What the iPhone 14 means for Right to Repair

iFixIt calls the iPhone 14 the most repairable iPhone since the iPhone 7. This praise can be attributed to the design, namely, that the phone can be opened from the front and the back. On top of Apple’s release of their self repair program, this is another Right to Repair concession made by the company. 

While this improvement to repair is welcome and demonstrates the progress of our campaign, it is not a substitute for Right to Repair laws . The iPhone 14 Pro models do not utilize this redesign and Apple’s self repair program is evidently expensive and difficult to use.

This might be because Apple is less interested in selling repairability for consumers than they are interested in expanding their own repair business. According to Anders Bylund, a writer for the investment website, ‘The Motley Fool,’ “services is Apple’s second-largest business category, trailing only iPhone sales. It’s also the fastest-growing part of the company’s business.”

Despite the repair improvements made, the future of independent repair is still in question. Design improvements can help consumers fix their own stuff. However, Right to Repair legislation would ensure that we don’t have to put our faith in the good-will manufacturers. This is especially important when manufacturers are not incentivized to make repair easier.