Europeans and Canadians with busted iPhones will soon be able to swerve the Genius Bar and associated lengthy waiting lists, as Apple expands its Independent Repair Provider (IRP) program to third party technicians.
The IRP scheme authorised independent businesses to perform out-of-warranty repairs on iPhones using genuine Apple components — such as displays and batteries.
Repair facilities will be able to use third-party components and set their own prices, but must inform customers when they're using genuine Apple parts - which would hit anyone trying to use aftermarket TouchID sensor replacements and the like. Any salvaged parts must be returned to Apple, where they'll either be refurbished or recycled.
Apple said it will also provide training, service guides, and other resources — although repair providers will be compelled to keep these confidential.
This comes a month after Norway's Supreme Court upheld a ruling that a local repair shop violated Apple's trademark by using an unauthorised screen to fit a customer's iPhone.
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The shareholder fight that forced Apple's hand on repair rights
Wednesday morning, Apple announced that the company will soon make parts and repair manuals available to the general public, reversing years of restrictive repair policies. The new policy represents a seismic shift for a company that has fought independent repair for years by restricting access to parts, manuals, and diagnostic tools, designing products that are difficult to fix, and lobbying against laws that would enshrine the right to repair.
But Apple didn't change its policy out of the goodness of its heart. The announcement follows months of growing pressure from repair activists and regulators — and its timing seems deliberate, considering a shareholder resolution environmental advocates filed with the company in September asking Apple to re-evaluate its stance on independent repair. Wednesday is a key deadline in the fight over the resolution, with advocates poised to bring the issue to the Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve.
Apple spokesperson Nick Leahy told The Verge that the program "has been in development for well over a year," describing it as "the next step in increasing customer access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and manuals." Leahy declined to say whether the timing of the announcement was influenced by shareholder pressure.
Apple makes parts and manuals available to all (15m35s Louis Rossmann video)
See also: Apple makes a concession to 'right to repair' movement, will let you repair your own iPhone
Opinion: Another Apple PR fail as company waits until forced to act over Right to Repair
Apple gives in on right-to-repair
Apple Folds to Right to Repair Movement – Will Allow Customers to Perform iPhone, Mac Repairs From 2022
Previously: Apple Sued an Independent iPhone Repair Shop Owner and Lost
Apple Exports Independent Repair Provider Program to Europe and Canada
Apple, Microsoft, and Google Team Up to Block Right to Repair Laws
Apple and John Deere Shareholder Resolutions Demand They Explain Their Bad Repair Policies
Leaked Apple Training Videos Show How it Undermines Third-Party Repair
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 09 2020, @04:45PM (1 child)
No, the court did not rule that unauthorized screens violate trademarks.
The court found that the replacement screens contained non-Apple parts that did not come from Apple's production line, yet were imprinted with Apple branding anyway and that this fake branding violated Apple's trademarks. This was not a case of refurbished screens containing real Apple branding bsimply ecause they contained parts pulled from real Apple products.
Now the repair shop was really stuck between a rock and a hard place here. They don't really have much of a choice because they have to get whatever's on the market and what is on the market are third-party screens made primarily for the Chinese market with fake Apple branding on them. Independent repair shops simply don't buy in sufficient volume to get these parts custom manufactured without such branding at practical costs and it's basically impossible to get the genuine article.
Of course none of this would be a problem if it were feasible to buy genuine OEM replacement parts.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 09 2020, @05:32PM
We used to call it a "racket" in my day.
(Score: 2) by BananaPhone on Thursday July 09 2020, @05:31PM (1 child)
Apple will not cross ship replacement parts to independent repair shops.
BONUS: independent repair shops are NOT allowed to stock replacement parts!
Source: Louis Rossman (You tube)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 09 2020, @09:13PM
Louis has some interesting things to say on the repairability of future of Apple branded devices using Apple processors too (spoiler: you'll be shit outta luck).
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2020, @12:04AM
silly chinese. they really DONT get it.
everybody needs "apple" replacement part and since the original is made in china and the clubermint dont care much about trademark or copyright (unless it goes against THE only and most important trademark: the central command) them manufacturers should just wise up and print "蘋果" on them original fakes (or even "爛水果").
note: not native speaker, translation is via "google translate"