APPLE is making a series of changes that could save iPhone owners money and deter thieves too.
iPhone repairs can be costly if you want it done right.
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The tech giant started allowing users to do fixes themselves without going to an Apple Store a couple of years ago.
But the official process only allowed you to use genuine new Apple parts.
Well it’s set to change later this year as Apple is relaxing the rules further.
From autumn, customers and independent repair providers will be able to utilise used Apple parts in repairs.
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This should make fixes a bit cheaper for you.
Of course, repairs aren’t for the faint-hearted and should only be carried out by those who are confident of what they’re doing.
Even so, allowing independent repair shops to take up used parts could still save some cash.
“At Apple, we’re always looking for new ways to deliver the best possible experience for our customers while reducing the impact we have on the planet, and a key part of that means designing products that last,” explained John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
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“For the last two years, teams across Apple have been innovating on product design and manufacturing to support repairs with used Apple parts that won’t compromise users’ safety, security, or privacy.
“With this latest expansion to our repair program, we’re excited to be adding even more choice and convenience for our customers, while helping to extend the life of our products and their parts.”
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The changes apply to the iPhone 15 and future models of the handset.
In a further boost, Apple also announced that it is extending the popular Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts.
The feature is designed to make stealing iPhones for parts less desierable to crooks by blocking a lost or stolen iPhone from being reactivated.
If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best…
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you’re due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you’re down to 80% capacity. If you’re below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
