Wednesday, November 17th 2021
Apple Announces Self Service Repair
Apple today announced Self Service Repair, which will allow customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs access to Apple genuine parts and tools. Available first for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, and soon to be followed by Mac computers featuring M1 chips, Self Service Repair will be available early next year in the US and expand to additional countries throughout 2022. Customers join more than 5,000 Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) and 2,800 Independent Repair Providers who have access to these parts, tools, and manuals.
The initial phase of the program will focus on the most commonly serviced modules, such as the iPhone display, battery, and camera. The ability for additional repairs will be available later next year.
"Creating greater access to Apple genuine parts gives our customers even more choice if a repair is needed," said Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer. "In the past three years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and training, and now we're providing an option for those who wish to complete their own repairs."
Apple builds durable products designed to endure the rigors of everyday use. When an Apple product requires repair, it can be serviced by trained technicians using Apple genuine parts at thousands of locations, including Apple (in-store or by mail), AASPs, Independent Repair Providers, and now product owners who are capable of performing repairs themselves.
Self Service Repair
To ensure a customer can safely perform a repair, it's important they first review the Repair Manual. Then a customer will place an order for the Apple genuine parts and tools using the Apple Self Service Repair Online Store. Following the repair, customers who return their used part for recycling will receive credit toward their purchase.
The new store will offer more than 200 individual parts and tools, enabling customers to complete the most common repairs on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13.
Self Service Repair is intended for individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices. For the vast majority of customers, visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair.
Expanded Access to Apple Repairs
In the past three years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and training, including more than 2,800 Independent Repair Providers. The rapidly expanding Independent Repair Provider program originally launched in the US in 2019 and has since grown to more than 200 countries, enabling independent repair shops to access the same training, parts, and tools as other Apple Authorized Service Providers.
In addition, Apple continues to offer convenient repair options for customers through its global network of over 5,000 AASPs that help millions of people with both in- and out-of-warranty service for all Apple products.
By designing products for durability, longevity, and increased repairability, customers enjoy a long-lasting product that holds its value for years. Apple also offers years of software updates to introduce new features and functionality.
The initial phase of the program will focus on the most commonly serviced modules, such as the iPhone display, battery, and camera. The ability for additional repairs will be available later next year.
Apple builds durable products designed to endure the rigors of everyday use. When an Apple product requires repair, it can be serviced by trained technicians using Apple genuine parts at thousands of locations, including Apple (in-store or by mail), AASPs, Independent Repair Providers, and now product owners who are capable of performing repairs themselves.
Self Service Repair
To ensure a customer can safely perform a repair, it's important they first review the Repair Manual. Then a customer will place an order for the Apple genuine parts and tools using the Apple Self Service Repair Online Store. Following the repair, customers who return their used part for recycling will receive credit toward their purchase.
The new store will offer more than 200 individual parts and tools, enabling customers to complete the most common repairs on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13.
Self Service Repair is intended for individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices. For the vast majority of customers, visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair.
Expanded Access to Apple Repairs
In the past three years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and training, including more than 2,800 Independent Repair Providers. The rapidly expanding Independent Repair Provider program originally launched in the US in 2019 and has since grown to more than 200 countries, enabling independent repair shops to access the same training, parts, and tools as other Apple Authorized Service Providers.
In addition, Apple continues to offer convenient repair options for customers through its global network of over 5,000 AASPs that help millions of people with both in- and out-of-warranty service for all Apple products.
By designing products for durability, longevity, and increased repairability, customers enjoy a long-lasting product that holds its value for years. Apple also offers years of software updates to introduce new features and functionality.
45 Comments on Apple Announces Self Service Repair
You can got to the apple store, and they will even repair if your phone has the warranty void or if it has been opened before. IMO well done Apple, now it's time for samsung to start selling genuine parts direct.
I’m not applauding Apple and, as someone who has been repairing Apple products for almost two decades, not naive about their practices.
This is a huge win for right to repair. If Apple is leading the way, as overpriced as it might be, then the rest of the market will follow suit.
