Apple has officially launched its self-service repair shop, which offers consumers guides and supplies for do-it-yourself iPhone repairs.
The web store sells over 200 individual parts and tools, including iPhone screws, cameras, batteries, screens, SIM card trays, and other accessories, giving consumers and third-party repair shops access to real Apple components for the first time.
Previously, Apple (AAPL) customers had to depend on the company’s in-house repair service or approved repair outposts to have their devices repaired.
The available components are for the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE (3rd generation) handsets
For the time being, the shop is only accessible to clients in the United States, but the firm has said that it will expand to other nations later this year.
It also plans to sell repair manuals, parts, and tools for some Mac computers by the end of the year.
The store’s opening on Wednesday comes after activists for the “right to repair” movement have long pressed politicians and tech corporations to provide people the choice to repair their own devices.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order in July instructing the Federal Trade Commission to create guidelines mandating businesses to allow for do-it-yourself repairs. The FTC then overwhelmingly agreed to increase legal enforcement of repair limits.
The limitations, according to FTC Chair Lina Khan, “may considerably increase consumer prices, hinder innovation, block off business opportunities for independent repair businesses, cause wasteful electronic waste, delay timely repairs, and impair resilience.“
Apple claims that the costs for the components, which vary from $0.20 screws to a $312 iPhone 12 Pro Max display set, are the same as those accessible via Apple’s current network of approved repair merchants. Customers who return components for recycling will get a credit, according to the company.
Samsung unveiled a similar service last month that would let customers of certain of its premium Galaxy handsets fix their own items beginning this summer.
Companies like Apple and Samsung have been chastised for using methods that make it more difficult for independent repair shops to access gadgets, such as utilizing non-removable memory or batteries or sealing devices with special glue.
It’s said that this is done to make sure that the items are fixed correctly by approved repair providers.
Despite the fact that Apple is providing users with unfettered access to its components, the company nevertheless advises those without repair skills to seek professional help for repairs.
The firm said in a news statement that “the great majority of consumers who do not have expertise in fixing electronic devices will find that contacting a professional repair provider with qualified technicians who utilize authentic Apple components is the safest and most dependable method to receive a repair.“
