Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Apple changes its tune on the right to repair movement | TechCrunch Minute”.
For years, Apple has opposed the right to repair movement, limiting what you can actually do to fix your busted iPhone, but now the company is opening the market to used iPhone parts. So what happened in short years of advocacy and escalating adoption of right to repair legislation? Finally, put enough pressure on Apple to unlock repair parts and make refurbishing possible. Thank God. Iphone owners have long had limited options when it came to repairing their phones.
If you wanted to use aftermarket parts, for example, you might run into pairing issues which can cause the iPhone in question to either slow down or break entirely. That left apple as the main solution for all busted iPhone issues, which is convenient right now Advocates have long claimed that the parts pairing issue was unjust and that anyone should be able to fix their iPhones without having to rely solely on the manufacturer for spares. According to Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware engineering, the company has not been blocking the use of thirdparty Parts. They they just build things that won’t work with non-apple parts, but the company’s opposition to right to repair legislation has been less nuanced, as the company has frequently opposed bills and proposals citing everything from security concerns to environmental risks and even constitutional law and Interstate Commerce. As recently as 2022, that’s why this week’s announcement from Apple is such a big deal starting this fall users can repair or replace Parts like batteries displays and cameras, though, at first only the iPhone 15 line will be supported and face. Id fixes won’t be included for security reasons. The benefits here for consumers are pretty clear, iPhones can last longer and consumers can save money on expensive repairs or outright Replacements, and if iPhones are lasting longer and have use after they’ve been disposed of. Perhaps the amount of E-Waste created by yearly iPhone buying cycle is reduced as the momentum behind right to repair escalated, Apple wrote an open letter in support of legislation in California last year, and the latest news comes just weeks. After similar legislation became law in Oregon.
Now an apple spokesperson back in March said – and I quote, we support the latest repair laws in California and New York because they increase consumer access to repair while keeping in place critical consumer protections. All of that, for those who have been following this back and forth closely is a significant turn from Apple’s, longstanding stance, and I, as someone whose iPhone battery capacity falls off a cliff after two years, am all for anything that lets me eat easily. Take it to a shop and help a local business while extending the iPhone’s lifespan I’ll see you next week. .