Apple responds to iPhone 'parts serialization' controversy: compatible with most third-party parts and improves repair transparency

According to news on April 12, Apple issued a press release yesterday and plans to adjust its repair policy in the United States later this year. Users and independent repair shops can use second-hand Apple original accessories to repair some iPhone models.

At the same time as the announcement was made, John Ternus, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, was interviewed by TechCrunch and talked about the iPhone’s controversial “parts serialization” process. The repair website iFixit lowered the repairability score of the iPhone due to "parts serialization" last year. The state of Oregon in the United States also recently passed a law stating that digital devices produced starting from January 1, 2025 must not use "parts serialization". ization” plan.

Turners said in the interview that the iPhone is still compatible with many third-party parts:

"Parts serialization" is a very widely used term and is often derogatory in the eyes of many consumers. . Many consumers mistakenly believe that we [Apple] somehow prevent the use of third-party parts in iPhones, but in fact we have not done so. From our standpoint, our serialization pairing needs to know what the components in the device are. One, we need to verify that this is a genuine Apple biometric device and not counterfeit, and the other is to achieve a better fit through calibration.

Turners said that for security reasons, we prohibit pairing third-party components related to Face ID and Touch ID:

Consumers store a large amount of private data on their phones. , so we absolutely prevent the pairing of security-related parts such as Face ID and Touch ID. At this stage we are unable to verify the performance of any third-party biometric technology, so we explicitly will not use third-party parts to implement critical security functions.

Increase repair transparency

Apple will alert users if iPhone parts are not genuine. If your iPhone has been repaired, a Parts & Service History section will appear under General → About in the Settings app to show whether non-genuine Apple parts were installed. Turners said:

The hundreds of millions of iPhones we currently use are second-hand or third-hand devices. These devices are a great way for people to experience the iPhone at a lower price. We think it's important for them to know: Has this device been serviced? What parts are used? Questions like this.

The above is only an excerpt of part of the interview. The original address of the interview is attached. Interested users can read it in depth. Related reading: "Apple will improve the repair process, customers and independent repairers can use second-hand Apple parts for repairs"

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