Apple is letting some iPhone users fix their own phones, a drastic change for a company that has long banned anyone but company-approved technicians from fiddling with its proprietary parts and software. prevented from happening. The company said on Wednesday that it would enable users of the two latest iPhone model and eventually some Mac Computers for consumers to gain access to genuine Apple parts and tools to repair.
Change reflects a strength”right to repairThe movement, adopted by President Joe Biden and affecting everything from smartphones to cars and tractors. It is a reaction to the inclusion of software in more everyday products and the practices of manufacturers that have made those products difficult and costly to repair. has made it.
Apple is launching an online store for self-service repair early next year, saying it will have more than 200 different parts and tools to perform the most common repairs on an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. Initially it will be focused on do-it-yourselfers. Fixes the screen, battery and display itself, which Apple has previously opposed and cited concerns about safety and security, such as a faulty battery replacement that could damage the device. Apple’s action is welcome news for consumers and a sign that similar standards should apply to other electronics, said Maureen Mahoney, a senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports.
“If you buy a product, you should be able to fix it,” she said. Otherwise “consumers have to either rely on the manufacturer’s authorized repairman or have to buy a new one.”
The Federal Trade Commission, the Biden administration and state legislatures are eyeing regulatory changes that would make it easier for Americans to repair their broken equipment. Regulators have expressed concern about restrictions that lead consumers to repair networks of manufacturers and sellers, add cost to consumers and close independent repair shops from business opportunities. He has also said that reparation restrictions often take a toll on minority and low-income consumers. An FTC report to Congress in May noted that many black-owned small businesses repair equipment, and that repair shops are often owned by entrepreneurs from poor communities.
Apple has long been a target for repair-to-repair advocates due to its practice of locking down its software so that parts can be encoded into a specific device. Some attempted repairs – such as replacing the broken original screen with a third-party one – have left the phone unusable. There are limits to the changes Apple is making, but it’s still “a big milestone,” said Nathan Proctor, senior director of the Right to Repair campaign at US PIRG, a consumer advocacy group.
“One of the most visible right-to-repair opponents is reversing course in a meaningful way,” he said. Proctor said this is thanks to increasing pressure, including from some of Apple’s own investors. A shareholder proposal from the environmentally sound investment group calls for the company to end its anti-repair practices, arguing that they are contributing to electronic waste.
read all breaking news, breaking news And coronavirus news Here. follow us on Facebook, Twitter And Wire,
,