The struggle for iPhone users has always been the inconvenience of getting minor fixes done on their device. Though Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations that have access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and training, customers are still struggling to find easy access to repairs. While nearly every iPhone user has experienced a shattered display where their heart shatters along with their phone, Apple has recently come up with an easy solution to repair their phones easily.
On a recent press release, Apple announced the availability of Self Service Repair; a service that provides repair manuals along with genuine Apple parts and tools through their Self Service Repair Store. Self Service Repair Stores went live in the United States and are planning to expand to additional countries later in the year, starting with European countries, and Australia.
As for variety, the Self Service Repair store is coming in full force with more than 200 separate parts and tools, all sold individually. This opens many doors for any Apple customer with familiarity to the complex art of repairing an electronic device. Anyone with experience in the area can complete their own iPhone repairs on any given iPhone 12, iPhone 13 or third generation iPhone SE – and this includes display presses, camera presses, torque drivers, repair trays, and more.
If you are looking to get rid of your hopeless display as soon as possible, you have to first start the Self Service Repair process by reviewing the repair manual for your iPhone by visiting support.apple.com/self-service-repair. You will also need the product serial number of your iPhone model or IMEI to purchase parts. The IMEI is a 15-digit number that can be seen in General under the Settings app. The next step is simply to head to the Apple Self Service Repair Store and pick out the parts and tools you will be needing to perform the surgery required.
Once you have your parts, the manual will guide you through the process. Certain repairs require a System Configuration step, which is a software tool that completes the repair. This step also requires you to contact the Self Service Repair Store support team to initiate it.
Needless to say, just as with any other Apple product, the repair parts also went through extensive testing and has guaranteed quality assurance, safety, and reliability. Every nook and cranny available on this store has been custom designed for authorized repair providers. They also go out at the same price as the ones charged for Apple’s own network of authorized repair providers. The parts are engineered to withstand the rigors of high-volume repair operations performed professionally where safety and reliability are not taken lightly. Depending on the repair sought out, customers are even eligible for receiving credit when returning replaced parts for recycling, as well.
Source: Apple
It should also be noted that repairing your own iPhone does not void your warranty, given that it is done with genuine parts from the Repair Store – but any damage to the hardware during your DIY repair will not be covered under warranty.
The price of repairing your iPhone depends on what model you have and the magnitude of damage that your iPhone has been through. While the price for a couple of security screws for an iPhone SE is approximately 20 US cents (which is 28 cents in Australia), it costs around USD 312 for a display bundle kit for iPhone 13 Pro Max (approximately 432 Australian dollars). This Repair Service is also quite flexible for customers who are not ready to commit to their electronic repair career just yet. Apple also offers tool rental kits for USD 49 (about 68 AUD) for customers who want to use the tools just once and includes free shipping for weeklong rentals. In some cases, you may be required to put down a USD 1300 hold, which amounts to 1800 AUD.
Apple has also highlighted that for most customers who do not have professional experience in repairing electronics, it is always safer to visit a reliable and certified technician that uses their parts. After all, it is not exactly ‘easy’ to repair an iPhone because you will first have to understand what is wrong with it, followed by taking the whole iPhone apart.
If you do add up the cost of renting the right tools, and purchasing the right parts for your device, the cost will be higher than bringing in the device to an Apple store. Louis Rossman, a famous board repair technician on Youtube, claimed that Apple has created the self service repair program to improve their public image, after facing backlash from stopping people repairing their own devices. The parts offered by Apple is limited to certain parts and for newer models only, which normally the old devices will tend to need more replacement parts compare to newer models.
Although there might be room of improvement for Apple, this is an opportunity for individual electronic technicians to thrive as well. For Australians, Max Hawker, is a remarkable technician who is famous on TikTok and has made a career out of broken technology - though Apple has not started their Self Service Repair program in the region yet. This could give Hawker and other technicians the opportunity to get tool kits from overseas and jumpstart a reliable iPhone repair service in the region, or a further opportunity to expand their career when Apple does introduce the program to their Australian customer base.
Though this program just began with individual parts and tools for iPhones, it is also planning to expand later in the year to include the same tools to perform repairs on Mac computers with Apple silicon.
We do hoped that the ACCC will continue pressuring Apple on repair rights for all Australian. At the mean time, feel free to support us by purchasing your next refurbished MacBook or iPhone.
