iPhone 14 may be easier to repair, but only in official Apple Stores

After releasing new products like iPhone 14/Pro series, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE 2 and AirPods Pro 2 headphones, Apple has quietly made some changes to the AppleCare+ plan. It lengthened Apple product warranties and extended accidental damage coverage. While AppleCare+ used to offer accidental damage twice a year, those repairs are now “unlimited.” The price of AppleCare+ varies by device, and customers can choose to pay monthly or at full price. For the iPhone 14, AppleCare+ costs $9.99 per month or the full price of $199. It’s worth noting that even if you subscribe to AppleCare+, you’ll have to pay Apple for the service. That’s when your device needs repairing.

Currently, Apple has reduced the difficulty of repairing the iPhone 14 series. However, the question “Who can fix this?” has caused heated debates. Apple’s iPhone 14 series seems to have tightened restrictions on third-party repairs a bit. Despite this, it is difficult to fix it through third-party channels. A third-party repair shop claims that taking the iPhone 14 apart is pretty easy. However, it is quite difficult to get it working again after disassembling.

The focus of the new edition is the All Weather Display (AOD) of the iPhone 14 series. This is a feature that uses the phone’s two ambient light sensors (ALS) to calibrate the display brightness. To save power, the display turns off automatically at night or when the phone is in your pocket. However, if your display breaks and you replace the screen with a non-Apple authorized service center, the ALS is always off. This leaves the screen permanently black unless you can remember exactly where the slider is.

Ambient light sensors were a problem in older iPhones

The ambient light sensor was a problem on previous iPhones. In fact, even the placement of the controller is an issue. In the iPhone 12, for example, it is in a sensor curvature that tilts itself in the event of a mechanical failure. In the case of the iPhone 13, it has been moved to a new component cluster, reducing the risk of accidental damage. The iPhone 14 ALS is in a similar place, so any glitches are software-related issues.

Youtuber @Hugh Jefferys has posted a video on this topic of him swapping motherboards between two brand new iPhones (14 and 14 Pro). Although all parts are brand new and original from Apple, these phones still have many bugs and functional failures. These include but are not limited to FaceID, battery status, True Tone and auto-brightness, etc. The front camera is also not working properly. The problem persists when he trades them back again. It wasn’t fixed until he downgraded the phone to iOS16.0.

That said, Apple introduced a new “Part Pairing” restriction for the iPhone 14 series. Every part of every phone is associated with a digital ID. A unique ID is recorded on the hardware of the display. Therefore, the ID is checked every time you hang up the device. With the iPhone 14, it only works if the “own” display is active. If the original ID isn’t properly recognized, then unfortunately it’s a brick. At the same time, users will also see a series of error messages telling them to contact local Apple technical support for a replacement.

Only Apple can fix that

The only way around this is to manually approve a new pairing ID. This can only be done using in-house software/tools by an Apple authorized technician. The process, which requires a technician to connect to Apple’s private network over the Internet, is “closely controlled” by the company, the sources said. Before the iPhone 13, third-party repair shops could use custom EEPROM programmers to solve this problem. Service personnel can read the part ID code from the original display and write it to the display being replaced. Usually this is a refurbished original display, unfortunately this method is no longer available for the iPhone 14 series.

Because of this policy, repair shops other than Apple Official Stores cannot repair new iPhones. However, the cost of joining Apple’s official authorized stores is so high for some small stores that many partner companies are reconsidering whether to maintain the status quo. “As an independent repairer, the Independent Repair Program (IRP) is not profitable enough to sustain a retail business,” said one of the people who asked not to be named.

But you should know that Apple has historically resisted users repairing their devices themselves, even though Apple previously released an official self-repair kit. Apple supports anti-repair rights groups and attempts to complete all repairs within its own service process. This has led to problems such as high basic maintenance fees for some of Apple’s machines.

Apple paralyzes third-party repairs for personal gain

Critics have slammed Apple for crippling third-party repairs for its benefits. They claim Apple’s monopolistic behavior is designed to make a profit. However, Apple denies this, telling the US antitrust subcommittee that “the cost of providing repair services in 2019 exceeded the revenue generated from the repairs.” Apple hasn’t explained whether this represents the entire repair business or if these are just warranty repairs.

Thanks to a concerted effort by regulators and activists, the company was forced to relax the right to repair. In 2019, the company announced it would allow third-party repair shops to get the same tools, parts, and manuals as its ASPs. Since then, the company has expanded the program to include repairs for Macs, iPhones, and iPads. On November 17, 2021, the company announced a self-repair program that provides users with tools, parts, and manuals. However, the bottom line is that consumers have to pay far more for repairs than they should or can pay to keep their iPhone working. For example, repairing an iPhone 11 display from a third party using genuine Apple displays will cost around £140. The same repair at an Apple authorized shop will cost almost £220. This compares to £95 for display replacements carried out by third party companies.