Apple’s Self Service Repair has finally launched outside the United States, more than a year after it was first announced. Those with broken Macs and iPhones in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK will be able to purchase parts and tools for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, as well as Mac laptops using Apple Silicon.
There are more than 200 spare parts available, along with repair manuals, but the announcement comes with a slight caveat, stating that the self-repair program is for ‘customers who are experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices’. Apple makes it clear the best thing to do with your faulty Mac or iPhone is to take it to a certified repair technician, and it believes 80% of its customers in Europe live within 30 miles of such an electronics wizard, taking into account Apple Stores and independents. It has doubled the number of European service locations in the last three years.
The parts have all been tested, and are the same ones, at the same price, used by Apple’s repair technicians. Should you not wish to develop a collection of Apple’s custom repair tools, which include torque drivers, repair trays, and presses for displays and batteries, you can also rent a toolkit for $49 (or your local currency), returning it after a week with free shipping.
“We believe the best technology for our customers and for the planet is technology that lasts, which is why we design our products to be durable and rarely require maintenance or repair,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “But when a repair is needed, we want customers to have many options for safe, reliable, and secure repair. That’s why we’re excited to launch Self Service Repair in Europe, giving our customers direct access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and manuals.”
The Self Service Repair Store can be found at selfservicerepair.eu, and allows prospective self-repairers to view repair manuals online as PDFs before they decide whether to take a screwdriver to the back of a $2,000 laptop.
