Apple finally gave in to users' "right to repair" claims, allowing them to tamper with their electronic devices at home instead of bringing them to known service centers.
The feature is called "self-service repair" and is due to be launched "early next year" in the US before expanding to other countries. About 200 parts are expected to be available, as well as instructions on how to replace them.
Initially, the company will provide repairs for the iPhone 12 and 13, followed by Macs equipped with the M1 chipset. Users will be able to replace the phone's screen, battery and camera - some old parts that stopped working - using original equipment from the company. While Apple encourages only "individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices" and urges users to take their devices to a professional before opening them themselves, the move represents a major step for the company so users can replace the battery.
After rolling out repair instructions and spare parts for the iPhone 12 and 13, the company will gradually expand the capabilities of users to repair their phones themselves without having to wait in line at the Apple Store. Users trying to perform these repairs on their own will not void their warranty, according to TechCrunch, marking another major change for the tech giant.
Until this week, Apple had been preventing users from repairing their own phones, and users who had replaced their own screens from using Face ID from now on. However, the different departments seem to coordinate among themselves - users will receive a recycling credit to return a used or broken part after the repair is completed, and the company plans to sell "more than 200 individual parts and tools", as well as guides customers can view before attempting to repair their devices.
And the decision to open up Apple's "right to repair" may not be entirely - the FTC wrote to the company earlier this year pledging to "address illegal repair restrictions," adding that it would also be "willing to work with lawmakers, both statewide and or the federal level, in order to ensure that consumers have choices when they need to fix the products they buy and own.”