In the smartphone industry, Apple is not only the ultimate goal of other mobile phone manufacturers, but also the benchmark of behavior of the entire industry. Especially in the warranty service, in addition to the convenient and worry-free AppleCare + service plan, Apple's attitude towards unexpected product repair is also very relaxed, if it is not a man-made damage problem, it will basically be repaired for free or directly replaced.
Interestingly, unlike accidental repairs, Apple's maintenance policy for man-made damage has always been stricter. In addition to not allowing repair shops to use third-party accessories to participate in the warranty, Apple will also restrict third-party authorized repair shops from repairing products through software functions, hardware identification, etc., which also makes some consumers have to go to the Apple Store or third-party authorized repair shops for higher-priced official repairs.
However, this has changed recently. On April 27, Apple officially announced the official launch of self-service maintenance services in the United States, users can get the official maintenance guide, original tools, required spare parts and materials through the Apple self-service repair page, these things and genius bar and licensors can get exactly the same, users can view, buy or rent, and then do their own damaged equipment.
For industry insiders / manual enthusiasts who have original maintenance experience, Apple's move this time is undoubtedly a huge breakthrough in the history of iPhone maintenance, Apple finally opened up the right to self-service maintenance of some products, so that some users with strong hands-on ability can deal with mobile phone problems by themselves. So, who is suitable for fixing their own mobile phones? Compared with after-sales, will it be cheaper to fix the iPhone yourself? Take this opportunity, Lei Technology for you to conduct a wave of analysis, but also listen to Xiao Lei to tell you.
Can I fix my iPhone myself?
Before we begin, we can go through the Apple Self-Repair website (
https://www.selfservicerepair.com/) Find the repair manual for the product you want to repair. At present, the official dismantling and maintenance manual of the first batch of self-service maintenance equipment has been launched, and users can consult or download for free to intuitively grasp the problems that may occur in the current mobile phone.
According to XiaoLei, the workshop manual provided by Apple explains in detail how to judge the phone abnormality, the repair process, details, steps required, and what to do when there is a problem, and provides users with a catalog of replacement parts and guidelines for purchasing parts. Even if users do not have the need for self-service repair, it is a series of interesting tool books. Unfortunately, these documents are only available in English for the time being, and users need to have a certain language foundation to consult.
Once the problem is basically determined, we can start placing orders. First, we have to choose a device. At present, Apple self-service maintenance only supports iPhone devices, and is the latest iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series and iPhone SE 3, such as iPhone 11 series, iPhone SE 2 and past products do not support this function for the time being, Apple said that it is expected to support Mac products with M1 processors before the end of the year.
Secondly, we need to choose the project we want to repair, the current optional maintenance items include batteries, bottom speakers, cameras, screens, SIM cards, vibration motors, such as motherboards, middle frames, back covers and other more common maintenance problems can not be self-service maintenance for the time being.
When you choose the products and items to be repaired by yourself, the maintenance tools provided by Apple will be listed at the bottom of the page, you can choose to buy a whole set of parts and tools, you can also buy parts or tools separately, and the rest of the parts can be obtained by yourself, and the choice is quite flexible.
After selecting parts and tools, Apple will ask you to enter the IMEI serial number of the device to check that the tool and part you choose are indeed in line with the product you have, and will ask you to enter a set of check codes recorded in the service instruction manual. This practice ensures that users check the purchase of the product and understand the repair process before repairing, and then decide whether to repair it themselves.
Yes, Apple's previous repeated defense of "security" has become the first focus after the launch of this self-service. Apple said it would not verify the applicant's technical knowledge or set up a customer service phone number for consumers to seek help in the event of an error, and that users who requested self-service must confirm the terms and conditions of the agreement, including the possibility of the product warranty lapsing due to damage during the self-service repair process.
Even so, from the perspective of foreign social media, most consumers are still relatively satisfied with the launch of Apple's self-service repair service. Nathan Proctor, head of maintenance rights activities at the U.S. public interest research group, said that although the service regulations still need to be improved, they are still happy to see Apple launch a self-service repair program, taking the first step to easing maintenance permissions
It's far less simple than you think
I have to say that Apple's wave of operations, both tools and operating instructions, and even official channels for purchasing replacement parts, are simply not too excited for digital enthusiasts. Even Xiao Lei himself, when he saw the maintenance guide with details specific to the second, there would be a hint of impulse in his heart, and he had even begun to fantasize about collecting some old iPhones to start repairing mobile phones.
However, after research, Xiao Lei found that the feasibility of this operation is actually not high.
The first is the price issue, taking the iPhone 12's repair guide as an example. To make a screen repair for the iPhone 12, we first have to choose to buy the iPhone 12 screen set ($269) or the iPhone 12 screen ($267), and as a comparison, the price of having Apple replace the iPhone 12 outside the warranty period is $279. In other words, the price of self-service screen replacement is not much cheaper.
Secondly, it's just material money. If you want to replace the screen, you also need to use a lot of repair tools, such as the "heated display removal device", which is a machine that removes the screen by heating, which costs $256.35, or about 1695 yuan. At present, there are 17 kinds of tools sold by self-service maintenance authorized stores, and the total price after all selections is 1054.51 US dollars, which is about 6927 yuan.
You think that's the end of it? In Apple's official maintenance guide, in order to complete the maintenance of the screen, users also need to prepare a large number of consumables, to know that almost every component maintenance must use fireproof sand, screen adhesive and screws. If you really want to carry out self-service repairs, whether it is a hobby or a profession, the hoarding of these consumables is essential.
Of course, Apple also has these issues in mind, which is why they launched a $49/week repair tool rental kit. The problem is that even if these instruments are acquired through the way of rent, the price of Apple's original accessories is still not cheap, and the user also bears the responsibility for the damage, which is somewhat more than worth the loss.
In addition, it is worth noting that Apple's self-service service is currently only available in the United States, and this service was born because the Federal Council opposed Apple's restriction on maintenance policies. Considering the difficulty of repairing the iPhone on its own, coupled with the two-month delivery time and the shipping costs generated during this period, it really makes people feel powerless to "I'm not looking for something to do".
To sum up, Apple's self-service maintenance plan can indeed benefit some professional users, which is equivalent to Apple providing users with more choices of maintenance channels, and is also conducive to reducing the maintenance hardware and time costs of the product. For some users, they can finally find a reliable and convenient way to extend the life of their devices. Guided by the official repair guide, these professional users can better complete the repair of the equipment.
From the perspective of the market, the original Apple's third-party maintenance market is very chaotic, and various prices of flat replacement accessories, original parts, and original accessories abound, so that ordinary consumers do not know how to choose. After Apple officially provides accessory prices and maintenance manuals as guidance, the third-party maintenance market price system will no longer be as vague as before, which is conducive to improving the transparency of the third-party maintenance market.
In addition, the official launch of Apple's self-service repair program should attract other manufacturers and brands to follow up and launch similar services. According to foreign media MacRumors, at present, Samsung and Google have announced that they will cooperate with the well-known maintenance community iFixit to start providing users with smartphone self-service maintenance services in some areas, which is obviously a good thing for consumers.
Finally, for the average user, it is best not to choose apple self-service repair program because of a whim. Looking at the 92-page maintenance catalog and complex maintenance equipment, the ordinary people's mobile phone repair dream will only be shattered by the ruthless reality, it is better to honestly pay that little more labor fee, go to Apple's official after-sales point to change the screen.