French environment group files complaint over iPhone repair practices - AppleInsider

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A French biology radical has filed a ailment against Apple due to the fact that the institution restricts the usage of "unauthorized" parts successful iPhone repairs.

The ailment targets a signifier Apple uses for its devices, called pairing. It associates the serial numbers of components with a circumstantial iPhone to marque definite the repair parts are genuine.

The "Halte L'Obsolescence Programmee" (HOP) radical says Apple limits repairs, particularly from non-authorized repair providers. In immoderate instances documented successful the complaint, malfunctions were recovered wherever the instrumentality was repaired with a portion Apple didn't authorize.

As 1 example, the radical mentions that an iOS 16 update made an iPhone XR unusable due to the fact that of a repair to a interaction sceen.

"If Apple wants to hinder autarkic repair and the improvement of reconditioning, justness indispensable hinder these anachronistic, irresponsible and amerciable practices," said Samuel Sauvage, co-founder of the association.

In a similar case brought to a French user watchdog, Apple agreed to wage 25 cardinal euros ($26.32 million) for slowing down definite older iPhone models that had a depleted artillery to forestall crashing. It led to dozens of lawsuits, an authoritative apology from Apple, and an inexpensive artillery replacement program.

As pointed retired successful a report from Reuters, it's forbidden nether French instrumentality to deliberately trim the lifespan of a merchandise to summation its replacement rate. It's not wide however portion pairing does this, however.

Apple launched a Self Service Repair programme successful the US successful April 2022, with a dedicated store for ordering authoritative iPhone replacement parts.

In aboriginal December, the programme expanded to 8 countries successful Europe, including France. The Self Service Repair Store includes implicit 200 parts, tools, and manuals — and includes portion pairing erstwhile necessary.