Apple Launches Self Service Repair for iPhones
Nov 17, 2021, 11:14 AM by Rich Brome @richbrome
Apple has announced a new program that will allow consumers to repair their own iPhones using Apple genuine parts and tools. Initially, Self Service Repair will support display, battery, and camera repairs for the iPhone 12 and 13 lineups. A new Apple Self Service Repair Online Store will be available early next year in the US, offering "more than 200 individual parts and tools" to enable such repairs. Later in 2022, the company will expand the program to include additional types of iPhone repairs, as well as Macs with M1 chips. Detailed repair manuals are provided as part of the program. After a repair, "customers who return their used part for recycling will receive credit toward their purchase." Apple stresses that "Self Service Repair is intended for individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices. For the vast majority of customers, visiting a professional ... is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair." Professional iPhone repairs are available at over 5,000 Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) and 2,800 Independent Repair Providers. This new move by Apple comes as the US Federal Trade Commission takes a more aggressive stance on "right to repair" laws and regulations.