Apple has announced the extension of its self-service repair program to Europe, including the UK.
The self-service repair program is only available in the United States at this time (as of April 2022) and allows Apple Mac and iPhone owners to order the parts needed to repair their own device (plus instructions and tools necessary to complete the job). ) .
As reported by The Guardian (opens in a new tab), Apple already offers this program in the following European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
However, it cannot repair any device, and only certain iPhone and Mac models (contemporary devices as of 2020) are eligible for automatic repair work.
This includes the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 (and iPhone SE 3) models, as well as the MacBook Air M1 (2020), MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020), and MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch (2021). .
Analysis: DIY Mac or iPhone repairs are definitely not for everyone
Although this is a limited selection of devices open to the program, it is the same as in the US, so EU citizens get the exact same offer, only they had to wait longer to take advantage of it.
The program also includes other useful touches, such as the ability to rent a toolbox to carry out a repair, instead of buying the tools (some of which are expensive). And it's obviously nice to see this capability spread beyond state lines (although it was promised to hit other places by the end of 2022, so Apple has pretty much cut it for delivery in this regard).
It's also worth noting that fixing your own Mac or iPhone is not a matter to be taken lightly. Although full instructions are included with the parts and tools mentioned, only those who are comfortable with, say, building their own PC from scratch (at the very least) should even think about opening up a MacBook to start tinkering with the innards. For slightly less savvy owners, this could be a dangerous path that leads to making things worse, not better.
For most people, realistically, automatic repair is not the best option, and they should use normal channels to fix Mac or iPhone problems (ask Apple to do it or an authorized service provider for repairs ).
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