Over the past few years, Apple has made some progress on self-service repairability, following years of criticism over how tightly it locks down its devices. Now, a new report questions how much Apple really is complying with right-to-repair regulations.
Too expensive to be worth it
In a 404 Media post out this week, independent repair professionals say Apple’s newly available iPad parts are so expensive, that they make repairs economically unviable.
Their thesis is that Apple effectively wants to discourage users from fixing their devices, steering them toward buying new ones instead.
Back in May, Apple expanded its Self Service Repair program to include iPads for the first time. Here is an excerpt from Apple’s original announcement:
“Apple today announced the addition of iPad to Self Service Repair, providing iPad owners with access to repair manuals, genuine Apple parts, Apple Diagnostics troubleshooting sessions, tools, and rental toolkits. Beginning tomorrow, with support for iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16), the launch features components including displays, batteries, cameras, and external charging ports. Today’s announcement joins the expansion of other Apple repair services that further enable customers and independent repair providers to complete out-of-warranty repairs, including new details about the Genuine Parts Distributor program.”
The problem, according to repair professionals like Brian Clark speaking to 404 Media, is the cost:
“Clark said a digitizer for an iPad A16 is $200. That part can be bought from third-party suppliers for $50, and the iPad A16 sells brand new from Apple for $349, Clark said. The replacement screen assembly for an iPad Pro 13 costs $749 from Apple.”
The post goes on to list other examples in which self-service repair would cost about half the price of a new iPad, suggesting a pattern that, while technically compliant with repair laws in different states, in practice, all but discourages repairs altogether.
It also suggests that, with self-service repair remaining cost-prohibitive and Apple Stores not equipped to handle large volumes of complex iPad repairs, independent shops could ultimately benefit as more customers seek faster and less expensive alternatives (though that shift has yet to materialize).
Have you tried Apple’s Self Service Repair program? Let us know in the comments.
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