On the iPhone 13, the screen can finally be replaced by all repairers

Independent repairers are relieved that Apple should finally allow them to replace the iPhone 13’s screen without disabling Face ID, a key feature that allows users to unlock high-end iPhones by showing them their face. A software update must indeed come to solve this problem, as announced by the American manufacturer. to the American technological media The Verge, Tuesday, November 9.

Apple’s announcement comes after an outcry from independent repairers, struggling with the iPhone 13, marketed since the end of September. Before that date, replacing the screen of Apple’s mobiles had always been possible for small shops as well as for individuals who are skilled with their fingers. This repair was even crucial for them, because the screen breakage is the failure the most common on mobile.

Read also On the iPhone 13, a screen that is particularly difficult to replace

But with the iPhone 13, only authorized repairers can now replace the screen and reactivate Face ID with a few clicks, as revealed. a November 4 article published by iFixit, the specialist in repair instructions. In question: a tiny electronic chip affixed to the screens of the iPhone 13, without which Face ID can no longer function. While authorized repairers can reactivate functionality on a new screen using their diagnostic console, independent repairers must transfer the chip, which requires a microscope and microweld skills. A difficult maneuver to achieve and synonymous with additional costs for these repair shops which must invoice their customers for the operation, which can increase their prices.

The update promised by Apple will probably not be invisible to the user. The replaced screen mobile will probably display a message indicating that this part has been changed, and that Apple could not verify the origin. A message that is already displayed when replacing the iPhone 12 camera.

This incident confirms that Apple is keen to closely control the repair of its smartphones, even if it means putting the “right to repair” that the French state defends into the background. This preference is already evident quite clearly in the repairability index obtained by recent iPhones, around 6/10, compared to scores of around 8/10 obtained by high-end phones from Samsung and Xiaomi.

Read also IPhone repairability ratings are fair

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