Apple to Allow Used Parts for Repairs, Starting With iPhone 15 Lineup

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced that customers and independent repair shops will be able to utilize used genuine Apple parts in repairs starting later this year.

Apple told The Washington Post that the new policy will initially apply to parts for iPhone 15 models and newer, including screens, batteries, and cameras. Apple's press release said the policy will eventually extend to used biometric sensors for Face ID and Touch ID. Apple's existing parts "pairing" process will confirm whether or not a used part is genuine.

In the fall, Apple says calibration for both new and used genuine Apple parts will happen on device after the part is installed. If an iPhone has been repaired, a "Parts and Service History" section appears in the Settings app under General → About, and Apple says it will be expanding this section to show whether a genuine part is new or used.

Apple also announced that customers and service providers will no longer need to provide a device's serial number when ordering parts from its self-service repair store for repairs not involving replacement of the logic board.

To deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts, Apple said it will be extending its Activation Lock security feature to iPhone parts:

Apple will also extend its popular Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts in order to deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts. Requested by customers and law enforcement officials, the feature was designed to limit iPhone theft by blocking a lost or stolen iPhone from being reactivated. If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted.

Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus said the new policy will be more environmentally friendly by extending the lifespan of parts:

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 said the policy will apply to future iPhone models.


Article Link: Apple to Allow Used Parts for Repairs, Starting With iPhone 15 Lineup

 

[JonnyMacx86]

I love Activation Lock on paper, but in practice it seems like would-be thieves haven't gotten the memo yet.

 

[madmin]

To deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts, Apple will be extending Activation Lock to parts: More details to follow…

More details to follow ? Like when the other parts of the article have been verified as legit ? 😂

 

[randyhudson]

To make sure an owner with two broken iPhones can't possibly create a working one...

FTFY

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

I love Activation Lock on paper, but in practice it seems like would-be thieves haven't gotten the memo yet.

In practice, do you see a lot of iPhone thefts? I'm sure it happens, but anecdotally it seems like it is way down since activation lock was implemented. Looking on eBay, locked phones are nearly worthless compared to clean phones, and extending it to all the serialized parts in a phone will take that value to the friggin' basement.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

To make sure an owner with two broken iPhone can't end up with a working iPhone...

FTFY

If you own both phones, then why would activation lock have any impact on you?

 

[TokyoKiller]

If you own both phones, then why would activation lock have any impact on you?

Just rage farming.

 

[usbwire]

Wonder what's the process regarding if the parts used are new or used? If my iPhone would get repaired by Apple or another apple approved repair place in the Fall, would I get new parts? How/would we even be told if the parts selected to be replaced were used? I imagine older devices with more limited parts?

Purely speculation. I imagine this is for a small segment/use case and most parts will be new, especially if you directly go to the Apple Store.

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

So activation lock tied to a particular phone is how apple will track serialized parts were in that phone (because they know) and if that part shows up in another phone without being unlocked first, the receiving phone will not allow it to work.

This is going to lock out a lot of parts, but squashing the ability to reuse parts squashes demand. But there's always a workaround and the thieves don't care.

 

[Joe The Dragon]

I love Activation Lock on paper, but in practice it seems like would-be thieves haven't gotten the memo yet.

so non apple parts not allowed?
will battery's be locked as well?

 

[NufSaid]

This why those who cry about the right to repair might be getting something they don't want. I mostly am careless leaving my phone on the table at restaurants when I get up and get something. The phone is useless as a phone but would get very valuable if it could be used for parts.

These "we want to repair our phones" people are an ultra minority squeaky wheel that is getting too much grease.

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

If you own both phones, then why would activation lock have any impact on you?

Because the parts are still LOCKED. Apple's not going through the trouble of determining WHO owns the lock.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

This why those who cry about the right to repair might be getting something they don't want. I mostly am careless leaving my phone on the table at restaurants when I get up and get something. The phone is useless as a phone but would get very valuable if it could be used for parts.

These "we want to repair our phones" people are an ultra minority squeaky wheel that is getting too much grease.

It will force people to come clean about whether they truly want to repair their own phones, or if they just want to be able to buy stolen parts dirt cheap to repair their own phones. Because nothing about this (if true), would prevent someone from buying legit used parts.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

Because the parts are still LOCKED. Apple's not going through the trouble of determining WHO owns the lock.

Uh, then unlock them? If you own the broken phone, you can remove the activation lock. If you buy a broken phone, then the seller should remove the lock. If you buy a stolen phone, then yeah, you're going to have a problem.

 

[IIGS User]

So activation lock tied to a particular phone is how apple will track serialized parts were in that phone (because they know) and if that part shows up in another phone without being unlocked first, the receiving phone will not allow it to work.

This is going to lock out a lot of parts, but squashing the ability to reuse parts squashes demand. But there's always a workaround and the thieves don't care.

There's always a work around for any sort of theft or dishonesty. There's an old saying "locks are for honest people". No security measure is absolute. Things like safes and strong boxes are just a way to deter theft and buy time. The longer it takes to break into a safe, the more time a thief has to invest in it. This means a greater chance of getting caught, or easier ways to make an ill-gotten profit from easier targets. Same ting with phone parts.

When the crime becomes more work than it's worth, criminals move on to other scams. So everything that is done to make it that much harder to utilize stolen phones for parts make it that much less likely they will be stolen. Thieves will move on.

