Say Goodbye to the Genius Bar: Your Apple Product Repairs Could Look a Lot Different From Now On Apple's new self-service option comes as a major victory for 'right to repair' advocates.
By Amanda Breen •
In the past, Apple customers with a broken iPhone or Mac on their hands had to go to an Apple store or other authorized retailer for a fix, but that changed yesterday, with the tech giant's announcement of its just-launched, online self-service repair store.
Now, U.S. customers can purchase more than 200 genuine Apple parts and tools to make repairs themselves. Per the company, "Customers who are experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices" will be able to fix iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups and iPhone SE (third generation). Later this year, Apple will also offer manuals, parts and tools to complete repairs on Mac computers with Apple silicon.
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The parts are the same used by Apple's authorized retail network and are available at the same price. The tools available online are also the same used by its authorized retailers, and customers who don't want to purchase them for a single repair can rent a kit for $49.
Apple's new self-service option comes as a major victory for "right to repair" advocates, who have long urged lawmakers and tech companies to allow consumers to repair their products themselves. In July, President Joe Biden passed an executive order requiring the Federal Trade Commission to regulate the issue, after which the FTC unanimously voted to increase law enforcement against repair restrictions.
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At the time, FTC Chair Lina Khan said limiting customers' access to self-repairs "can significantly raise costs for consumers, stifle innovation, close off business opportunity for independent repair shops, create unnecessary electronic waste, delay timely repairs and undermine resiliency."
Similarly, Samsung appears to be succumbing to the pressure; the Galaxy-maker will roll out its own self-repair program this summer.
