Apple today announced that customers and authorized repair providers will get to utilize genuine used parts for repairing “select iPhone models” sometime in the fall of this year. Apple says the new process aims to expand the availability of parts available for repair while still maintain the iPhone’s privacy, security, and safety.
Apple says used genuine parts will act in the same manner as new parts as part of a enhanced calibration process. The used parts will have the same full functionality and security as fresh parts that haven’t been used in an iPhone before. Apple says the new process will see Activation Lock used with individual parts in addition to the iPhone as a whole. The expansion of Activation Lock will deter thieves from harvesting iPhones and disassembling them for repair parts.
At Apple, we’re always looking for new ways to deliver the best possible experience for our customers while reducing the impact we have on the planet, and a key part of that means designing products that last. For the last two years, teams across Apple have been innovating on product design and manufacturing to support repairs with used Apple parts that won’t compromise users’ safety, security, or privacy. With this latest expansion to our repair program, we’re excited to be adding even more choice and convenience for our customers, while helping to extend the life of our products and their parts.
Apple SVP of Hardware Engineering John Ternus
Apple says that the calibration of used and genuine iPhone parts for repair will begin rolling out this fall, with the calibration occurring on-device following the part’s installation. Apple also states that future iPhone generations, presumably as soon as soon as the iPhone 16 lineup, will include support for reusing biometric sensors such as Face ID for repairs.
Apple has confirmed with The Washington Post that support for used parts for repairs is currently limited to the iPhone 15 lineup with parts including screens, batteries, and cameras. The functionality will also be present with future iPhone models at launch.
Apple is also making additional improvements to its Self Service Repair program as users and service providers will no longer have to provide a device’s serial number when ordering select parts for self repair. This step of not providing the device’s serial number will be limited to repairs that do not involve replacing a device’s logic board.
Apple says it’s making this decision as a single iPhone is being used for longer and often by multiple subsequent users. With this step, Apple aims to reduce the environmental impact of its devices, while ensuring that second-hand iPhone users still have access to robust support.
The expanded Activation Lock support will also deter the use of stolen or lost iPhones for harvesting repair parts. Apple says the improved calibration process can detect if a used part was taken out of a stolen or lost iPhone, and will restrict certain functionalities from those parts deemed as stolen. In addition, the Parts and Service History settings menu within iOS will also indicate whether a repair part is new or used.
Apple has come under recent fire from some regulators over the process of pairing and calibrating parts when repairing an iPhone. Regulators claim that Apple is artificially limiting the accessibility of certain parts for users and smaller repair shops. Apple is addressing some of those claims by expanding the availability of repairs by supporting used genuine parts for the first time while still detering the potential exploitation of this system with stolen iPhones.
Apple also says that its Self Service Repair program, launched in 2022, now supports over 40 different Apple products in 33 countries and 24 languages. Apple also says that there are now over 10,000 Independent Repair Providers and Apple Authorized Service Providers with access to genuine Apple parts and company-provided tools and training.
