IT House May 5 news, Apple last week announced the launch of a new self-service repair program, designed to let iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone SE users use manuals, tools and replacement parts directly from Apple to repair their devices.
How does the Apple self-service repair program work and how does it compare to sending products to Apple for repair? To get the answer, MacRumors photographer Dan Babe ordered a repair kit to try replacing the iPhone 12 mini's battery himself.
Dan says he's never had an iPhone repair before, so he's the perfect representative of the average consumer.
IT House learned that Dan ordered a kit and components on the day the project went live and received it shortly after, and for most repairs, parts and Apple's repair kits were needed. The repair kit has two separate packages, and the two boxes weigh as much as 79 pounds (about 35.866 kg). A week after receiving the repair kit, it needs to be sent back via UPS, or Apple will charge $1300.
Dan says it's inconvenient to operate a 40-pound repair kit and a 30-pound repair kit. The cost of obtaining the kit is $49 (about 324.38 yuan), the cost of the iPhone 12 mini battery part is $70.99 (about 469.95 yuan), but sending the old battery to Apple can get $24.15 (about 159.87 yuan).
This means that the battery replacement of the iPhone 12 mini costs a total of $95.84 (about 634.46 yuan), and in contrast, it costs $69 (about 456.78 yuan) for Apple to replace the battery, so it is not cost-effective to do this kind of repair yourself.
It is worth mentioning that users can order parts separately instead of kits, but Apple's workshop manual guides users to use the tools in the kit, otherwise they will not have these tools on hand, such as Apple-designed battery presses.
Users can buy all the tools individually, so you can have them on hand for repairs, but Apple's components are expensive. A battery press is $115 (about 761.3 yuan), a torque drive is $99 (about 655.38 yuan), a heated display removal bag is $116 (about 767.92 yuan), and a display press is $216 (about 1429.92 yuan), according to Apple's workshop manual, these are all needed to remove the battery.
Buying repair tools is obviously not cost-effective for people who make an occasional repair, and it makes more sense to buy some individual parts for people who want to get a repair point for Apple-designed tools.
As for the actual repair process, even with Apple's instructions and tools, Dan found it difficult. The process of turning on the phone is maddening, and the kit lacks the parts required in the manual, such as forceps and heat gloves.
Dan had to go to the store to buy more supplies, and because of that, the repair work took a day. Handling the adhesive is time-consuming and almost brings self-repair work to a standstill.
Overall, it may be better for the average person to leave your phone to a professional for repair. Especially for repairs like batteries and displays, in general, it would be cheaper for Apple to replace these things.
If you feel like you're very hands-on and need to repair your camera, Taptic Engine, or speakers, you might save some money, but be sure to study the manual.