46 MACWORLD JANUARY 2022
iOSCENTRAL CHANGE (APPLE) = FORCE X ACCELERATIONApple will make replacement parts available to those who want to repair their own iPhone.
co/31CAomt) that it would make
replacement parts, manuals, and tools
available to consumers who want to
repair their own smartphones. The
program begins with certain commonly
fixed iPhone 12 and 13 components like
the screen, battery, and camera, but will
expand over time to include more
components and devices, including
M1-powered Macs.
As an attentive tech journalist pointed
out (fave.co/3dkXhxn), this timing wasn’t
random, nor was the decision born, once
again, of Apple’s altruism. Rather, it was
likely prompted by the Securities and
Exchange Commission following up on a
shareholder resolution that pushed Apple
to investigate the impacts of “right to
repair” rules. It’s possible that Apple saw
the writing on the wall and decided to get
ahead of the game by announcing this
Self-Service Repair option.
Ultimately, though, I’d argue that the
result is more important than the motive.
Regardless of how Apple decided to make
the change, the company did make it and,
as with the App Store and the new
MacBook Pro, this move will probably
benefit consumers (and, thus in the long
run, Apple itself). Even if the company
does prefer to do things its own way, it’s
clear that external forces can pressure
Apple into new behaviors—and that means
there’s always hope for change. ■