by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced that customers and independent repair shops will be able to use used, genuine Apple parts in their repairs starting later this year.
Apple told The Washington Post that the new policy will initially apply to parts for iPhone 15 and later models, including screens, batteries and cameras. Apple said in a press release that the policy will eventually extend to used biometric sensors for Face ID and Touch ID. The process of “matching” existing Apple parts will confirm whether the part used is genuine.
This fall, Apple says that calibration of both new and used Genuine Apple parts will occur on the device after the part is installed. If the iPhone has been repaired, the Settings app includes a Parts and Service History section under General → About, and Apple says it will expand this section to show whether a genuine part is new or used.
Apple also announced that customers and service providers will no longer need to provide the device serial number when ordering parts from a self-service store for repairs other than motherboard replacement.
To to prevent theft iPhones will be disassembled for parts, Apple said it will extend its Activation Lock security feature to iPhone parts:
Apple will also extend its popular Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts to prevent the theft of iPhones from being disassembled for parts. This feature was developed at the request of customers and law enforcement officials to curb iPhone theft by blocking the reactivation of a lost or stolen iPhone. If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be limited.
Apple Hardware Engineering Manager John Ternus said the new policy will be more environmentally friendly by extending the life of parts:
Over the past two years, Apple teams have been innovating in product design and manufacturing to enable repairs using used parts. Apple parts that will not compromise the safety, security or privacy of users. With this latest expansion of our repair program, we are pleased to provide our customers with even more choice and convenience, and help extend the life of our products and parts.
Apple has stated that this policy will apply to future iPhone models.
Tags: Apple Authorized Service Providers, Independent Repair Provider Program, DIY Repair Guide[ 84 comments ]
