Will Apple open up its market for repair parts?

Currently, Apple has been very strict in its restrictions on third-party parts. Starting from the iPhone Xs and above models, whether it is a third-party or original disassembled battery, the battery health cannot be displayed normally in the settings and only shows "service". Starting from the iPhone 11 series models, Apple has encrypted the screen, and after the screen is replaced, the original color cannot be used. Starting from the iPhone 12 series, Apple has encrypted the camera... and so on. However, now these restrictions seem to be slowly lifted.

In a white paper released by Apple today, it stated that it will further improve the durability and repairability of its products, and the iPhone will better support third-party displays and batteries later this year. According to Apple, the original color display needs to be calibrated to work properly. Since it cannot set default calibration for third-party displays, when users use third-party displays, the "original color display" function cannot be used normally.

In the autumn of this year, Apple will open support for third-party screens, allowing consumers to use "original color display" for the best display effect when using third-party screens, and they can also turn off the original color in the settings if they don’t like it. More important than the original color display of the screen may be the adjustment of Apple's replacement of third-party batteries for the iPhone, after all, there are many users who replace iPhone batteries.

Apple stated that it will open compatibility for third-party branded batteries with battery health data later this year, including maximum capacity and cycle count, etc. Although the restrictions on third-party parts have now been lifted, to protect the rights and interests of iPhone users, if they replace them with third-party parts, Apple will still inform them that these accessories are "non-genuine" parts that have not been certified by Apple.

Apple said that the reason why the iPhone does not display battery health when replacing a third-party battery is that they cannot verify the accuracy of the data inside the battery. Apple's investigation found that some batteries that claimed to be brand new were actually refurbished, and they tampered with battery health data to make the battery look like a brand new one.

Apple recently announced that it will support the use of second-hand official parts to repair iPhones by consumers starting this fall, a policy that marks an important step for Apple in the repair rights dispute.

This change comes from the widespread controversy caused by Apple's previous "part serialization" policy. In October 2022, Apple began using a serial number format of up to 18 digits for repair parts of new iPhones, Macs, and other products, which means that only parts with official serial numbers can be used normally. Although this policy aims to protect product and data security, it also limits the choices of consumers and third-party repairers, and has been criticized by many parties, including the French Stop Planned Obsolescence Association.

Facing pressure, Apple finally made concessions. According to the new policy, consumers and independent repairers will be able to use second-hand official parts for repairs, which will enjoy all the functions and security provided by the original factory calibration as new original parts. In addition, for repairs that do not involve replacing the logic board, users and service providers will no longer need to provide the device's serial number when ordering parts in self-service repair shops, which greatly simplifies the repair process.

However, Apple still retains some restrictions. For data security reasons, Apple prohibits the use of third-party parts related to Face ID and Touch ID. If the parts used for iPhone repair are not genuine products, the phone settings will display "Part and Service History", reminding that the iPhone has installed non-genuine parts. In addition, Apple will launch an "activation lock" for the parts to prevent lost or stolen iPhones from being disassembled into parts for sale.

Apple's head of hardware engineering, John Ternus, said that the new process will protect the privacy and security of iPhone users, provide consumers with more choices, extend the life of products and parts, and minimize the impact of repairs on the environment. This statement reflects Apple's efforts to balance cost control, user experience, and environmental responsibility.

For consumers, this policy change means that the cost of repairing iPhones may be reduced, and it also brings new vitality to the second-hand iPhone market. For third-party repair markets, this is undoubtedly good news, as they will be able to obtain more official parts supply. From an environmental perspective, extending the life of parts and reducing the generation of electronic waste conforms to the trend of sustainable development.

However, we should also see that Apple's policy adjustments still have limitations. Although it allows the use of second-hand parts, restrictions on third-party accessories still exist. Apple's attitude change on repair rights is more due to legal and market pressures, rather than actively embracing openness. In the future, how to find a balance between protecting intellectual property rights, maintaining user experience, and promoting market competition will still be an important issue that technology giants will face.

Overall, Apple's policy change is a step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go before the true "repair right" is achieved. In this process, consumers, third-party repairers, environmental organizations, and government regulatory agencies need to continue to push for a more open, fair, and sustainable electronic product repair ecosystem.