You might have heard about Apple’s new “trap” on the iPhone 13 regarding third-party screen repairs. It turns out that Apple changed their minds and are issuing a solution soon.
If you are unaware of the trap, the iPhone 13 completely loses Face ID functionality when a third party replaces its screen. There was a workaround, but it required moving over a tiny microcontroller from the original screen over to the new one. Kevin Purdy from Ifixit expressed his disappointment, saying “One of the most common phone repairs that could once be done with hand tools now requires a microscope”.
If you want to know how tedious the process is, you can watch this in-depth video by Ifixit on the process of replacing an iPhone 13 screen.
The good news is that Apple is plans to roll out a software update that “doesn’t require you to transfer the microcontroller to keep Face ID working after a screen swap.”
We knew that this kind of software already existed, as Apple-authorised repair shops already had access to a software tool that can make a phone accept a new screen.
It’s good that Apple is responding to the backlash with a solution, but the question is when will we get this update? Apple did not specify when exactly this software update will arrive, but knowing that they already have the tool made, it should not take too long.
There’s also the question of why they had to do this in the first place. Were they trying to make it harder for third-party repair shops to do their job and are they just trying to overcome the bad press? Regardless of their intentions, it’s good that Apple made third-party repairs viable again.
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