Opinion: hardly anyone is going to repair their iPhone themselves
Apple surprised friend and foe this week with the announcement of its ‘Self Service Repair Program’. We will soon be able to repair our iPhone or Mac ourselves. With this, the company scores points with critics, but who is going to tinker with their expensive smartphone themselves?
Read on after the ad.
Who wants to fix their iPhone themselves?
For years, Apple has resisted repairs that are not done by its own technicians. There are several reasons for this. Of course, if you have your iPhone repaired by Apple itself, the company will make a lot of money. At least as important, however, is the reputational damage in the event of a failed repair. If that new screen doesn’t work quite right, you might just buy an Android phone next time. While Apple is not at all to blame for that broken display of the smartphone farmer on the corner.
But times change. In both the United States and Europe, laws are in the works that give consumers the right to make repairs themselves. Manufacturers are then obliged to sell spare parts and provide manuals. Apple is anticipating this with the Self Service Repair Program announced this week.
By not waiting for such regulations, it seems that Apple itself is coming up with this idea. That is good for the image of the tech giant, while the risks seem quite small. There are probably hobbyists who will soon be working on their iPhone under a bright lamp, but most consumers have better things to do.
After all, many people have their groceries delivered to their home, while the supermarket is a five-minute walk away. Changing the oil in your car is really not difficult, but we prefer to outsource that too. We live in a society that relies on convenience. And then we would repair our very expensive iPhone ourselves? With those tiny pliers and tiny screws? Of course not.
What does such a repair cost?
There is another factor at play: cost. Apple does not yet say what we will have to pay for a new screen or fresh battery. The parts will not be cheap. After all, this is the company that asks 25 euros for a cleaning cloth.
How big will be the difference between a fully arranged repair and the sum of the parts you order? Probably quite small. Small enough in any case to think: for that money I’m not taking any risks, let Apple fix it up. The Self Service Repair Program is therefore above all a very smart PR strategy.
Are you planning to repair your iPhone yourself? Let me know in the comments!
