It must be a coincidence that Apple generously decided to abandon the iPhone 13's Face ID screen repair trap.
According to a new report, Apple is planning to release a software update soon that will eliminate the need for a tiny microcontroller chip transferred from the iPhone 13 originally for a new screen that is compatible with the face ID. According to the report, the current transfer process requires "…Time, special equipment, and the ability to micro solder "– sort of the mental antithesis of the screen repair process required under normal circumstances.
For independent repair shops, replacing the iPhone 13 screen while keeping Face ID complicates the most common phone repairs, dealing a blow to both consumers and the professional repair industry. Last week, consumer electronics and how-to website iFixit widely reported on the change in the repair process, calling it "a dark day for BOTH DIY and professional fixers."
Justin Drake Carroll, CEO, and founder of Virginia-based repair chain Fruit Fixed told iFixit that screen repairs account for about 35 percent of his total revenue.
"At one point a few years ago, it was 60 percent," Carroll said."We've worked very hard to keep that number down, so one income stream is not a big part of what we do. It's still a very important part of our business model."
As iFixit points out, small repair shops that want to avoid financial disaster may have to choose between two brutal choices: join Apple's Independent Repair Supplier (IRP) program, or take some micro welding classes and some welding equipment. Thankfully, According to The Verge, Apple says that an expected software update will no longer require you to "…Convert the microcontroller so that Face ID works even after the screen is changed."
