First announced about a year ago and since August of this year initially only available in the USA, Apple's self-service repairs are now also starting in Europe. This gives users from Germany, among others, access to original parts and tools from Apple, and the associated manuals explain repairs and installation.
Apple is expanding self-service repair from the US to Belgium, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Poland, Sweden and Spain. Residents of these countries can also access the manufacturer's official self-service repair store and order or rent original parts and tools for various iPhone and Mac models there and thus carry out their own repairs to smartphones and notebooks. Going to Apple itself, a certified partner or an independent repair service provider is therefore no longer absolutely necessary if users trust themselves to do the work.
iPhone 12/13 and Mac with Apple Silicon
For iPhone, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 families as well as the 3rd generation iPhone SE will be covered at the start of the program. With the Mac, the focus will initially be on models with Apple silicon, including the MacBook Air with M1 from 2020, the MacBook 13" with M1 from the same year and the MacBook Pro 14" and 16″ from 2021. As Apple explains, the store offers more than 200 parts and tools as well as repair instructions. The repair manuals for iPhone and Mac can be found in PDF format in a dedicated section of the store that links to Apple's support section, which also has manuals for other Apple devices, but explicitly repair manuals for the aforementioned products only are.
The company says its self-service repairs are aimed at tech-savvy customers who have experience repairing electronic devices and can carry out their own repairs using the same instructions, parts, and tools found in Apple Stores and Apple Stores at Apple Authorized Service Providers. Customers should receive the replacement parts at the same prices as they are made available to Apple's network of authorized repair providers. Defective parts can be sent back to the company for repairs, where they are recycled and “in many cases” lead to a credit for the next purchase.
Tools are also available to borrow
Using the iPhone 12 as an example, Apple makes replacement parts available for areas such as the battery, bottom speaker, camera, display, SIM tray, and Taptic Engine. A whole battery bundle can be purchased for 77.09 euros, alternatively there is only the battery and screws for 74.99 euros, only the display adhesive tape for 1.90 euros, only the two security screws for 0.19 euros or one universal screw kit for 3.63 euros. The tool can also be ordered individually, but for many users the tool kit for 59.95 euros rental costs should make more sense for a one-off repair. This also includes expensive tools such as the battery press, the display press and the heated display removal jig.
The iPhone tool kit comes in cases, which are 20 inches wide and 47 inches high when stacked on top of each other. One suitcase weighs about 20 kg and the other 16 kg. The suitcases are equipped with wheels to facilitate transport. The tool kits, which can be rented for a week, are shipped free of charge.