HIGHLIGHTS
- Apple may soon release a software update to ease the repair process of iPhone 13 screen.
- After the update, moving of microcontroller along with the screen may not be required.
- The microcontroller makes it nearly impossible for local shops to repair the iPhone 13 screen.
Apple has backtracked on its move to make iPhone 13 screen repairs nearly impossible outside of its own service centres. According to The Verge, Apple is planning to release a software update that will eliminate the process where the authentication of the parts is done – something only Apple-authorised shops are able to do. This is a win for users who have wanted to be able to get their iPhone 13 repaired anywhere without the fear of killing the Face ID system on it.
Right after the iPhone 13 hit the market shelves, the repair industry was appalled by Apple’s fresh and controversial change to how the screen on the new handset can be swapped. According to some experts, Apple has put a microcontroller inside the iPhone 13 that is needed to verify the screen. When a cracked screen is swapped with a fresh one, the microcontroller needs to be moved, too, thereby authenticating the new screen that was just installed. Not doing that would break Face ID on the iPhone.
Since the microcontroller is a tiny component, third-party repair shops would need expensive equipment that they are unlikely to afford. The process, which requires “…time, special equipment, and the ability to microsolder”, is also complex for them, which means it is nearly impossible for them to repair a cracked screen of an iPhone 13 without making a huge investment. Apple-authorised repair shops, on the other hand, not only have access to equipment but also know the process in detail. All in all, as iFixit said in its report, the change marked a “dark day for fixers, both DIY and professional”.
