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In recent years, Apple has made iPhone repairs much easier. For example, the firm provided access to all the necessary resources to independent repairers. It also launched its self-repair program, which allows users to purchase kits to replace parts themselves. And in terms of design, some of its models benefit from a new structure which facilitates disassembly.
However, Apple is regularly criticized for a feature related to the parts pairing system. In summary, it is an artificial lock that prevents the parts of two smartphones from being interchanged, even if they are exactly the same model. To illustrate this problem, the company iFixit exchanged the parts of two brand new iPhone 15s, and observed some problems. “[…] we discovered that the selfie camera and sensors were not working at all, TrueTone and Auto Brightness were disabled, and iPhone screen and battery repairs were triggering issues. repeated warnings which, in some cases, could not be ignored”, explained this repair specialist.
But the good news is that Apple has just announced the end of these restrictions. In its press release, the firm announces that it will modify its repair mechanism to allow independent repairers and customers to repair their iPhones with used parts (instead of purchasing parts sold by Apple). The program will launch this fall, for certain iPhone models. And Apple promises that original used Apple parts will function normally, as if they were new replacement parts.
Has Apple found the right compromise?
Apple is not abandoning the parts pairing system which he says is essential to ensure data privacy and security of the iPhone. However, the “calibration” of replacement parts, whether new or used, will be done directly on the iPhone, after the repair. Furthermore, even when purchasing a part from Apple, repairers and customers will no longer need to give the serial number of the device to be repaired, unless the repair concerns the motherboard.
And so that iPhones are not stolen to extract spare parts, Apple will apply its locking system in the event of loss or theft to spare parts. “If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode activated, the calibration capabilities of this part will be limited”, indicates the Cupertino firm.
In addition to the fact that this decision by Apple will necessarily reduce repair costs (thanks to the use of second-hand parts), it is also a step forward in terms of ecology.
- In recent years, Apple has made many decisions to make its iPhones easier to repair
- However, the Cupertino company is regularly singled out for a feature that prevents customers and independent repairers from using second-hand spare parts
- But the firm has just announced the end of this restriction, from this fall
- Used parts cannot however be used if they come from a Lost or stolen iPhone
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