Here is a pleasant update from Apple. The company just announced Self Service Repair, a new program designed to let users perform common repairs on devices at home. Users with damaged devices will be sent genuine Apple tools and components, the same as the ones they use at the Genius Bar.
The company will be offering up online repair manuals through the new Apple Self Service Repair Online Store. The system is similar to the one the company rolled out for independent repair providers, which focuses on display, battery and camera fixes. A similar service for M1Macs will be launching soon.
Jeff Williams said in a release that customers have more choice if a repair is needed. In the past three years, Apple has doubled the number of service locations with access to genuine parts, tools, and training, and now we are providing an option for those who wish to complete their own repairs.
Customers will get a credit toward the final fee if they mail in a damaged component for recycling. The store will have 200 parts and tools for consumers when it launches in the U.S. If you damage the product in the process of repairing it, you might void the warranty, but you won't be able to do these tasks at home. You can purchase parts from the online store after you review that.
The push for right to repair legislation has been opposed by some of the biggest names in consumer electronics. The Library of Congress approved exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The president got in on the act after the FTC sent a letter to Congress in May stating that they would pursue appropriate law enforcement and regulatory options to address the problem of repair restrictions. The Commission is ready to work with legislators at the state or federal level to ensure that consumers have choices when it comes to repairing products that they purchase and own.
Increasing repairability has been a cause championed by Apple over the past several years, as well as concerns about e-waste and lowering the pricing burden of planned obsolescence. The devices have become more difficult to repair at home as technology has become more advanced. It is a long way from the days of swappable batteries, which have given rise to a boutique crop of products like Fairphone, which put user repairability out front.
Apple will be releasing a new program later next year. The company is still encouraging users to bring their devices in for repair at a licensed shop when circumstances allow, but for the many who would rather take matters into their own hands, this is a nice step.
