A couple of years ago, Apple started making it harder to change the battery in the iPhone, and now the turn has come for the screen and camera.
Repairing a broken iPhone has never been very easy, but in recent years it has got harder and harder.
After the launch of the iPhone XS and XR, repair companies and home fixers discovered that it is no longer possible to change the battery without finalising the change using System Configuration, an online tool Apple makes available to its own stores and authorised repair companies.
Now iFixit reports that Apple has gone even further with the iPhone 12 series and now the replacement of the screen and cameras must also be activated via the System Configuration app.
For cameras, the problem is particularly serious as without this step they will stop working properly. Screen replacements work, but iOS shows an occasional warning that the component may not be genuine (even if it came directly from another iPhone 12), just like with battery replacements.
iFixit is a big proponent of the right to repair and takes the opportunity to promote it, but also acknowledges that there is a point in warning users about components that do not come from Apple. At least Apple is warning those who might have paid for a repair having been promised genuine parts only to discover that, for example, a new battery wasn’t from Apple and could therefore be a fire risk.
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden.