulation on the right to repair.

⇨ The Verge, Jacob Kastrenakes, “Apple will sell you iPhone parts to fix your own phone at home.”

2021-11-17