Testing Out Apple's Self Repair Program With an iPhone 12 Mini Battery Fix

Apple last week announced the launch of a new Self Repair program, which is designed to allow iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE owners to repair their devices on their own using manual, tools, and replacement parts directly from Apple.

We were curious about how the Self Service Repair program works and how it compares to the simplicity of bringing a product in to Apple for repair, so we ordered a repair kit to replace the battery of Dan's phone.

We thought Dan was the perfect representation of the average consumer who just wants to save money by doing their own repairs.

We ordered a kit and components on the day the program went live and received them a short time later. You need the parts and Apple's repair kit for most of the repairs. The repair kit comes in two separate packages, and the two boxes weigh in at over 80 pounds. You can get it for a week before you have to send it back to Apple.

It is inconvenient to have to deal with one 40 pound repair kit and a second 30 pound repair kit. You get $24.15 back for sending in old parts if you get the kit and battery bundle.

It costs a total of 95.84 to do a battery swap on the iPhone 12 mini, so it is not really cost effective.

You can order the parts alone without the tool kit, but the repair manual tells users to use tools in the kit that they wouldn't otherwise have on hand, such as an Apple-designed battery press.

You can purchase all of the tools individually, but Apple's components are expensive. A battery press is $116, a heated display removal pocket is $116, and a display press is $216, all of which are needed for battery removal according to the repair manual.

It is not cost effective for someone who wants to make a single repair to use anything but the rental kit, though some of the individual part purchases will make sense for repair outlets who want to get their hands on Apple-designed tools.

Even though Apple has instructions and tools for the repair process, Dan found it difficult. It was difficult to get in because there were components missing from the kit that were required by the manual.

The repair took the better part of the day because Dan had to go to the store twice to get more supplies. It took a lot of time to deal with the glue.

It is probably better to take your phone to a professional for repair rather than trying to fix it yourself. It's cheaper to have Apple replace the battery and display than it is to fix them.

If you are feeling brave, you can save some money if you need a camera, Taptic Engine, or speaker repair, but make sure to study the manual and know what you are getting into. If you want to see a complete picture of the repair process, watch Dan's full video up above.