If people don’t see how being able to use third-party screen replacements that previously broke essential features is now an option as a benefit, that’s on them. If people don’t see how providing service manuals and proprietary screw drivers that had to be custom made by third-parties previously as a benefit, well, good luck with your repairs.
Given that Apple already has software locks on many hardware replacements, there is zero reason to expect this to mean a wholesale removal of these. The wording here strongly indicates that Apple envisions this process to only include parts purchased directly from them.
There are also blatant lies such as this gem:Saying iPhones or other Apple products are "design[ed] for (...) increased repairability" - while being famous for making difficult if not impossible to repair products - is such blatant absurd PR spin that it just highlights how this is mainly a PR move. That Apple has been spending millions and millions on lobbying against Right to Repair legislation underscores this.
It is theoretically possible that this is indeed a drastic change in Apple's mode of operations. But a single action is wildly insufficient to prove that in the face of their previous (and ongoing!) actions opposite to this. They'll need to go much further than this to meet that standard. For example, they could publish minimum specifications for third party replacement parts, and explicitly support those in their software. They could start a certification program for third party replacement parts (and crucially, one without onerous fees). They could actually start designing their products to be repairable. Etc., etc.There's a difference between "Apple is telling us they are leading the way" and "Apple is leading the way". So far, we only have proof of the former.There is nothing in this statement indicating that third-party screen replacements are now possible, unless those parts use official spare parts purhcased through this portal. The two other are good, though access to their triwing screwdrivers has been plentiful for years. Manuals are great though - hopefully they will be published openly for anyone to download, with no onerous EULA etc. Even better, they could publish circuit diagrams for board-level repairs. No, nobody else is doing this either, but it really should start happening. If they want to start leading the way, great - go for it. I'll be holding off on seeing this as anything more than PR until then.
I doubt very much Samsung with even go as far as Apple have, for most samsungs you need to replace the whole frame/screen, all i can say is fuck that. At least iphone screens are actually separately replaceable.
Again, I have no respect for Apple’s history on this issue. Please stop treating me like a shill.
Hint: There isn't.
B) Shitting all over third party repair shops like you're doing here is kind of... uhm, weird, given the context of this thread, no? There are tons of highly skilled and very serious people out there doing repairs. Painting them as equivalent to "back street garages" (and even presenting that as a bad thing itself) is rather absurd.
C) with the software locks, you literally cannot "stick any shitty screen on it and it have it (probably) work". That is kind of the point, no?
D) you're not saying this, but it kind of follows from your reasoning: is it in your view a positive action on Apple's part to not have retroactively implemented software locks on replacement parts for older phones? (If not, what is the relevance when they've had these for several years now?)
Either you are making bad-faith arguments that you don't actually agree with, you haven't thought this through, or you are just wildly inconsistent. Either way, what you're saying doesn't add up. Low quality replacement parts is not an argument for banning them, but for making better options available. Bad repair shops is not an argument for mandating first party repair, but for providing tools, manuals and training. That someone has bought an expensive thing does not somehow remove their right to choose where to have it serviced. And remember: Apple's stance up until this (and until I see conclusive proof otherwise, likely still), has been bans, mandates and monopolies - the explicit removal of choice.
Yes there are probably some good phone repair shops. Most of the ones in my city are run by foreigners of some kind, and from my experience and from the fact they are trying to make as much money as possible, will buy the cheapest after market parts they can get. Unless it is a Certified Apple repair store, in effect it is a back street garage.
I have tried a few different screens on iphones, not on a 11/12/13 though which is why i made the point. on anything before a 11 as far as i know, you can stick any shitty screen on it and it will work, and i put probably because some are really awfully crappy. on newer iphones they probably do have screen locks as i stated.
What better options for parts? force repair shops to buy from certain suppliers thereby making the quality guaranteed? yeah right as if that would work.
Also your training comment again, you think some little phone repair shop is gonna pay hundreds, possibly thousand to train one staff member who does their phone repairs, yeah right.
