Picture Credit: Youssef Sarhan
Apple is finally allowing customers to repair their own devices. The company announced this week that customers will be allowed to purchase their own spare parts and install them independently using user manuals that can be found on Apple’s website.
Apple is giving their customers the ability to change over 200 parts including items such as the screen, battery and camera module on an iPhone and will initially be available for iPhone 12 and 13 users. The move came after electronic manufacturers faced pressure to ease restrictions on independent repair shops and DIY repairs. This was called the “right to repair” movement.
Manufacturers were criticised for making it more difficult to carry out these repairs individually by using practices such as installing non-removable batteries or closing phones using special glues. These practices not only made it more expensive for customers to get repairs, but it also had adverse impacts on independent repair stores and the environment.
Manufactures like Apple have argued in the past that these procedures were in place to make sure the devices are properly repaired. Apple’s COO Jeff Williams commented back in 2019, “We believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested”.
Picture Credit: Bugas Hernawan
However, President Joe Biden passed an executive order in July which instructed the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to oversee implementation of rules which prohibit manufacturers from holding absolute dominance over the parts and repairs market. Now consumers have a choice as to where they can get their Apple devices fixed. iFixit, a popular online repair website for electronics commented on Twitter, “We are thrilled to see Apple admit what we’ve always known: Everyone’s enough of a genius to fix an iPhone”.
November 19th 2021| 6:30 PM