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Theright to repairrefers to consumers ability to have their products repaired at a competitive price.
But it seems Apple doesnt want its customers to fix theiriPhonesorMacbooksthemselves.
Oppositionagainst the right to repair from tech companies is to be expected.
Cornering consumers into using their service centers increases their revenue and extends their market domination.
In its defense, Apple has saidthird-party repairerscould use lower quality parts and also make devices vulnerable to hackers.
Independent repair shops in32 countriescan now apply, but the scheme has yet to extend outside the US.
[Read:How do you build a pet-friendly gadget?
Apple has hiked itsrepair chargesfor iPhone 12 by more than 40%, compared with the iPhone 11.
Historically, third-party repairers have been a cheaper option.
Its not just Apple, either.Samsungsflagship phones are also quite tricky for third-party repairers to fix.
In fact, manufacturing one smartphoneconsumesas much energy as using it for ten years.
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As smartphones become harder to repair, electronic waste will grow.
Apple and Samsung both cited environmental benefits when they announced they would no longer shipchargerswith their phones.
The average Australian home has6.7 devices, including televisions, personal computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
With diminishing opportunities for repair, the environmental burden from disposing of these devices will increase.
What is being done?
Phone giants make it tough for third-party repairers to do their job in a variety of ways.
Meanwhile, consumers are left with broken phones and huge repair bills and repairers are left with less business.
Legislative reforms have been introduced in theEuropean UnionandMassachusetts.
Frances Repairability Index tool is designed to help consumers make informed choices about which equipment they purchase.
This would also helpAppleandSamsungreduce their carbon footprint and achieve their environmental goals.
But with only so much workforce available even to Apple, sharing the load with smaller repairers will help.
