In a move that has surprised everyone, Apple has announced its “Self Service Repair” program that will allow customers to repair their iPhones with all Apple genuine parts and tools sourced from Apple directly. Currently, the program covers iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series where Apple has made available genuine parts and tools to operate on them. Soon, Apple will add Mac M1 to the self-service repair program according to its press release.
Apple currently has more than 2,800 independent repair providers and 5,000+ Apple Authorised Service Providers who already have genuine parts, manuals, and tools for all types of repairs. With that being said, more customers will get their hands on repairing their iPhones using the parts and tools provided by the Cupertino-based giant. Currently, the battery, camera, and display are among the components available for services under this program and more components will be added later next year.
According to Apple’s COO Jeff Williams, Apple gave access to genuine parts and tools to its customers to allow more options when a repair is needed. Apple products are robust and all the components used in the manufacturer are tested to last longer and undergo rigorous wear and tear over the years. Once a component requires a repair, a customer walks into any AASP or an independent repair provider to get the product fixed up. With the current program in place, skilled and trained customers can take matters into their hands and use the manuals provided by Apple to carry out repairs.
As of now, Apple has made 200 parts and tools available for the iPhone 12 and 13 lineups covering some common repairs as mentioned earlier. It will soon extend the program to cover more products and more parts will be added to the roster. This whole program comes as a surprise given the fact that Apple has been adamant about not letting third-party service providers repair its products. This move will surely have a positive impact on the overall repairability of Apple products.
Those who wants to repair any component on their iPhones can order the relevant parts and tools from Apple. They will get credits from Apple on returning used components as well.
