Apple has launched '
Self Service Repair' in the USA, enabling consumers to obtain repair manuals, Apple parts and tools from an officially-licensed online
Repair Store. The service will be expanded into additional countries, starting with Europe, later this year.
Initially the new Apple Self Service Repair Store will contain more than 200 individual parts and tools to help its customers repair the display, battery, camera and other key elements of the iPhone 12, iPhone 13 lineups and iPhone SE v3. Some Mac computers are due to be added to the list.
Apple says the parts on sale are the same items at the same price as those available to its authorised repairers. Certain tools will also be available to rent for one-off repairs. The company notes that its repair store is for "customers who are experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices", pointing out that "for the vast majority of customers who do not have experience repairing electronic devices, visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair".
The new comes a couple of weeks after the European Parliament voted to adopt the European Commission's 'Right to Repair' proposal, making it one of the EU's key initiatives for 2022. If it becomes law, manufacturers would be required to produce products that are easier to fix by consumers and third-party repairers. Both the EU and the UK introduced laws in 2021 that oblige manufacturers or importers to make essential parts available to professional repairers for up to ten years after the last unit of a specific model has been sold.