Almost by surprise, Apple announced two new measures concerning iPhone repair parts. One of them is part of its environmental responsibility framework to reduce carbon footprint and the other will prevent a thief from using parts from a stolen iPhone.
The first of these measures is the use of parts used in iPhone repairs and which are already no longer under warranty. The second is to enable Coin Activation Lock when an iPhone is stolen, which will make it very difficult for thieves.
Stealing an iPhone “to use the parts” will make less sense
If your iPhone has ever been stolen, you will know that for several years it has been possible to block access to the device, leaving it unusable for the thief. However, to a large extent iPhone thefts continue to happen to sell them in pieces, something Apple wants to avoid
The company led by Tim Cook will add so-called activation blocking. It means that Parts from a stolen iPhone cannot be used on other devices. It doesn’t matter that they are original and that the iPhone on which they are going to be installed is original. They will simply be disabled.
If an iPhone is marked lost, not only will it be unusable because the system is locked, but the parts will also be useless.
This lock will be set in conjunction with the rest of the iPhone when marked as lost. And while it doesn’t prevent the theft itself, it gives less reason for thieves to steal them.
It is remarkable to see how much in recent months Apple makes major improvements to the iPhone’s anti-theft system. See the feature added in iOS 17.3 caused by a curious technique used by thieves and which was improved in iOS 17.4.
iPhone repairs will now support part reuse
The other measure announced by the Californian company will come into force this fall and consists of authorized repair centers that can use used parts from other iPhones. This is something that, we admit, even seems ugly at first glance.
However, it is not a question of using parts that are already worn, which would imply a poorer user experience. The idea is reuse parts that may still be useful because they are well preserved, thus trying to reduce electronic waste often generated when disassembling iPhones.
It should be emphasized that For now, this is something that won’t apply to new iPhones which still have a guarantee. Likewise, it remains to be seen whether this implies a lower repair price for owners who will receive one of these parts for their iPhone. For the moment, iPhone repair prices remain intact and Apple has not communicated anything on this subject.
In Applesfera | Apple iPhone repair kit, analysis: the best investment for a repair to go well
In Applesfera | iPhone 16: release date, price, models and everything we think we know about them
