Apple will eventually openly sell iPhone and Mac components and tools needed to repair them.
That way, users will be able to make repairs to Apple devices themselves, without the need to go to an official Apple product repair place.
This self-service repair program was finally allowed by Apple after years of pressure and protests by consumers and various other parties. And now Apple is finally giving access to repair instructions as well as genuine replacement parts for free purchase.
According to Apple, its online store will start selling 200 types of components to repair the most common defects, such as screen, battery, and camera defects in the iPhone 12 and 13.
Going forward, this program will be extended to the Mac lineup that uses the M1 chip and earlier, which crashes less frequently. The price of these components is promised to be the same as the price paid by the independent repair shop.
Oh yes, users can get a discount if they return the used/damaged component to Apple after successfully replacing it with a new component.
In 2019, Apple actually started a program so that independent cell phone repair shops could buy parts, tools, and repair instructions for their products. Apple claims there are 2,800 independent repair shops incorporated into the program, in addition to the existing 5,000 authorized repair shops.
The component sales program for iPhone and Mac will start in the United States from 2022 and expand to other countries thereafter.
Previously, Apple was sued by a consumer for refusing to repair his iPhone 12 which still has a warranty. The consumer, Theodore A. Kim, filed his lawsuit in court in San Francisco, United States.
In his lawsuit, Kim asked for compensation of USD 1,383.13. This amount corresponds to the price of the iPhone 12 that he paid when he first bought it.
