Home Apple pursues ‘longevity’ by improving support for third-party iPhone displays and batteries

Apple pursues ‘longevity’ by improving support for third-party iPhone displays and batteries

tl;dr

  • Apple will support third-party iPhone displays and batteries to improve repairability and lower costs for users.
  • New software features will extend to third-party components, including True Tone for display replacements.
  • These changes are expected in 2024, likely with iOS 18, enhancing self-repair options and customer satisfaction.

Apple will soon better support third-party iPhone displays and batteries in a bid to improve its smartphones’ repairability.

A common criticism levelled at Apple is that its hardware is not built to last. The fact that iPhone batteries and displays can usually only be replaced (at a considerable expense) by official Apple stores and repair teams means that people can’t reliably fix their own smartphones themselves or with cheaper third-party service providers, like Android users can.

Typically, a replacement iPhone battery will cost around $100, while a new screen can cost as high as $250, depending on the specific device. However, Apple has started various initiatives to improve its repairability, such as extending its self-service diagnostics tool to Europe. This offers customers across 32 countries an easier way to test products for possible problems.

More software features coming to third-party iPhone components

Apple has also published a white paper called Longevity, by Design that outlines “the company’s principles for designing for longevity.” The most important detail within is that the tech giant will extend more software features to third-party iPhone components.

That means that features like True Tone, the way that an iPhone display’s white balance will automatically adjust to better match your environment, will no longer be disabled when hardware elements like the display are replaced by third parties. This means repairs will not always need to go through Apple’s cost-high streams.

Apple does note that the results may not be up to its usual standards, due to the fact that True Tone depends on variable server-side calibrations and detailed communications but the effort is being made to improve the experience for customers. What’s more, iPhone owners “will be able to deactivate True Tone in Settings if the display does not perform to their satisfaction.”

Battery metrics are also coming to third-party batteries, with the provision that Apple cannot verify the information presented. The company is still clearly wary of third-party batteries, with the white paper featuring data on many tests that led to failures as extreme as fire or explosions, in some cases.

“We encourage all consumers to confirm that the product meets stringent safety requirements,” Apple writes.

The changes will reportedly come later in 2024, suggesting iOS 18 will be required to perform the necessary expansions.

Featured image: Unsplash

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Rachael Davies
Tech Journalist

Rachael Davies has spent six years reporting on tech and entertainment, writing for publications like the Evening Standard, Huffington Post, Dazed, and more. From niche topics like the latest gaming mods to consumer-faced guides on the latest tech, she puts her MA in Convergent Journalism to work, following avenues guided by a variety of interests. As well as writing, she also has experience in editing as the UK Editor of The Mary Sue , as well as speaking on the important of SEO in journalism at the Student Press Association National Conference. You can find her full portfolio over on…

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