Criminals are usually looking for the path of least resistance.

 

[vegetassj4]

"in order to deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts. "

I got them Apple parts.....get your Apple parts here

 

[Damian83]

Making iphones stolen or maybe simply lost, unusable, will be more environmentally friendly 😂
Truth is icloud block is only apple's another greedy way to make money, masked by the best antitheft system ever.
A thief will get a sitting phone on a table regardless if its an cheap android or an iphone 15. It's an occasion to get it so he will get it! What then? He will sell it anyway, even for few bucks. BUT when it will realize that its worth 0, he will throw it. No money for thief, no phone for the victim, who will buy another one. One iphone stolen = one more iphone sold by apple. Yeahthe victim may have the satisfaction that damn thief doesnt earned a buck, however another big thief earned a lot more...
Another example not involving thiefs. My friend works in a big company, where workers are given phones, some iphones some androids. When they stops working there, they obviously return those phones. Well, no one checks the state of those phones and most of them are given back locked. While u can unlock androids, iphones are unusable. My friend sent my once a photo of a box full of locked iphones... Again apple earns, my friend's company loses...

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I really like this. It lets people reuse iPhone parts, while keeping the best parts of the activation lock. Honestly, it seems like a win-win for everyone involved.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

Making iphones stolen or maybe simply lost, unusable, will be more environmentally friendly 😂
Truth is icloud block is only apple's another greedy way to make money, masked by the best antitheft system ever.
A thief will get a sitting phone on a table regardless if its an cheap android or an iphone 15. It's an occasion to get it so he will get it! What then? He will sell it anyway, even for few bucks. BUT when it will realize that its worth 0, he will throw it. No money for thief, no phone for the victim, who will buy another one. One iphone stolen = one more iphone sold by apple. Yeahthe victim may have the satisfaction that damn thief doesnt earned a buck, however another big thief earned a lot more...
Another example not involving thiefs. My friend works in a big company, where workers are given phones, some iphones some androids. When they stops working there, they obviously return those phones. Well, no one checks the state of those phones and most of them are given back locked. While u can unlock androids, iphones are unusable. My friend sent my once a photo of a box full of locked iphones... Again apple earns, my friend's company loses...

That's a process problem. Not a tech problem. Just poor asset management and poor policies; there are plenty of solutions to your friend's problem, they just require planning.

 

[oneMadRssn]

In practice, do you see a lot of iPhone thefts? I'm sure it happens, but anecdotally it seems like it is way down since activation lock was implemented. Looking on eBay, locked phones are nearly worthless compared to clean phones, and extending it to all the serialized parts in a phone will take that value to the friggin' basement.

I think the theft deterrence features are great.

There is still some petty theft of iPhones.

First, crackheads don't care about activation lock. They're just looking to get a quick $20. And the folks that buy stolen phones from crackheads are willing to take the risk on activation lock for such a low price. As long as 1 out of every 20 or so phones aren't locked or have an easily-guessable passcode before the owner locks them, it justifies losing $20 on the other 19.

Second, as you alluded, there is a market for second-hand iPhone parts. So even if the logic board is toast, the parts still have value. This is why I think Apple's change here will be awesome - if the screen and battery are locked too, then there is pretty much 0 value to a locked stolen iPhone.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Because the parts are still LOCKED. Apple's not going through the trouble of determining WHO owns the lock.

In the case the other commenter used the parts would be locked to your devices. You can unlock the device [1]. Any parts you pull from one phone to fix the other phone will be unlocked.

1. If you can't unlock because you don't have access to your iCloud account, get access to your iCloud account. If you can't unlock because you have no proof of purchase, it's a lesson hopefully learned isn't it?

 

[diego.caraballo]

Activation lock applied to parts will infuriate independent service providers.
Apple is explaining it as something good but in reality is another blow to independent shops.

Most of these shops purchase used iPhone in bulk, most come from customer returns or exchanges (like when you sent your used device to T Mobile). Most of them are activation locked.

Thousands of usable iPhones trashed by one Colorado firm because well-meaning donors forgot to turn off “Find my iPhone”

Millions of smartphone are collected by recyclers to be repaired, refurbished and reused. But a growing number of iPhones in good condition are getting dumped and not reused because they still have their activation locks on.

coloradosun.com

Now, the will have another less source for parts.

 

[JonnyMacx86]

In practice, do you see a lot of iPhone thefts? I'm sure it happens, but anecdotally it seems like it is way down since activation lock was implemented. Looking on eBay, locked phones are nearly worthless compared to clean phones, and extending it to all the serialized parts in a phone will take that value to the friggin' basement.

Yeah, I never suggested it didn't help at all, but it still happens regularly if places like Facebook marketplace and Reddit are to be believed. Do you suppose most people stealing locked phones realize they're worthless and are going to try to rip off a buyer, too, or are they truly unaware?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Another positive step for those that genuinely want to repair their own devices, still will be rejected by those that want to source substandard parts and palm them off as genuine to an unsuspecting public.

 

[EmotionalSnow]

My friend sent my once a photo of a box full of locked iphones... Again apple earns, my friend's company loses...

If your friend has never heard of MDM then maybe he should be fired for incompetence. It's not Apple who is causing the loss but the poor asset management and policies, as another user said.