Apple will allow some iPhone users to fix their own cell phones, a sea change for a company that for a long time did not allow anyone except company-approved technicians to tamper with the equipment or its proprietary software.
The company announced Wednesday that users of
the latest two iPhone models and eventually some Mac computers will
have access to genuine parts and tools to do their own repairs.
It is a decision that is understood from an increasingly powerful reaction against the practices of many manufacturers that have made their technology products increasingly difficult to repair.
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The iPhone 13 phone is shown for sale in New York on September 24, 2021.Richard Drew / AP
How does it work?
Apple will open an online store where users can buy their replacement parts and the tools they will need to make repairs.
The company indicates that by next year it will have more than 200 parts and tools
to carry out the most common repairs on the iPhone 12 or 13.
Through guides that the company will provide on its website with detailed instructions and security measures, users can try to fix the screens, batteries and interfaces manually and by themselves.
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Again, this is a radical change in the company's policies, since it had previously assured that the equipment could be damaged if someone who was not sufficiently trained handled them, especially with batteries, one of the most expensive parts of the equipment. and that more easily can be damaged.
Because it is important
Overall, this is good news for consumers, according to experts.
Maureen Mahoney, a senior policy analyst for
Consumer Reports
, told
The Associated Press
that these practices should apply to other similar electronic products.
"If you buy a product, you should be able to repair it," he said.
Otherwise, "consumers have to trust the manufacturer's authorized technician or they have to buy a new one," he added.
If you buy a product, you should be able to repair it "
Maureen Mahoney Consumer Reports analyst
The Federal Trade Commission, the Biden Administration and state legislatures have been studying what regulatory changes could make it easier for Americans to repair their broken devices.
A question of fairness
One of the reasons regulatory authorities are trying to prevent companies from restricting the repair of their appliances to their authorized network of technicians is to open up competition to include repair shop owners, many of whom are members. of racial or ethnic minorities who are being deprived of these business opportunities.
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A report to Congress from the Federal Trade Commission noted in May that many small, black-owned businesses repair equipment and that
electronics repair shops are often run by entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
Due to the practices of Apple, which locks its software so that parts of a phone can only be used on that phone, many third-party repair attempts, such as replacing a broken original screen with a new one from another manufacturer, often cause that the phone can no longer be used.
Apple policy limits
It is important to note that models prior to the iPhone 12 for now will not be part of this opening of the company for user repairs.
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However, some promoters of the so-called "right to repair" assure that it continues to be "a milestone", in the words of Nathan Proctor, senior director of the campaign for the right to repair in PIRG, a group that defends the rights of the consumers.
Even within companies like Apple, there are environmentally conscious investors who have complained that the company's practices to restrict repairs lead to more electronic waste that pollutes the environment.
The European Union recently announced that it will require all mobile devices to use the same type of charger, the USB-C cable, something Apple has tried to resist.
