Under pressure, Apple allows self-repairs to iPhones, Macs
BNN Bloomberg
Apple is letting some iPhone users fix their own phones, a sharp turnaround for a company that has long prohibited anyone but company-approved technicians from fiddling with its proprietary parts and software.
CUPERTINO, Calif. - Apple is letting some iPhone users fix their own phones, a sharp turnaround for a company that has long prohibited anyone but company-approved technicians from fiddling with its proprietary parts and software.
The company said Wednesday that it will enable users of two of the newest iPhone models and eventually some Mac computers to get access to genuine Apple parts and tools for consumer repairs.
The shift reflects a strengthening “right to repair'' movement embraced by President Joe Biden and affecting everything from smartphones to cars and tractors. It's a reaction to the infusion of software into more everyday products and the practices of manufacturers who have increasingly made those products difficult and expensive to repair.
Apple is launching an online store for self-service repairs early next year that it says will have more than 200 individual parts and tools for making the most common repairs on the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. It will initially be focused on do-it-yourself fixes to screens, batteries and displays, which Apple previously resisted and cited concerns about security and safety, such as faulty battery replacements that can damage a device.
Apple's action is welcome news for consumers and a sign that similar standards should apply to other electronics, said Maureen Mahoney, a senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports.
“If you buy a product, you should be able to fix it,'' she said. Otherwise “consumers have to either rely on the manufacturers' authorized repairer or they have to buy a new one.''
