Get in on the US on Apple’s official program dedicated to do-it-yourself repairs announced in November last year. For Apple users this is a historic turning point and for the top management of the Cupertino house a good way to try to silence the criticisms addressed to the company for being too uncompromising on unauthorized interventions.
This is still a first step, limited to a few products, and reserved for US users only, but it is the right direction to meet the demands of all advocates of the right to repair. The essential points can be summarized as follows:
- Program for now limited to iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone SE of the third generation;
- Users can purchase essential parts for repair (e.g. batteries, cameras and displays) through a dedicated online store authorized by Apple – you can consult HERE;
- Through the same site you can access the section dedicated to official repair manuals that help the user to repair the device in person;
- A repair tool kit can be rented for $ 49 per week (useful option for a one-time repairer).
It’s a start, it is already confirmed that the program will be expanded in the coming months, both in relation to products that can be repaired in these ways, and in relation to the markets in which it will be active. According to deadlines yet to be defined, components and manuals dedicated to Macs will also arrive the debut is expected by the end of the year of the initiative even in Europe.
Apple is not the only large company to introduce significant changes to the policies for the repair of electronic products: Google and Microsoft have recently gone in the same direction with their respective collaborations with iFixit, and Samsung with a program dedicated to Galaxy devices, similar to that of Apple. They are certainly welcome news on the end users side, partly forced by political pressure (in the United States, as well as in Europe) and by the need to shake off severe judgments on the efforts made to meet the needs of consumers.
Credits opening image: iFixit
