Apple today announced a press release announced a new program that will benefit independent repair shops. They will have access to original parts, tools, instructions and much more.
Specifically, the "Independent Repair Provider Program" is about Apple granting independent workshops permission to repair iPhone devices outside of the warranty period. Cupertino wants to support this by providing original parts, repair manuals, diagnostic tools and more. The program therefore enables independent workshops to offer a service outside of the warranty period for iPhones - such as display and battery replacement. In the course of the announcement, Apple has issued a Category provided on their own website. All information can be viewed there and applications can be submitted.
It is not quite that simple
To qualify, these repair shops must be a registered company and submit valid documents to Apple for verification. In addition, these shops must have at least one Apple-certified technician who can then carry out such repairs on iPhone devices outside of the warranty period. Apple emphasizes that there is no cost to participate in this project and underlines that meeting the requirements is no guarantee of acceptance into the new program. Apple COO Jeff Williams commented on this as follows:
"To better meet the needs of our customers, we are making it easier for independent providers in the U.S. to access the same resources as our Apple Authorized Service Provider network. When a repair is needed, a customer should have confidence that the repair will be done right. We believe the safest and most reliable repair is a repair performed by a trained technician using genuine parts that are properly engineered and rigorously tested."
In recent years, there have been repeated disputes between Apple and the "right to repair" supporters. Although the new program only applies outside of the warranty period, it is a step in the right direction. Once the program has started in the USA, Apple will expand it to other countries. Prime Video | Watch movies & series now on Amazon
