Apple said Thursday it will relax limits on repairing newer iPhones with used parts such as screens, batteries and cameras, a return to its past practice of using software to encourage people to work on new and more expensive Apple-approved parts.
The change comes weeks after Oregon passed a law banning Apple’s practice of bundling components in software, known as “component pairing.” Similar bills are being considered in Colorado and more than a dozen other states. Apple objected to the Oregon law before its passage, saying customers could be vulnerable to security risks if Apple were required to allow lower-priced parts made by third-party suppliers. .
In the past, if an iPhone owner broke a part — a screen, for example — and installed a genuine, used Apple screen purchased from a source like eBay, the replacement display wasn’t will work properly because its serial number does not match one in Apple’s database. The only way to install a fully functional replacement part is if it is purchased from Apple, which has the tools to pair the part with the phone.
Apple’s new policy will remove those restrictions for the iPhone 15, which was released last year. Apple said the change will begin this fall and will apply to genuine Apple parts, meaning those made by iPhone suppliers. When a genuine replacement part is installed, the phone will work on it automatically, without requiring a technician to provide Apple with a serial number. The replacement part will work seamlessly with the iPhone.
The reversal comes about five months after The New York Times published an analysis of Apple’s increased restrictions on iPhone repairs, which have driven up costs for consumers.
In this News release in announcing the change, Apple said the change would streamline its parts-pairing process on some iPhones for used Apple screens, batteries and other parts to simplify repairs – not the parts made by third-party suppliers. Those parts are usually less expensive and can save customers money on repairs. Replacing a cracked screen at an Apple Store costs about $300, about $100 more than a job done by an independent store with a third-party screen.
An Apple spokesperson said people can install third-party components but iPhones will continue to use software to alert them when that’s done because the company considers it important to the security and safety of the device. customers. He pointed to a funded study by Apple that showed the majority of third-party smartphone batteries failed safety tests and some caused fires.
Nathan Proctor, who lobbied states for repair legislation on behalf of US PIRG, a nonprofit funded largely by small donors, said the move was a small step in the right direction. It never made technical sense for Apple to put restrictions on installing genuine Apple parts for repairs, he said.
“It’s always been a silly and ridiculous practice,” Mr. Proctor said.
Starting in January, an Oregon law requires Apple and others to start allowing customers to use any parts they want in repairs — even those not approved by the original smartphone maker. Apple will face fines of $1,000 a day for not complying with the law starting in 2027.
When the Oregon bill passed, Apple said it would support the settlement legislation but added that the bill “does not offer the consumer protections Oregonians deserve.”
