by Dan Moren
Apple’s new Self Service Repair program is now live
The new online store offers more than 200 individual parts and tools, enabling customers who are experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices to complete repairs on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups and iPhone SE (3rd generation), such as the display, battery, and camera. Later this year the program will also include manuals, parts, and tools to perform repairs on Mac computers with Apple silicon.
I browsed through the new site1 out of curiosity, and it struck me that while the replacement parts are affordable for most people, the tools are quite expensive. A torque driver, for example, runs between $80-$100, depending on what version you need. There’s also some pretty hefty equipment, like a Heated Display Removal Fixture that’s more than $250, and is clearly aimed at mom-and-pop repair shops.
However, Apple is also offering tool kits that you can rent for seven days, that include all of the tools you need for a specific device, for a very reasonable $49. And I mean everything:
The tool kit comes in cases that, when stacked on top of each other, measure 20 inches wide and 47 inches high. One case weighs 43 pounds and the other weighs 36 pounds (a detailed list of included items is included below). The cases each have roller wheels to aid in transport.
No doubt the service manuals will be of interest to a lot of people, since they clearly lay out the kind of details that in the past have been left for firms like iFixit to deduce themselves. I doubt we’ll see manuals for new Apple products until a while after their releases, though.
All in all, most customers are probably still likely to turn to Apple or an authorized service center for repairs, but, hey, if you’ve ever wanted to order a new SIM Tray for your iPhone, you can do it now.
- Weirdly, the site for the repair program feels surprisingly un-Apple-like, down to the typography and use of stock photos. ↩