Forward-looking: Apple has announced an upcoming expansion of its iPhone repair program that'll allow customers and independent repair shops to utilize genuine used parts. The change, which goes into effect this fall, will help to minimize the environmental impact of a repair and should save customers a few bucks, too.
Apple told the Washington Post that initially, iPhone 15 or newer owners will be able to leverage the revised program to replace common components like displays, batteries, and cameras with used parts.
The Cupertino tech giant said genuine used Apple parts will afford the full functionality offered by original factory calibration - just like new genuine components - without compromising users' safety, security, or privacy.
In an effort to help thwart iPhone theft, Apple is also extending its Activation Lock feature to parts. With this feature in place, a repaired iPhone will be able to detect if a used part came from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled. If that is indeed the case, calibration capabilities for the replacement part will be restricted, Apple said.
When the expanded repair program rolls out this fall, Apple will also update the Parts and Service history in iOS to show whether a replaced part was new or used at the time of the repair. The Parts and Service history can be found in Settings – General – About if your phone has been repaired (otherwise, you won't see the category).
According to the Washington Post, Apple will not supply customers and repair shops with used genuine Apple parts directly, meaning it could still be tricky for DIYers to verify authenticity and legality (not from a stolen iPhone) before purchasing from a third party.
Users will still be able to order new parts directly from Apple's repair store and to make things easier, customers will no longer have to provide a device's serial number when ordering for repairs that do not involve an iPhone's logic board.
Image credit: Joel Rohland, The Registi