We’re no strangers to the relatively recent rise of Apple’s Self-Service Repair program. In response to being cornered by the demands of the politically back Right to Repair Movement, Apple released kits to offer self-repair opportunities to individuals for their damaged devices. A significant wrench in the plan was the extremely limited range provided by the tech giant. But lucky us! The Apple repair kits program is now being expanded to authorizing self-service computer repairs with MacBooks as well.
The independence that came with being enabled to follow through with authorized self-repair for cell phones is tripled by diving into the laptop realm.
That may not be everything. And it is probably very little and very late. But it sure is a step in the right direction.
The MacBook Repair Kits
Like the previous release of the program, this Apple repair kit is also limited to serving a couple of series: the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. But unlike the very limited iPhone self-repair options, the MacBook ones have a variety of over a dozen types to offer for every model. These include, but are not limited to, repairs for trackpads, displays, and batteries with top cases.
But the tech company does not plan on stopping there; the plans to expand further are suspected to be underway. But wait, there’s a bit of a catch here. It turns out the program will only be applicable for the MacBooks that are M1-powered within the series mentioned above. Additionally, Apple has listed multiple parts for each of the laptops. For example, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is said to have the following repairs possible:
- Audio board
- Antenna/Vent module
- Battery Management Unit
- Bottom Case
- Display
- Display Hinge Covers
- Fans
- Flex Cable
- Keycap replacement
- Lid Angle Sensor module
- Logic Board
- MagSafe 3 board
- Top Case with Battery
- Touch ID Board
- Trackpad and Trackpad Flex Cable
- USB-C boards
Now Let’s Talk Prices
We always recommend covering your wallet’s ears before we start talking about the prices when it comes to Apple products. The company has come out and said that the charges for their self-repair kits for MacBooks would cost the same as a repair job done by an Apple-authorized store. That makes us wonder, are they still including the service charges that the authorized store would have demanded? Well, all we know for sure is that a new motherboard can set you back about $600 even after turning in the core for replacement. But upfront, it would be a whopping $1300 charge. Whether the price is unjust or just par for the course with Apple, that’s for you to decide for yourself.
But there is more news! Good or not, it still remains to be seen…
Apple Repair Tool Kit Rental
Like the iPhone ones, Apple is also offering self-service rental kits for MacBooks. The toolkit would be going for $49 per week to rent with pretty much the same rules as that of the iPhone repair kits. The drive towards accessibility still seems a bit lackluster from the tech giant when you consider the continued gatekeeping caused by the price. Especially if you keep in mind that Apple is said to charge you an unspecified fee or tax if you haven’t returned the kit to the courier by the seventh day.
So, if you’re getting an Apple self-service rental kit delivered, you may not even get a whole week with it. The time seems almost unfairly short if you think about it. Between living a life that doesn’t just revolve around fixating on your new Apple purchase day and night, reading their notoriously extensive manuals for self-repairs, and actually getting down to the repair job itself, the time would up before you would know it. But here is to hoping that the rules applied to the MacBook repair kits are different enough to make a difference.
The Repair Reassembly
It is no stretch to say that the repair industry is an invaluable part of the technological society. Apple itself has boosted its number of service facilities that have access to properly authorized iPhone and Mac parts, tools, manuals, and even training. It almost makes one forget the time when the corporation was focused entirely on snuffing out the flame of the repairs that were not directly authorized by them.
But we do not forget, even if we are more than happy to welcome the tech giant into the repair world with open arms and celebrate each self-repair update that it puts out, despite our qualms about the pricing. The reason we must all remember is that we have managed to make something monumental. A revolution spearheaded by the repair industry to not let a few monopolize a whole trade. With every step that Apple takes in the repair direction, the Right to Repair Movement becomes more groundbreaking. And it is vital to remember that it was us who did. We fought for the right to do our jobs without the pressures of corporate giants shutting us down. It is no small feat, and we are proud to repair.
One small step for self-repairs, one giant leap for the repair industry.
