Apple has been playing hardball with its customers using third party battery replacements. Mashable claims it has previously refused to repair phones with non-Apple batteries. This was even if “the repair issue had nothing to do with the battery”. However, it reports Apple now accepts this was bad business practice. This may have something to do with Australia slapping it with a US$6.7 million fine in June 2018.
A Long-Standing Battle Before Apple Accepts Change
The Australian US$6.7 million fine was the tip of the iceberg. That court found Apple did not offer repairs to customers “affected by glitches caused by a third party repair issues.”
Mashable goes on to quote “three reliable sources” confirming Apple has made an internal policy change. It says Apple will now repair phones with alien batteries “even when the off-brand battery is the root of the issue. They’ll replace your janky battery with a nice Apple one, for a fee.” However, it seems there are still limits to what Apple accepts as fair.
Why Apple May Have Decided to Make the Change
We understand the new policy Apple accepts excludes “replacement logic boards, enclosures, microphones, lightning connectors, headphone jacks, volume, and sleep/wake buttons”. This sounds rational to us. There’s a point where an Apple phone is no longer an Apple device.
There’s growing consumer resentment against suppliers limiting their choices in the aftermarket. The right-to-repair movement has become a force to be reckoned with, while the social media are muttering like bees in a hive.
Right-to-repair legislation is finding a way through various state legislatures since California became the 18th state to enforce.
Apple made a smart move by diving under a wave becoming too steep to slip through the tube.
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Preview Image: A Bite Out of an Apple
