Apple is to allow consumers to repair their own devices in a move that could reduce the cost of repairing iPhones and Macs and extend the life cycle of consumer electronics.
The iPhone maker on Wednesday launched a self-repair program that allows customers to buy Apple-made parts to replace worn or damaged ones.
The service, which will debut in the US early next year for the iPhone 12 and 13 series, will allow users to repair their screens, batteries, and cameras from home. The service will expand to other markets in 2022 and cover Macs using M1 chips.
The company did not say how the spare parts would be priced.
The u-turn was sudden. Just last month, Apple was fighting a shareholder proposal in favor of the right to repair. The iPhone maker says its experts are best placed to service its products.
In July, the Biden administration issued an executive order directing the Federal Trade Commission to address "unfair anti-competitive restrictions on third-party repairs or product self-repairs".
"This is an important step for Apple. It shows that it is possible to make spare parts for consumers, something they have refused to do for years, "said Ugo Vallauri, co-founder and policy director of the Restart Project, a right-to-repair advocacy group.
Apple's shift is the second major victory for "right to repair" advocates in two months after Microsoft struck a landmark deal in October to make its devices easier to fix.
Consumer protection agencies have long criticized Apple for aggressively defending its monopoly over the repair process. The repair process became so rigorous that even two phones of the same model with parts changed did not work properly.

Consumers are forced to choose between third-party technicians using parts purchased from non-certified suppliers or paying for "official" repairs at Apple stores, which can be so costly that many consumers prefer to buy a new device. For example, replacing the rear window of an Out-Of-warranty iPhone 13 Pro Max can cost as much as $599, about half the price of a new model.
Right-to-repair advocates say that when consumers replace damaged models, it serves Apple's bottom line but imposes a burden on the environment. So if parts are easily available and cheap, the move is likely to be widely welcomed.
"Depending on how they handle it, this could be the greenest thing Apple has ever done," said Zack Nelson, who disassembles and examines various electronics on his JerryRigEverything YouTube channel.
The UK produces the second-highest amount of e-waste per person in the world. According to a recent YouGov survey, 30 percent of people in the UK have been unable to repair their electronic devices themselves, have thrown them away because there are no professional repair options, or are too expensive to repair.
"Apple may be trying to drive up component costs by crowding out third-party manufacturers," Mr. Valori said."Regulation needs to force manufacturers to make products that are reasonably priced and easy to repair, so equipment can last longer and limit environmental impact."
 

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