People can get their stuff repaired where ever they like. If you spend $1000 on a phone, are you gonna take it to a possibly dodgy little phone shop and risk it getting damaged? up to you i guess, but like i said, if you can afford the $1000 phone, you can afford to pay Apple for a screen repair, knowing it will still be water tight( it would not from a after market repair shop, i have checked)
It is positive that they have allowed it as i said in an earlier post, which you seemingly never read.
Maybe they didn't want people repairing them from a secretive position or because of not wanting to release specs and diagrams, i don't know.
Maybe you need to report my posts to your Apple contact or something, i seem to have upset you enough to be near making personal attacks on me. I don't really give a shit about what you think. I posted my comments on my thoughts on Apples new position on repairs. They make sense to me, don't give a shit if you like them or agree with them or not.
Also like i said, iphones ARE repairable, even at home given the right tools. Samsung phones are not ( and i have tried, they are far harder to get into, specially with glass backs, and strongly glued down batteries). it is a big leap for Apple which i agree with, and I agree with selling kits with genuine parts. If you want a crappy screen to replace your broken one, take it to a little phone shop. If not buy a genuine repair kit, or take it to their Apple store to get done, it's your choice.
Why would Apple iphones have 2 screws and a pretty easily removable back/screen if they did not intend them to be (user) serviceable? Most other big brand phones don't and are very difficult to get into.
I haven't worked with phone repair directly, but having sold phones for quite a few years I'm quite familiar with both the shitty quality of many replacement parts as well as the amount of shitty repairs done. But as I said: none of this is an argument against opening up for more third party repair. Quite the opposite! Why do we have shitty third party screens? Because Apple haven't made first party ones available to repair shops, nor have they made specs available so that third parties can make good alternatives (and expecting random spare parts suppliers to have the R&D budget to even discover the necessary specs to match an iPhone display is obviously unreasonable). That leaves the market wide open to the profiteering garbage vendors. The same goes for not providing manuals and training: as you say, this isn't a disincentive for the unscrupulous, but it makes providing high quality services impossible. This - Apple's long standing policies and choices - is why we have the current poor state of the repair industry (in terms of Apple products, at least - it obviously bears mentioning that none of the other large players are any better). This is why people are fighting for right to repair legislation - so that they can provide high quality, reliable services to people.
The only ones wanting anyone to buy from specific suppliers here is Apple. And you're entirely right that they want to protect their designs at all costs, hence the lack of manuals and schematics. The problem is that this argument is pure BS, and releasing these would be no real threat whatsoever, but it's a convenient argument for them.
Now they are making themselves look good by seemingly changing. Providing manuals is great, providing first party parts and tools is good. But it's a start, at best. It's still insufficient. We still need schematics for advanced repairs, wide availability of parts (and not just major ones), unrestricted access to necessary service software and tools, a complete removal of all software locks standing in the way of repair, and more. That's all I've been saying. If they have truly changed, they need to demonstrate that over time.
I have done Iphone repairs, and have only ever come across crappy screens. The only screens worth putting on are Apple ones. and imo that has nothing to do with specs. I bet lots of chinese factorys have stripped iphones to reverse engineer them. It's about costs, nothing else, a genuine screen might be $200 a after market one $20-50, so some people will buy these. Even if Apple did release their genuine screens for sale seperatly, they ain't gonna be $50 or even $100. so as i said comes down to cost, not quality.
The manufacturers want people to buy new phones every year, that is why they don't want them repairable. I bet most high end Apple and Samsung owners have a new model every year, so they ain't gonna be getting them repaired.
On topic: More repairs = more better. Poor people who can't afford genuine Apple parts should not own iPhones in the first place or should stick to the second hand market. Naturally, iPhone owners have never been concerned about repairs and other such nonsense. A solution to all the screens drama: just don't drop your phone, you morons. How people still drop their phones in 2021 is beyond me.
Anyway, the point is I took it to local repair place and it was fixed cheaply £70 iirc in a couple of days.
Anyway i'm out of this "discussion" as i have probably already got myself into trouble from HIM picking at me for no other reason than his fucking ego.