Apple is one of, if not the, leading brands in the field of technology in general, and has been almost since its inception, churning out product after product and innovating and updating in numerous ways. The products are reliable, sturdy, and do not break down or get damaged so easily. However, nothing is completely indestructible, and sometimes things just develop problems. Usually, this is not an issue, and you can have it repaired quickly, but with Apple, there are a few benefits and complications that you may not be aware of, so let’s take a look.
Right to Repair
In recent years, there has been a sort of turnaround for Apple’s policies regarding the right to repair, with tools, parts, and documentation slowly becoming more widespread and distributed to independent shops. It is getting easier to head to a store that you are close to, like in Dubai, instead of needing to travel much, much further, perhaps even abroad, to an Apple repair center just to have them take a look at your phone. Giving the consumer more options to do anything, in general, is just a good move for everyone involved.
Origins
The Right to Repair is an actual movement that traces its roots back a while, initially being a response to the ever-increasing complexity and opaque nature of smartphones and the like. Both independent repair stores and consumers were perturbed to find themselves so often just locked out of the repair process. This was due to a variety of reasons, like inaccessible or missing parts and tools, or software locks that made it impossible to do or inspect anything. All this led to people calling for changes in the law, legally requiring companies like Apple to empower the consumer and the repair shops by giving them all the necessary parts, tools, diagnostics, and information needed to repair the devices.
Security
Of course, everything has pros and cons, and one disadvantage of more publicized information and ways to access devices leads to holes, or fear of holes, in security, which has always been a priority for Apple. This is certainly a concern, especially with how much personal and sensitive information is on so many phones anyway. Practically everything we have and are can be found on our phones, so if someone has access to all that, it would be concerning. Apple and the repair shops have, and are doing, their best to find a balance between the autonomy of the consumer and tight security, without either needing to be compromised.
Longevity
One of Apple’s standards has always been durability and longevity, with their devices still operating smoothly even after many years. One reason for this is their way of keeping all of the information and parts in-house, improving and honing them as close to perfection as possible. Environmental concerns have also been added to their wishlist, where the parts of the devices themselves can be reused and recycled in a new phone, which is why they only allow trusted or reliable independent shops access to their phones, understandably so.
Apple is a tech giant, and that position shows no sign of changing any time soon. This is partly due to them trying to strike a balance between reliability and security in their devices and also consumer freedom and autonomy.
