Consumers of Apple-branded mobile phones will be able to repair their devices without the involvement of third parties. The announcement was made by a North American company this Wednesday, which for the first time involves a very clear market assessment showing little of what the ecosystem is like in terms of hardware and software.
The store will be online and will first launch in the US in early 2022 under the title Self Repair. According to a statement from the American tech giant, it will contain more than 200 spare parts and tools useful for solving the most common problems of the latest iPhone models (12 and 13), such as faulty batteries or screens. According to him, in the near future the service will also include computers equipped with an M1 microcircuit.
This idea is at odds with what Apple typically does with device repair, which comes at a time when it has been criticized by companies and authorities for over-controlling its physical and intangible ecosystem. The fact that Apple devices are not compatible with devices from other brands means that their consumers are not changing their choice in favor of smartphones.
Until now, repairs have only been allowed by technicians from official stores – at the bar genius counter – and some dealers who are authorized to use original parts, however waiting times and prices are generally high. Thus, criticism about the longevity of their devices on the Internet has increased, accusing the brand of planned obsolescence.
“We never thought we would see this,” responded on Twitter iFixit, a site widely considered to be a guide to electronic device repair. Others say that what Apple creates is “imperfect,” but they are “happy” to see the brand recognize what we “always knew”: “everyone is smart enough to fix an iPhone.”
Apple COO Jeff Williams recalled that “over the past three years, Apple has almost doubled the number of service points with access to parts.” And now, through this initiative, the company will connect customers with “more than 5,000 authorized suppliers and 2,800 independent repairers who have access to parts, tools and manuals.”
