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Apple Announces Self Service Repair Program, Starting With iPhone 12 and 13
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I understand your concern and agree with you. Please watch any of the 100 Louis Rossmann videos where he talks about how irritating it is he can’t get his hands on genuine original parts because Apple have needlessly prevented the part manufacturers from selling their parts to anyone except Apple.
He is completely with you! He wants to only use original OEM parts too! If those parts were freely available and scummy repair shops still tried to lowball you they would go out of business very quick because other repair shops offering real parts and reputable service would trump them.
What could possibly go wrong ?
I'm so impractical I can't even wire a plug , so I'm pretty sure this really would be 'rocket science' to an impractical moron like me
I'm so impractical I can't even wire a plug , so I'm pretty sure this really would be 'rocket science' to an impractical moron like me
We haven't seen what the kits will cost customers vs. a repair done by Apple. The difference may be negligible.
You're assuming Apple will charge less for the parts than they do for the repair. I wouldn't put it past them not to.
They can already do that. Loads of them do. This will enable the honest ones to use genuine parts without having to jump through all of Apple's hoops.
Apple could very easily design their products to be vastly easier to repair. Many of them in fact would be easier to make if they did exactly this.There is zero doubt Apple goes out of their way and makes life more difficult for themselves in order to make repairing their hardware more awkward. For now, I can't see this program making a huge difference to that part of their design process but if they make good money from replacement parts then maybe they'll consider changing their designs to be easier.
Ultimately I see them moving to a hardware subscription model. You get to keep stuff for 2 or 3 years depending on the level of your subscription, then Apple recycles it and gives you new gear.
Meh, I've replaced one screen using their 'OEM' screen replacements on two iPhone 6s' years ago and they were clearly different & inferior panels. They also included a set of tools for BOTH screens when I clearly didn't need them.
They stood to gain financially by heavily criticising Apple, although they claim they 'care about the environment'. Let's see how they respond to this. If it's anything than 100% support, they're hypocrites.
I think the point was…the devices can already be repaired. How does you doing it vs Apple/repair shop/etc change anything? It doesn’t.
I don't care what he says. He can say that all day long. It doesn't matter what he says when the things he demands REQUIRE exactly what he claims he doesn't believe in.
Are you that naïve that you don't understand how lobbyists work? They know full well that what they demand requires fundamental changes that they pretend they aren't asking for.
All due respect, which is very, very little...you have no idea what you're talking about, and any time I see a comment like this, I instantly lose interest in anything else you have to say.
Excessive production of goods is one of the biggest challenges we face, which is exacerbated when things are designed to be replaced instead of repaired. Most challenges, including a good chunk of climate change, are just a subset of this problem.
I can empathize with the challenges of understanding that seemingly inconsequential actions taken by an individual can become immense problems when extrapolated up to the population level, but that doesn't make the problems less real.
Really? How many Apple products have you repaired? I'm guessing its not many by your ignorance. Just not sure where the arrogance comes from. I could cite plenty of examples of things Apple could easily do differently to make their devices more repairable without compromising on the overall quality or end user experience. Can you back up your "straight from the Apple Koolaid book" assertion?
I expect there will be endless complaints and rants from people who screwed up their attempted repairs, but this is great for people like me who are quite prepared to take the risk and responsibility of attempting my own fixes, because why not.
Occasionally I inadvertently trash a device, but I still learn something.
Occasionally I inadvertently trash a device, but I still learn something.
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E-waste pollution doesn’t really make headlines but it is a real world issue. A quick google will show you the mess in China, Malaysia. Honestly I wanna start a company in dealing with it as it’s a long game and bet - but we’ll eventually run out of previous metal and harvesting them will be the next best alternative
The devil is in the details:
Apple today announced the "Self Service Repair" program, allowing users to complete their own repairs via a new online store dedicated to parts and tools.
The Self Service Repair program will give customers who are comfortable with the idea of completing their own repairs access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and manuals, starting with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups. The scheme will be introduced in phases, adding more repairs and supported devices over time. Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams said:
The first phase of the program will focus on the iPhone's most commonly serviced parts, such as the display, battery, and camera, but more kinds of repairs will become available later next year. Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip, including the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and 24-inch iMac, will be next to join the scheme.
The Self Service Repair program will be facilitated by a new Apple Self Service Repair Online Store, offering more than 200 individual parts and tools to complete iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 repairs at launch.
Customers who want to perform a repair will first be encouraged to consult the Repair Manual before placing an order for parts and tools using the Apple Self Service Repair Online Store. After the repair has been completed, customers who return their used or broken part to Apple for recycling will receive credit toward their purchase.
Apple cautioned that Self Service Repair is intended for "individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices," and encouraged "the vast majority of customers" to visit a professional repair provider with certified technicians for "the safest and most reliable way to get a repair."
The company also highlighted the significant global expansion of service locations with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and training, as well as the growing number of Independent Repair Providers that sit alongside Apple Authorized Service Providers.
The Self Service Repair program will be available to users starting early next year in the U.S. and expand to additional countries throughout 2022.
Article Link: Apple Announces Self Service Repair Program, Starting With iPhone 12 and 13
1. What is diff between price of part and Apple to repair it?
2. If you fix it yourself with genuine Apple parts, does it void the warranty?
3. Will this promote Apple to add proprietary chips (a la the iPhone 13 screen connector) to a larger number of parts so even though you can get the parts, you can ONLY get them through Apple if you want your phone to work properly?
We shall see what it's all about when they begin to offer the parts. Don't forget to read the details in whatever you'll most likely have to "agree" with when you purchase the parts!
IMO, this will be an interesting issue in this decade. Underlying technology is improving at a much faster pace than features built on top of it (Compared to say, the 2010s).
Who will create features that will tap into that power? Apple? Google? MS? Otherwise, I'm happy to keep my current mac/phone/ipad for years with a new battery and maybe a new screen. I mean, take a look at the 3-year-old 2018 iPad Pro 11. It seems incredibly dumb to want to recycle a device like that.
Who will create features that will tap into that power? Apple? Google? MS? Otherwise, I'm happy to keep my current mac/phone/ipad for years with a new battery and maybe a new screen. I mean, take a look at the 3-year-old 2018 iPad Pro 11. It seems incredibly dumb to want to recycle a device like that.
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Independent shops can become authorized service providers for Apple or Samsung or whatever, but do you have any idea what that actually means?
An Apple authorized repair centre is ONLY allowed to do jobs that Apple currently provide (no logic board repairs, iPad screen repairs etc) and you can only use Apple parts. You are not allowed to use any software tools that Apple do not authorise, nor are you allowed to repair any other products other than Apple products. You are also no longer able to control the prices you offer to your customers.
The average independent repair store will probably be repairing everything from iPhones to Kindles to HP laptops. Being an authorised repair centre means you are no longer allowed to do any of that.
Nobody in their right mind would give up all of the control they have of their business, nor completely give up the however many years of experience they have repairing other devices in order to get access to iPhone parts at massive prices.
This could be partly a response to the new 1201 exemption rules that the Copyright Office announced last month. The rule explicitly makes it legal to bypass anything that could be classified as a copy-protection measure to diagnose and repair consumer devices. That takes away a weapon that companies like Apple previously had to threaten 3rd party part sellers with.
There has got to be a catch. Apple wouldn't allow customers to service their own devices if it didn't provide an alternate stream of revenue in its place. I'm expecting that now only parts purchased through their store will work inside devices.
Side note, this also somewhat explains the updated ease of service on the batteries included in the new MacBook Pro...
Side note, this also somewhat explains the updated ease of service on the batteries included in the new MacBook Pro...