Apple made an announcement today that is making big waves in the repair industry. With the new "Self Service Repair" program, customers can repair their devices themselves. This includes common repairs such as replacing the battery or the iPhone screen.
The new "Self-Service Repair" program gives customers access to genuine Apple parts and tools to perform the repairs. According to Apple, the "Self-Service Repair" program will initially be available for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, followed by the M1 Macs in the future. The program will initially launch in the United States in early 2022, followed by other countries later in the year. The press release states:
Apple today announced a Self Service Repair program that gives customers who want to perform repairs themselves access to genuine Apple parts and tools. Self Service Repair will initially be available for iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, and then for Mac computers with M1 chips. This repair option will be offered in the U.S. early next year and will expand to additional countries throughout 2022. This customer option joins the more than 5,000 Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) and 2,800 independent repair providers who already have access to these genuine parts, tools, and repair guides.
Repair your iPhone yourself: Customers get improved access to original Apple parts
Apple says that in the first phase of the program, customers will have access to genuine Apple parts and tools for the most commonly serviced modules, such as the iPhone display, battery and camera, with more repair options to be added over the next year. Apple COO Jeff Williams said:
By improving access to genuine Apple parts, our customers have even more choice when they need a repair. Over the past three years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service centers with access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and training. Now we're offering an option for those who want to do their own repairs.
With this program, customers can buy original Apple parts, access documentation and carry out repairs themselves. Details on prices and the like are not yet known. The full press release can be found here. (Image: Apple)