Milano, Italy – October 7, 2023: close up on brand new Apple iPhone 15 Pro in a studio environment.
Prospective iPhone 16 buyers will eagerly watch out for announcements on new camera technology, a faster processor and bigger batteries when Apple unveils its latest handsets next week. However, one change that we know is coming is also one of the most important: Apple’s policy on parts pairing.
The company announced earlier this year that it will reverse its parts pairing policy, which prevents genuine Apple parts from being reused in new devices. As it stands, it’s not possible to take a genuine iPhone 15 battery from one handset and place it into another iPhone 15 without losing some features, because the part hasn’t been authenticated by Apple.
The company had come under major criticism for this from the repair industry because it meant higher costs for consumers, repairers and the fact that the practise is bad for the environment.
Repair specialists I spoke with routinely found examples of Apple disabling features—across MacBook’s, iPads and iPhones—after a genuine part had been reused. Restrictive repair rules can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a smartphone during ownership.
A warning message pops up with an uncalibrated, but genuine, part is used in an iPhone.
But Apple has partially reversed its position on parts pairing, starting with “select” iPhone models “this fall.” Promising that it won’t disable features, such as True Tone, or remove battery health stats if a part is swapped out. If you’re wondering why the company did a U-turn on parts pairing, pressure from lawmakers passing new right to Repair legislation probably played a role.
With the Apple event happening on September 9th, that is when we will likely see the details of the company’s parts pairing plans and hopefully have some pressing questions answered.
The most important being which phones will be included in the new scheme. The Washington Post said it will apply to the iPhone 15 and “newer” models (the iPhone 16). But what does that mean for iPhone 14 owners and below? Will they still be subject to having features, such as True Tone, disabled if a repair is completed without Apple’s authorization?
If so, that creates two tiers of repairs. Easier and cheaper fixes for iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, but complicated and expensive fixes for other iPhone owners. It’s a powerful motivator to upgrade, but I can see the disparity causing discontent among Apple fans. Some clarity is essential here.
Also, what about other devices? Apple only mentioned iPhones in its statement but we know that MacBook’s and iPads have paired parts. Considering the wording of its May announcement, specifically saying this new policy is about making repairs simpler and more affordable, I would be interested in hearing the justification for keeping parts pairing in some devices but removing it for others.
Whatever Apple decides to announce about parts pairing, it will have a big impact on its current device line-up, repair shops and customers’ wallets. It’s the one announcement consumers should be paying close attention to.