Do It Yourself

Apple opens a new era for device repairs

In the US alone, the cell phone repair sector is worth an estimated $4 billion with thousands of repair stores existing to help fix iPhones, iPads, and more. Apple’s Self Service Repair program could revolutionize the sector and put the power back into consumers’ hands.

INTRODUCING SELF SERVICE REPAIR

In recent years, Apple has made it clear that consumers should have their smartphones and tablets fixed by an Apple professional, for fear of having their device broken or tampered with. The company went one step further with iOS 15. If you had your screen repaired by a third-party service provider or a company that wasn’t part of Apple’s authorized repair scheme, Face ID was rendered useless. A number of high-profile organizations rightfully protested the move, and after some backlash the Cupertino company confirmed it would fix the problem and reinstate Face ID for users. Still, it’s a sign of the times and demonstrates Apple’s opinion on third-party retailers and repair stores, so much so that the company is now planning to revolutionize the sector. In a first for a major technology brand, Apple has announced the Self Service Repair scheme which is designed to allow customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs access to Apple genuine parts and tools. Although third-party companies like iFixIt have been offering services like this for years, it’s the first time Apple will sell parts and tools directly to consumers and give them autonomy over their devices, which is great news.