It’s totally new in the iPhone 13, and hard to understand as a security measure, given that the Face ID illuminator is entirely separate from the screen. This unprecedented lockdown is unique to Apple. Small shops could be shuttered, forced to choose between spending thousands on new equipment or losing a major source of income.įor shops that want to survive, their only options will be to join Apple’s onerous IRP network-not an option for shops that value their customers’ privacy-or work past the iPhone’s locks with microsoldering tools and training. It also has huge implications for the professional repair industry, for which Apple is the dominant brand to service.
This means you won’t be able to fix your iPhone screen yourself without sacrificing major functionality. One of the most common phone repairs that could once be done with hand tools now requires a microscope. This is a dark day for fixers, both DIY and professional. We have confirmed this repeatedly in our lab, testing with many different phones on iOS 15 and 15.1, and our results have been replicated by numerous repair professionals. The new iPhone 13 completely disables its flagship Face ID functionality when you replace its screen. With new changes to the iPhone 13, they may be aiming to shatter the market completely.
#APPLE SERIAL NUMBER BATTERY REPLACEMENT UPDATE#
9, five days after this post was widely cited in news reports, that it would issue a software update to prevent Face ID’s disabling after screen replacements.Īpple has been chipping away at iPhone repair work outside their control for years now. IFixit’s Taylor Dixon digs into the process of removing the iPhone 13’s Face-ID-saving screen chip, including an interview with The Art of Repair’s Justin Ashford.