Apple Now Fine with Independent Shops Repairing iPhones

The Right to Repair movement has had its sights set on smartphones, specifically those from Apple, for some time now. In the case of Apple, the company only allowed Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) to repair their iPhones. To date, only Apple chose who could become an AASP, which meant Apple controlled the market on who could repair their products, and for how much. In fact, Apple has previously fought the California right-to-repair bill that would force manufacturers to provide repair info on products.

That all changes after a recent press release from Apple announced a surprising new program that will allow any business to receive the training to become an AASP. The new independent repair provider program will allow organizations large or small to receive training, become certified, and receive the same genuine parts, tools, repair manuals and diagnostics that are available to AASPs today.

There is no cost to join Apple’s independent repair program – and even the process for certification as an AASP is free of charge. The caveat is that the organization must have a certified AASP in order to join the independent repair program. Apple has launched a successful pilot program with 20 independent repair businesses across the globe, and the recent announcement expands the program to the United States with plans to expand globally moving forward.

This is huge news for organizations that utilize Apple products – iPhones, iPads and Macbooks specifically. In the past the secretive nature of Apple’s repairs meant that prices could be set at whatever price Apple was comfortable with. If you were to go to an independent contractor, the warrantee on the product was void – if the independent source messed up then that device became worthless.

This program expands the amount of AASPs exponentially. It will create an actual market for Apple product repairs, which will allow for supply and demand to normalize the price to something fair and reasonable. Organizations are no longer beholden to Apple for the lifetime of the product after purchasing Apple products – and they can rest easy knowing independent AASPs have been properly trained and received the proper equipment to fix Apple devices.