Tech View: Apple decision could open ‘right to repair’ floodgates

Last week Apple surprisingly announced that it will facilitate “do it yourself” repairs for Mac computers and iPhones. Consumers and independent tech shops will soon be able to order genuine replacement parts and manuals.

Hailed as a great step forward for folks of the “right to repair” movement, this announcement comes as a relief for anyone who’s ever had to fix their own Mac or iPhone and goes a long way toward improving Apple’s reputation for overcharging for everything.

The lead-up to this announcement is quite curious. For years, independent tech shops figured out how to make simple, albeit unauthorized repairs to Apple devices, such as a cracked iPhone screen. These shops typically charge well less than $100 for such a repair. Everyone was happy.

But with the iPhone 13, Apple sneakily added a chip to the screen, necessitating a certified replacement, which typically costs close to $300. Of course, this did not go over well. Apple back­pedaled and announced that this “feature” was actually a bug and would be fixed, although as of this writing the fix is still not available.

Many folks believe this experience was the final straw in pushing Apple to relax its repair policies. After all, this example clearly illustrates several points that right-to-repair advocates are trying to make. Restrictive repair policies significantly raise costs for consumers and close off business opportunity for independent repair shops, among other issues. Right-to-repair advocates also claim that such practices increase e-waste. After all, if it’s going to cost $300 to fix an iPhone, many folks would consider buying a new phone rather than fix the old one, throwing the old one into the trash.

What about authorized Apple service providers? After all, these firms invest quite a bit in obtaining certifications and training their staff. Is this announcement fair to them? The fact of the matter is that DIY repairs are not for everyone. Even the most capable tinkerers are simply not able to perform complex repairs. And for gear that’s still under warranty, an authorized serv­ice provider gets paid by Apple to perform repairs. So the overall impact on an authorized service provider should not be severe.

The right-to-repair movement involves more than Apple. Many tech firms have been accused of employing similar methods, and other industries also have been affected. Most notably, tractor manufacturer John Deere has found itself in the crosshairs of the right-to-repair movement.

Earlier this year President Joe Biden issued an executive order that includes a provision directing the Federal Trade Commission to issue rules preventing manufacturers from imposing restrictions on independent device repair shops and DIY repairs. Many states are considering legislation in favor of right-to- repair. Locally, right-to- repair bills died in committee in the most recent legislative session. Since this is a tech column and not a political column, we’ll leave it at that.

John Agsalud is an IT expert with more than 25 years of information technology experience in Hawaii and around the world. He can be reached at jagsalud@live.com.