Apple is taking an unprecedented step this week. It seems that after years of asserting the importance of authorized service centers, the company will allow users to do repairs with their own hands. According to a new report, the company plans to start selling parts and tools and offering instructions on how to repair Apple products at home, without the need to bring them to a store or third-party repair shop.
Apple will start with the iPhone 12 and 13, but the program will expand to Macs with M1 chips. Soon, users will be able to replace the iPhone's display, battery and camera using parts obtained from Apple. Other options will also be available in the future.
As mentioned earlier, this is a big step forward for Apple. After all, the company has always been a fighter against unofficial repair of its products. Something has changed in the company's philosophy, and the first shift was evident earlier this week. The company ditched software that prevented Face ID from working if customers replaced their own screen.
Співробітники Ifixit відзначають цей крок, але заявляють, що все ще є деякі суттєві застереження щодо того, що Apple називає “Самостійним ремонтом”.
Apple self-repair
The program with a funny name will start early next year in the United States and then reach other countries. According to the company, the program is intended for "individual technicians who have knowledge and experience in repairing electronic devices," and most customers should still refer to professionals.
Either way, it's nice to see that Apple is finally giving users the ability to do some things themselves if they have the skills. It is interesting that self-repair does not void the iPhone warranty. However, damage to the device in the process can still happen. And then the good old disclaimer comes to the rescue: "We are not responsible for any damage caused to your device during the repair process."
Apple already has a program for selling "genuine" parts to third-party repair shops. Currently, even ordinary buyers will be able to buy these parts. It seems that this is another move by Apple to discourage buyers from purchasing unofficial parts.
According to Elizabeth Chamberlain, iFixit's director of sustainability, Apple's decision is "a great concession to our collective competence." This negates many of the arguments that Apple and other companies have made against the right to repair. For all that, she claims, it's still not the realization of the dream of an "open source repair revolution." This method still has the limitation of requiring parts to be purchased directly from Apple.
