Apple to allow Mac and iPhone owners in Europe to repair their own devices

Apple has announced the expansion of its Self Service Repair scheme to Europe, including the UK.

The Self Service Repair program has only been available in the US thus far (since April 2022), and it allows owners of Apple Macs and iPhones to order relevant parts to repair their device themselves (plus instructions, and necessary tools to complete the job).

As The Guardian reports, Apple now offers this scheme in the following European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

You can’t repair any device though, and only certain models of iPhone and Mac (contemporary devices from 2020 onwards) are eligible for a self-repair job.

That includes iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models (and the iPhone SE 3) plus the MacBook Air M1 (2020), MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020), and MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch (2021).

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Analysis: DIY Mac or iPhone repairs certainly aren’t for everyone

While that’s a limited selection of devices open to the scheme, it’s the same as in the US, so European citizens are getting the exact same offering, it’s just that they’ve had to wait longer to benefit from it.

The scheme also includes other useful touches, like being able to rent a toolkit to perform a repair, rather than buy the tools (some of which are pricey). And it’s obviously good to see this ability expanded beyond the borders of the States (though it was promised to arrive elsewhere by the end of 2022, so Apple has cut it quite fine for delivery in that respect).

What’s also worth noting is that engaging in repairing your own Mac or iPhone is not a matter you should take lightly. While full instructions are provided along with parts and tools as mentioned, only those comfortable with, say, building their own PC from scratch (at the very least) should be even mulling over cracking open a MacBook to start fiddling about with the innards. For slightly less clued-up owners, this could be a dangerous route that leads to making things worse, not better.

For most folks realistically, self-repair is not the best option, and they should use the normal channels to fix Mac or iPhone problems (getting Apple to do it, or an authorized service provider for repairs).

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