iFixit: Apple repair program is good for right-to-repair legislation

The repair program that will allow users to self-replace parts of Apple products will benefit right-to-repair legislation. That says the director of repair site iFixit in response to Apple’s announcement.

Apple has so far flouted right-to-repair legislation, saying it would be dangerous for people to repair their devices themselves, iFixit director Kyle Wiens said in a video from the repair site. “All reasons for not enforcing the laws have been pretty much invalidated by this announcement. Apple now says consumers can make repairs safely if they have the right information and the right tools.”

In the US, 27 out of 50 states are enacting legislation to allow consumers to repair their own devices. The EU is also working on such regulations. Under those rules, manufacturers must sell spare parts and make manuals available.

IFixit sees the new program as competition because the site sells parts and tools. The site also thinks it can make its own manuals better with Apple now making its repair manuals available.

Apple announced the program on Wednesday. Starting early next year, users of iPhone 12 or newer and M1 Macs will be able to order genuine parts and get manuals to repair the devices. Apple also says for the first time that it designs devices for repairability. Apple chose a different direction for design in recent years, although repairability did not seem a major factor in this.