04/12/2024

Apple Is Making It Slightly Easier to Repair Your iPhone

To appease lawmakers, Apple is making concessions on "parts pairing"

Apple will make it a little bit easier to get an iPhone fixed with used parts, marking a reversal of long-standing, strict rules around swapping out iPhone parts.

The change, announced Thursday, will begin with “select” iPhone models this fall (The Washington Post reported it will cover iPhone 15 and newer). It comes as states move to ban parts pairing, which requires a company’s software to recognize and approve a replacement part. The practice has long frustrated third-party repair shops, as well as at-home self repairers, and lawmakers around the U.S. are looking to ban it.

Apple has long argued that parts pairing is necessary for security and functionality. Using other parts can cause iPhone features to malfunction. For example: replacing a cracked iPhone screen could lead Face ID to break. When today’s announced change takes effect, the company will allow used iPhone parts to work “just like new genuine Apple parts,” the company said.

Please select this link to read the complete article from WIRED.