Apple Inc. today has announced something that many believed would never happen, the Apple Self Service Repair Programme.
In short this will:
… allow [Apple] customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs access to Apple genuine parts and tools.
What devices will this work on?
Available first for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, and soon to be followed by Mac computers featuring M1 chips.
When will it launch in the UK?
Self Service Repair will be available early next year in the US and expand to additional countries throughout 2022.
Which repairs will this cover?
Apple say the most common repairs for their iPhone and Mac devices… including:
- iPhone display
- iPhone battery
- iPhone camera
At launch, the store will stock 200 individual parts and tools!
Does this mean Apple will stop offering repairs?
No, frankly they make too much money from repairing phones / laptops / iPad etc to completely stop but this, but it’s helpful for consumers that are tech-savvy enough to be able to fix their phone/laptop at home.
What will happen with my AppleCare warranty if I repair accidental damage during that period?
This certainly is something we would like to know, there is no information available right now. Obviously, if it was a fault with the phone that would be normally covered under warranty it would be stupid to do the repair yourself but it’s not clear if doing a repair (e.g. a broken screen) would deem the rest of the phone warranty void or not…