Apple today announced a new repair program, offering customers additional options for the most common out-of-warranty iPhone repairs. Apple will provide more independent repair businesses — large or small — with the same genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals and diagnostics as its Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs). The program is launching in the US with plans to expand to other countries.
“To better meet our customers’ needs, we’re making it easier for independent providers across the US to tap into the same resources as our Apple Authorized Service Provider network,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “When a repair is needed, a customer should have confidence the repair is done right. We believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested.”
The new independent repair provider program complements Apple’s continued investment in its growing global network of over 5,000 AASPs that lead the industry for customer satisfaction and help millions of people with both in- and out-of-warranty service for all Apple products.
There is no cost to join Apple’s independent repair program. To qualify for the new program, businesses need to have an Apple-certified technician who can perform the repairs. The process for certification is simple and free of charge. To learn more and apply, visit support.apple.com/irp-program. Qualifying repair businesses will receive Apple-genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals and diagnostics at the same cost as AASPs.
Over the past year, Apple has launched a successful pilot with 20 independent repair businesses in North America, Europe and Asia who are currently offering genuine parts for repairs. Today’s announcement follows Apple’s recent major expansion of its authorized service network into every Best Buy store in the US, tripling the number of US AASP locations compared to three years ago.
Source: Apple Inc.
MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully this will stamp out shady unofficial repair shops, many of whom, frankly, don’t know what they’re doing and are using batteries from only God knows where and handing their customers mini time bombs. This will also curb “Right to Repair” which also seems to want to allow for the creation of mini time bombs by just about anybody.
Right to repair is still needed.
Apple shouldn’t be able to dictate who can or cannot repair devices like out-of-warranty computers.
Apple charging hundreds of dollars for a simple display cable is a perfect example of why
The water sensors turning red because of high humidity and forcing customers to pay for unneeded repairs is also a huge problem.
Yep, and they should be made with that intent in mind. Apple is only attempting to gouge customers through every and any process
What it means is now it will be easy to steal a iPhone and get it repaired.
Hopefully Apple will provide a web page for these “Authorized” repair depots.
Q: Will IRP providers be listed on the Apple Service Locator?
A: No, IRP providers will not be listed.