Apple will allow repair of iPhones outside of service shops

(CNN Business) — Apple plans to give customers the ability to repair their own devices amid mounting pressure from regulators and consumers around the world for manufacturers to ease repair restrictions on products.
The company announced a new program on Wednesday that will allow it to buy replacement parts for Apple products starting early next year. The program, known as Self Service Repair, will allow users to fix broken or damaged devices using repair manuals that Apple will publish on its website.

Apple plans to start with some components that often require replacements, such as displays, batteries, and camera modules. The company says it will have more than 200 parts and tools available at launch and plans to add more over the next year. The repair program will initially be available only to users of iPhone 12 Y iPhone 13, but later it will be extended to Mac computers that use the new M1 chip manufactured by Apple.

The company will disclose prices for its replacement parts only after the formal launch of the program next year, but Apple said it will charge individual users the same prices it currently charges independent repair providers.

Apple’s move comes at a time when electronics manufacturers, as well as manufacturers of all kinds of products, from tractors to hospital equipment, face increasing pressure to ease restrictions on independent device repair shops or user repairs, a push known as the “right to repair” movement. The companies have been criticized for using tactics that make it difficult for independent repair businesses to gain access to devices, such as the use of memory sticks or non-removable batteries, or sealing the devices with a special glue. Critics argue that these tactics can cost consumers more, hurt independent garages and be bad for the environment.

President Joe Biden in July signed a decree that ordered the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue regulations that would force companies to allow repairs made by users. Days later, the FTC unanimously voted to condemn existing repair restrictions by manufacturers, and agency chairwoman Lina Khan vowed to “eradicate” illegal redress restrictions that may violate US antitrust and consumer protection laws.

Regulatory bodies of the United Kingdom Y Europe they have also passed or are studying laws to oblige device manufacturers to provide replacement parts to their customers. One of the most prominent advocates of the “right to redress” movement is Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who stated earlier this year that he “totally” supported the cause. “We wouldn’t have had an Apple if it hadn’t grown up in a very open tech world,” he said in a video on celebrity website Cameo.

iFixit, a popular consumer electronics repair website that has criticized Apple and other companies for not allowing self-healing, celebrated Wednesday’s announcement.

“We are delighted to see that Apple supports what we’ve always known: everyone is genius enough to fix an iPhone.” said iFixit on Twitter.

Companies like Apple have previously argued that their repair policies were in place to ensure that products were repair properly. “We believe the safest and most reliable repair is performed by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly designed and rigorously tested,” said Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams in a 2019 statement announcing Apple’s Independent Repair Shop Partner Program.

On Wednesday, Williams touted Apple’s announcement as a way to give “customers even more options if they need a repair.” He also said the company “has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to genuine Apple parts, tools and training, and we are now providing an option for those who wish to carry out their own repairs.”

Apple said there are more than 2,800 independent repair providers in 200 countries who have access to its parts and repair knowledge.

For now, the Self Service Repair program will only be available in the United States at launch, but Apple said it plans to expand the program to other countries in the course of 2022.