Apple today announced an expansion of its Independent Repair Provider Program (IRPP) to provide genuine parts and train independent repair shop personnel. The program has been rolling out to iPhones since last fall and has now expanded to all of the company's other devices. As far as you can understand, providing access to tools and parts to third-party workshops is a concession to supporters of the "right to repair".
For example, last year Apple provided American workshops with access to iPhone diagnostics and repair tools. Small U.S. service centers have received the same instructions, parts, and tools as certified service centers and Apple Stores. In July 2020, the company announced that it is expanding the Independent Repair Provider Program for Canada and several European countries. By the way, in Europe "the right to repair" was supported by the European Commission. Currently, 140 enterprises with 700 service centers participate in the Independent Repair Provider Program.
As for Apple, the company reserves the right to inspect the workshops. If violations are identified, companies are prohibited from participating in the program. Two "deadly sins" are incorrect technological processes or the use of non-original spare parts.
Apple last month reported 21.6% growth in Mac device sales and a 1 percentage point increase in market share over last year. Computers and laptops accounted for 7.3% of the market share in the second quarter of 2020. The growth was triggered by the massive transfer of employees to remote work due to the coronavirus pandemic. The more users, the more gadgets, respectively, the more breakdowns. This influx of devices in need of repair has exposed problems with certified repairs in remote regions of the United States, Europe, and in poorer countries.
Apple originally promoted AppleCare + and Genius Bar services as quality repair standards. But certified workshops were available only in large cities, and users had to wait for a repair for a long time. Small service centers criticized the company because it only worked with large service centers of well-known companies, for example, Best Buy Inc.
Now the situation has changed, the corporation has changed its attitude towards small service centers. “When devices need to be repaired, we want people to have access to safe and reliable solutions. Over the past year, we have added thousands of service centers to our repair program, ”said Apple Inc. COO. Jeff Williams. Most likely, the expansion of the program is a response to criticism from politicians and public figures accusing Apple of unfair competition. In addition to spare parts, the corporation has offered new training materials and repair standards for independent workshops.
But not everything is as rosy as we would like. The corporation still prohibits complex service work. So, the existing program prohibits any repair, more difficult than replacing the main components (display, battery, motherboard). In addition, the terms of the program do not allow stores to store parts in the warehouse, so the supply of spare parts has to wait for weeks. Well, the cherry on top - original Apple parts and tools cost a lot of money, which increases the cost of repairs for customers of third-party service centers, and warranty service will remain the prerogative of the company and certified service centers.