Why repair professionals have a bone to pick with Apple

iFixit repairers regularly test how well new laptops, smartphones or headphones can be repaired. The easier this is, the better your rating will be. So far, only the Fairphone is completely convincing in this regard, as it is the only device that achieves the maximum number of points. Apple devices, on the other hand, received poor repair marks for years. They are packed with glue and special screws make repairs difficult.

But last year, the iPhone 14 seemed to bring a long-awaited change for the better. It has been redesigned by Apple to make it easier to repair; This makes the back easier to open. It quickly received a respectable 7 out of a maximum of 10 points from iFixit, giving it a “recommended” rating. Watson also praised Apple for its perceived progress. But now iFixit has subsequently lowered the rating to 4 points (“not recommended”).

Apple delays repairs

The repair gurus’ justification for this particular move: Apple is destroying the more repair-friendly design of the cell phone with software locks. The American company continues to deliberately make replacing defective parts more difficult, which is becoming a (threatening) problem for independent repair shops. They often use spare parts from devices that are beyond repair. Apple itself severely limits the reuse of such original parts with software locks.

In real life, this means that repair shops have to buy expensive replacement parts from Apple and then have the repair verified through a chat system that requires personal information from the customer.

iFixit is bothered by the fact that Apple requires software pairing of the replacement parts for full functionality, even with original parts. The spare parts purchased from Apple are linked to the iPhone and activated via Apple’s server. If you don’t do this, some functions will be lost and annoying messages will appear on the device, even though the replaced part would work properly.

Ultimately, this severely limits the reuse of original parts from broken devices, “which has been a cornerstone of independent repair,” iFixit writes.

As a result, iFixit was forced to subsequently lower the rating. The repairers ruefully admit that they were too euphoric about the iPhone 14’s easier-to-repair design. Their old rating criteria simply didn’t take into account “the fact that you can install a genuine Apple replacement part in a device that’s actually designed to be repaired (like the iPhone 14) – but then it doesn’t work.”

The lowered rating “takes into account the obstacles individuals or independent repair shops face when trying to repair an iPhone 14,” iFixit writes.

Apple has actually taken a big step towards repairability with the iPhone 14, but it is “problematic how much control Apple has over the entire repair process and how much money you have to spend to fix your own stuff.”

It’s understandable that Apple wants everything to be fair when it comes to repairs, “but this shouldn’t come at the expense of property rights and the environment,” iFixit writes. The repair pros also point out what could happen if Apple stops offering unlock replacement parts for an older model in a few years.

After all, it is a step in the right direction that Apple has started selling spare parts to private individuals. The biggest threat to repairs is no longer stubborn glue or proprietary screws, but invisible software barriers.

These software brakes are most likely also activated on the iPhone 15. Independent repairers can only help to a limited extent if the smartphone can be disassembled relatively easily.