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Test Suggests Face ID on iPhone 13 Doesn't Work After Screen Replacement By Third Party

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Update: According to the video mentioned below, even if an iPhone 13 display is replaced with a genuine and original iPhone 13 screen, Face ID will stop working. In the video, the repair provider swapped two original iPhone 13 screens and in both cases, Face ID was inoperative after the new screens were installed. It seems to be the case that if the original screen is put back with the original iPhone 13, Face ID returns, ruling out the possibility of an improper installation.

If a customer gets their iPhone 13 display replaced by a third-party repair store or provider, such as those not licensed or affiliated with Apple through its Independent Repair Program, Face ID on the iPhone will no longer be useable.

iPhone-13-Face-ID.jpeg

Apple has long faced criticism for making it difficult for third-party repair stores and providers to fix and repair their products. Apple already displays a prompt for customers inside Settings that informs them that their display is a "non-genuine display," and a similar prompt for "non-genuine cameras" was introduced earlier this year.

Apple claims these prompts help inform customers that they aren't using genuine Apple parts and is part of its more comprehensive plan to ensure customer devices are only repaired and diagnosed by certified Apple technicians.

With the iPhone 13 this year, Apple further makes it more difficult for customers to get repairs from third-party stores and providers. As discovered in a repair video, the iPhone 13 screen includes no components for Face ID to function, as all the parts for the TrueDepth system are housed in the iPhone itself.

Despite this, if an iPhone 13 display is replaced with a "non-genuine" or even a genuine, original iPhone 13 display, Face ID stops working, despite there seemingly being no hardware within the display itself needed for Face ID to function.
Important Display Message
Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple display.
Click to expand...
Apple runs its own Independent iPhone Repair Program, which is designed to allow any company or third-party repair center to become an authorized Apple service provider only if they meet the requirements and go through the process.

Apple has expanded the program to more countries worldwide, but compared to fully independent third-party repair providers, authorized Apple outlets often have higher prices, longer wait times, and poor customer service. Companies and stores certified through Apple get access to genuine Apple parts, manuals, and device instructions, including information not available to third-party repair stores.

Given the lack of hardware reasoning for the iPhone 13's Face ID to no longer be usable after a third-party screen is installed, Apple could patch this via an iOS update if it's a simple iOS 15 bug. Keeping in mind its past efforts to consolidate iPhone repairs to only stores and centers it chooses to consider "authorized," however, this is unlikely to be a mistake and will only further fuel the Right to Repair movement. We've reached out to Apple for comment.

Article Link: Test Suggests Face ID on iPhone 13 Doesn't Work After Screen Replacement By Third Party
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/27/face-id-iphone-13-not-working-non-genuine-display/
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zakarhino

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The title is inaccurate: even if you replace the battery with a genuine OEM battery directly from another authentic phone straight off the shelf the battery reduces functionality and becomes unstable.

Was this story written by Apple damage control squad given that title?
 
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laptech

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bsamcash said:
I want to give Apple the benefit of the doubt on this one. Maybe there’s a fear that if an unauthorized party swapped the display, they could’ve somehow tampered with the Face ID module before hand, which would hamper security.
Click to expand...
People seem to think it is only members of the public that purchase iphone and thus there is no need for this type of security. What they fail to understand is that criminals use iphones too and thus there needs to be a way to prevent them from using face ID to access someone elses phone.
 
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NLLV

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bsamcash said:
I want to give Apple the benefit of the doubt on this one. Maybe there’s a fear that if an unauthorized party swapped the display, they could’ve somehow tampered with the Face ID module before hand, which would hamper security.
Click to expand...

I would like that too, but the module below the screen is one part, and the screen is just a piece of glass with a portion that is not an active display cut out (the "notch") which wraps around the module, and the data for face ID is unrelated to the screen.

Before I understood how the security chip in the products worked I would have also called BS on that, but knowing it is there means the screen should have zero to do with face ID at all.

I call shenanigans on this one, and make the argument this would be an Apple excuse to drive people to Apple Care with them arguing its "only $29" with Apple Care.
 
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MathersMahmood

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zakarhino said:
The title is inaccurate: even if you replace the battery with a genuine OEM battery directly from another authentic phone straight off the shelf the battery reduces functionality and becomes unstable.

Was this story written by Apple damage control squad given that title?
Click to expand...
Thank you. Was going to say this until I saw your comment.
 
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Tovenaar

Tovenaar

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Oct 21, 2008
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So much of my life is on the phone I'm personally glad that Apple errs on the side of security even if it's more restrictive. It's the same attitude as when dealing with a bank for example, or a physical safe. I wouldn't want third parties tampering with it.

I get that that's not everyone's need. But I do believe that with the phone knowing so much about us and having so much of our details that it would be treated as a secure device first, and a tech device second.

Whenever I read articles like this it makes me more inclined to buy Apple. Just sharing my perspective.
 
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