Apple Sells iPad Parts—but High Prices Undercut Independent Repairs

At the end of May, Apple announced that it will also sell spare parts for iPads directly to consumers. However, prices turn out to be a method of maintaining users from the independent repair of the devices.

Prevention by the back door

With the sale of spare parts, the company fulfills new legal requirements in the United States, which operates under the keyword “Right to Repair” (right to repair). Officially, Apple spoke from one step towards more sustainability and customer friendliness: “We are pleased to make our repair services accessible to more customers,” said AppleCare Vice President Brian Naumann in a message. But what initially sounds like progress for consumers encounters harsh criticism in independent repair workshops. The prices that Apple demands for individual components are sometimes so high that repairs were hardly worthwhile – and the devices could therefore still be repaired, according to the accusation.

Brian Clark, owner of the repair company Iguys Tech Shop, is shown by the US magazine 404Media Disappointed: “Apple has treated Ipads as not repairable for years – now presenting this as a U -turn is a farce.” A charging connection for an iPad Pro 11 cost 250 dollars at Apple, although comparable third-party parts are available below $ 20. According to Clark, other components such as displays or digitizers are far too expensive compared to the device value.

Calculation difficult

Jonathan Strange, founder of the Xirepair repair chain, systematically analyzed the spare parts prices. His result: More than a third of the iPad parts offered by Apple is not economically usable for independent workshops. His calculation: If the price for spare part, working hours and a minimal profit is already over 50 percent of the new price for an iPad, repair is unprofitable.

Strange believes that Apple deliberately calculates: “The pricing is not based on production costs, but on the new price of the device – presumably to make repairs unattractive.” C consumers such as Nathan Proctor from the US organization Pirg therefore demand more transparency and fair prices. At the same time, he sees progress in the opening of the spare parts market: “In the past, Apple Ipads did not repair-the pressure through Right-to-Repair laws has the first effect.” Apple himself has not yet commented on the criticism. It remains to be seen whether pricing is compatible with applicable law.