Apple Announces Self-Service Repair Program, Will Supply Genuine Parts Too
Image via Apple
It’s been such a running joke that no one could have expected this. After long being criticized for depriving customers of their right to repair, Apple has finally given what the people want: it’s bringing a self-service repair program in 2022, beginning with the US in the early part of the year.
In July, the Joe Biden administration tasked the Federal Trade Commission to create new rules preventing manufacturers from hindering consumers’ right in repairing products by themselves, and it’s possible that the tech giant is yielding to these pressures. With that being said, this announcement will likely be met with keen approval by DIY enthusiasts.
Aside from giving users the green light to independently fix faulty iPhones, Apple says it will also provide genuine parts and tools to support the repairs—although it cautions that this service should only be for those “who are comfortable with completing their own repairs” or, more specifically, “individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices.”
Image via Apple
Interested customers will first have to read Apple’s official repair manual, and if all sounds reasonable, they can go ahead and order from a catalog of more than 200 parts in the Apple Self Service Repair Online Store.
“Creating greater access to Apple genuine parts gives our customers even more choice if a repair is needed,” details Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams.
On top of that, users who have repaired their gadgets can return unwanted parts for store credit, which can be used for the next purchase.
Self-repair support will start with iPhone 12 and 13 devices, before becoming available for M1-powered Macs.
After launching the service in the US, Apple will begin rolling it out to more countries in 2022.
[via Mashable, images via Apple]
