Apple makes it easy to do your own iPhone and Mac repairs. The company provides the tools and original parts for this for a fee. However, the offer only applies to some models.
Apple is now offering self-service repairs for MacBooks and iPhones in Germany. Repair instructions, original parts and tools from Apple are available to users for a fee, the company informs. This offer is part of Apple’s efforts to improve the repairability of its own products. However, only technically experienced users should lend a hand and dare to repair it. The tech giant assumes that the vast majority of customers without previous experience will not use the offer. They should rather commission a professional service provider or technician with the repair.
Self-Service Store offers over 200 iPhone repair products
Apple offers in one online store Spare parts, tool kits for loan and repair manuals. Among other things, torque wrenches, repair brackets, display and battery presses are available. However, the offer only applies to the most common repairs for newer iPhones and MacBooks with Apple’s M chips. Specifically, the program applies to the following iPhone models:
- iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Apple’s current iPhone 14 generation is not yet part of the self-service repair program – even though the iPhone 14 is one of the best repairable iPhones in a long time.
The original parts and tools have been available in eight European countries since December 6th. The online shop is available to end customers in Germany, Belgium, Poland, Italy, France, Great Britain, Sweden and Spain. For those who cannot or do not want to use the self-service repair offer, there are still over 4000 independent repair providers available. These are also supplied with spare parts and trained by Apple.
Borrow or buy tool kits
When an Apple product is due for repair, the first step is to consult a provided repair manual for the iPhone or MacBook watch. These are on Apple’s support page available. For iPhones, self-service repairs are limited to selected components. The following parts are interchangeable on the iPhone:
- battery
- Bottom speaker
- Rear camera
- screen
- sim tray
- Taptic Engine (Vibration Motor)
MacBook Air (2020) and MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and MacBook Pro 14 and 16 (2021) replacement parts are available on the MacBook page. Replaceable displays, fans, battery, USB-C boards, trackpad, and MagSafe boards, among others. The range of spare parts varies depending on the model.
Users can buy the right tool individually or rent it for a week as a complete kit for EUR 59.95. Shipping is included, but prices are generally high. A repair is still worthwhile because a display can break quickly and a new device is uneconomical in this case. However, the customer bears a certain risk if, after an exchange, it turns out that other parts are still broken.
Also read: Apple spies on users with their own apps despite the tracking ban
right to repair?
Apple has long resisted a right to repair. Up to now, the company has deliberately only issued spare parts to its own workshops and authorized repair shops. Independent workshops and private individuals therefore had no access to brand-new original spare parts. Apple justified the procedure with security concerns because Apple only wanted to maintain a certified network of technicians. This made it difficult for independent workshops to obtain new original parts. The battery replacement was also made more difficult in some models by software locks, which is very annoying for a wear part. The establishment of iPhone and MacBook self-service repair shows a shift in strategy. In the US, the new program is primarily a response to the successful Right-to-Repair movement. On the other hand, the specifications for manufacturers of electronic products in the EU are becoming increasingly strict.
For example, the EU has strengthened the right to repairs by obliging manufacturers to provide spare parts for certain products for ten years from 2021. So far, this has affected refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and televisions, among other things. This should reduce the amount of electronic waste generated. A similar regulation is planned for smartphones and tablets. This applies to the replacement of wearing parts such as batteries, which should be available for five years. But security updates for older models could soon become mandatory for manufacturers. Apple has now anticipated a possible legal regulation with the self-service repair. That’s a good thing – because in 2019, 53 million tons of electronic waste would be generated worldwide. According to forecasts, the numbers could continue to rise, to over 74 million tons in 2030.
With material from the dpa
Sources:
- daily newsWhere there is a problem with the right to repair, accessed 12/08/22.
- SatistaGeneration of e-waste worldwide from 2014 to 2019 and a forecast to 2030, accessed 12/08/22.
- Apple Newsroom: Apple Launches Self Service Repair in Europe, accessed 12/08/22.