Apple Launches Self Service Repair for iPad

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced that its Self Service Repair program is expanding to the iPad lineup for the first time.

The program will provide iPad owners with manuals, genuine Apple parts, Apple Diagnostics troubleshooting sessions, tools, and rental toolkits to conduct their own repairs. It will now support the iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16) starting tomorrow for display, battery, camera, and charging port repairs.

Apple launched the Self Service Repair program in 2022 to support individuals who are comfortable with undertaking their own device repairs, with the same resources used by Apple. Self Service Repair now supports 65 Apple devices, including the iPhone 16e, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio. The program is set to expand to Canada this summer, becoming the 34th country to offer it.

Apple also today revealed more details about its Genuine Parts Distributor program, which allows businesses who do not have a direct service relationship with Apple to order genuine Apple service parts and components. iPhone and iPad displays, batteries, and charging ports can be ordered from MobileSentrix in the U.S., and MobileSentrix and Mobileparts.shop in Europe.

Article Link: Apple Launches Self Service Repair for iPad

 

[germanbeer007]

right to repair folks can shut up now. good riddance

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

That’s tooooooo much work 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Don't understand the disdain for this.

It is a benefit to those who wish to repair their devices themselves (and say, practice for Apple Tech Certification maybe).

It is also COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT to those who choose to take the car into the shop.

 

[jlc1978]

right to repair folks can shut up now. good riddance

Yea, the right to repair never meant the right to repair cheaply or easily and not require some skills. What it needs to do is not lock you into requiring the vendor to do the repair or maintenance due to specialized tools not available to the purchaser, which is a reasonable requirement for manufacturers to have to follow.

 

[TechRunner]

I've outgrown my love of tinkering with parts upgrading and replacement. For those who still enjoy it, this is good news.

 

[Wanted797]

right to repair folks can shut up now. good riddance

Yeah nope.

They don’t offer it in Australia and they’re still gluing in batteries.

 

[germanbeer007]

they’re still gluing in batteries.

banning gluing batteries would be incredibly stupid

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Don't understand the disdain for this.

It is a benefit to those who wish to repair their devices themselves (and say, practice for Apple Tech Certification maybe).

It is also COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT to those who choose to take the car into the shop.

In some (many?) cases it's cheaper to buy a second device, take what you need off of it, and then sell the husk for parts. Take the 16e for example;

A cheap replacement screen is literally 1/10th the cost of a genuine Apple one, and a genuine screen is 1/3 the price of a brand new phone. Once you add in shipping it's cheaper to go to an Apple store and have Apple replace your screen than to do it yourself.

 

[Populus]

It’s a pity this hasn’t been made available for the M1 or M2 iPad Pro. But I suspect it is because those models aren’t prepared to be repaired but rather to be swapped for a refurbished one. But then, you face the problem of Apple refusing to replace your battery (thus, the entire iPad Pro) because of the costs. And you have to have a literally swollen battery at 79% (their 79%) for them to agree to replace the battery (thus, the entire iPad Pro).

 

[Mactech20]

I have repaired a lot of iPads, iPhones, and Macs in my day. In all honesty what I hated most was the iPads. Trying to get that screen to sit just *perfectly* back in the frame was a miserable time. I will take an iMac screen replacement any day of the week.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Apple devices are just not designed for easy repair.

virtually all consumer goods these days are not designed to be easily repaired.

But I suspect this will change drastically in the next 10 years.

Either Apple will promote recycling and repair more in its shops or purposely make devices more repairable by the user.

There is a gigantic mountain of e waste coming. IoT, white goods, laptops, tablets and phones.

And that’s ontop of all the regular waste, including “recycling” that is collected from households. As most recycling ends up going to landfill or incineration, or a pile in a third world country.

Absolutely disgusting.

 

[klasma]

Hopefully this will raise availability of iPad battery replacements, among other things.

 

[Rgill]

Great to see Apple expanding Self Service Repair to iPads. This gives more control to users and repair professionals.

 

[jml12286]

I have repaired a lot of iPads, iPhones, and Macs in my day. In all honesty what I hated most was the iPads. Trying to get that screen to sit just *perfectly* back in the frame was a miserable time. I will take an iMac screen replacement any day of the week.

Same. The iPads were the most annoying when it was broken because of drops. It would then require extra bending back of the frame or hammering/dremeling edges back out straight😬
Then trying to make sure no dust or smudges were under the glass..... Don't ever want to touch them again.

 

[Royksöpp]

That’s good. It’s so wasteful to trash an entire iPad just to replace a screen.

 

[hipnetic]

Their self-service store isn’t showing iPad as an option, but I’m assuming that that’s because support for that doesn’t start until tomorrow. I’ll be curious to see how much an official iPad Pro M4 battery will cost through them vs the cost of having them do the replacement outside of AppleCare coverage (which their site is showing as costing $199). But per some other comments in this thread, if the batteries are glued down and re-seating a display is problematic, I might not want to risk screwing things up and damaging the display (or other things).

 

[OS X Dude]

It’s a pity this hasn’t been made available for the M1 or M2 iPad Pro. But I suspect it is because those models aren’t prepared to be repaired but rather to be swapped for a refurbished one. But then, you face the problem of Apple refusing to replace your battery (thus, the entire iPad Pro) because of the costs. And you have to have a literally swollen battery at 79% (their 79%) for them to agree to replace the battery (thus, the entire iPad Pro).

So much FUD.

As long as the battery is either ‘failed’ in diagnostic testing or has a health rating of 80% or lower, then the whole iPad will be exchanged at a much-reduced rate (as long as it’s not bent/has display cracks). It’s a fantastic deal as you get a refurbed device for a much cheaper price, and the quality of Apple’s refurbs is impeccable. Very rarely have I ever had to DOA one.

Never had an issue with this, either as a customer or an AASP technician. Zero pushback at all from Apple in either situation and I have done hundreds of them in my time.

 

[deathcab]

This is great news for everyone who has been begging to pay Apple more than they charge to do the repair for you!

(Just as an example, a battery replacement for my iPhone 13 Pro is $89 if I have Apple do the repair vs. $95.84 if I were to repair myself through the "Self Service" program).

 

[OS X Dude]

This is great news for everyone who has been begging to pay Apple more than they charge to do the repair for you!

(Just as an example, a battery replacement for my iPhone 13 Pro is $89 if I have Apple do the repair vs. $95.84 if I were to repair myself through the "Self Service" program).

And it’s a pain in the bum too, if you’re not doing this stuff constantly. It’s just not worth the hassle, and if you hash it then all the liability is on you.

Great for tinkerers, and interesting if you have the funds, inclination and a device that could die on the operating table in the name of experience. Also, you get to see how beautiful these things are on the inside for yourself - the level of engineering and care truly does carry through to the internals. If you’re inclined towards engineering, you’ll appreciate it 😊

 

[Populus]

So much FUD.

As long as the battery is either ‘failed’ in diagnostic testing or has a health rating of 80% or lower, then the whole iPad will be exchanged at a much-reduced rate (as long as it’s not bent/has display cracks). It’s a fantastic deal as you get a refurbed device for a much cheaper price, and the quality of Apple’s refurbs is impeccable. Very rarely have I ever had to DOA one.

Never had an issue with this, either as a customer or an AASP technician. Zero pushback at all from Apple in either situation and I have done hundreds of them in my time.

What’s FUD about saying what effectively happens when you go into an Apple Store because of evident battery degradation, but because their computer says it’s still at 82% of battery health they cannot “replace it”?

I really think that, with models that can easily be disassembled to replace the battery, Apple won’t put so much difficulties into the process, and even if your degraded battery is at, say, 84%, they will replace the battery because it’s just the battery, not a whole device replacement.

 

[Mousse]

And it’s a pain in the bum too, if you’re not doing this stuff constantly. It’s just not worth the hassle, and if you hash it then all the liability is on you.

Great for tinkerers, and interesting if you have the funds, inclination and a device that could die on the operating table in the name of experience. Also, you get to see how beautiful these things are on the inside for yourself - the level of engineering and care truly does carry through to the internals. If you’re inclined towards engineering, you’ll appreciate it 😊

I always thought that it was geared more towards school/business with IT departments that need to service dozens of devices. Get the kit, multiple parts get all everything done in a few days.

For individuals, not worth the hassle as others have noted.

 

[OS X Dude]

What’s FUD about saying what effectively happens when you go into an Apple Store because of evident battery degradation, but because their computer says it’s still at 82% of battery health they cannot “replace it”?

I really think that, with models that can easily be disassembled to replace the battery, Apple won’t put so much difficulties into the process, and even if your degraded battery is at, say, 84%, they will replace the battery because it’s just the battery, not a whole device replacement.

80% is the level at which most vendors say a battery is consumed - everything from EVs to Dysons operate under that policy.

The iPhone and Mac have had removable batteries since almost forever, and the 80% applies to this day. Not sure why you think anything will change.

 

[OS X Dude]

I always thought that it was geared more towards school/business with IT departments that need to service dozens of devices. Get the kit, multiple parts get all everything done in a few days.

For individuals, not worth the hassle as others have noted.

They still lack the time and expertise, and expose themselves to all the liability. Serious businesses have service agreements/AppleCare for Enterprise and it’s all taken care of for them. Schools often go through insurers.

 

[Populus]

80% is the level at which most vendors say a battery is consumed - everything from EVs to Dysons operate under that policy.

The iPhone and Mac have had removable batteries since almost forever, and the 80% applies to this day. Not sure why you think anything will change.

Nope, I’ve replaced my 2010 MacBook Pro battery when it was 83%. Paid for the battery and the replacement work on my local Apple Store. No problems.

I’ve replaced my now vintage iPhone’s 8 battery. Three times. Always between 83 and 85%. Paid for the battery and the replacement work at my local Apple Store. No problems.