4 things Apple just revealed about repairing iPhones, including upcoming better third-party support

Have you ever heard in the proverbial playground that Apple only releases products that last up to a year? A new report by the company has recently been published that tries to dispel these myths by detailing its efforts to extend the longevity of its products in several ways.

Called ‘Longevity By Design’, this 24-page document lists Apple’s efforts over several years in designing durable products — from the hardware to the software, as well as the repair services it offers. To save you time, here are four headlines we wanted to highlight from the report.

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Apple says it doesn’t engage in ‘planned obsolescence’

In the report Apple claims that it does not design devices that break to encourage the sales of new products, stating that “There are hundreds of millions of iPhones that have been in use for more than five years — and that number is still growing.” The section also goes on to state how Apple has provided free software updates to devices for many years. For example, iOS 18, the upcoming update for supported iPhones, can run on iPhone XS — a product released in 2018.

Finally, the section explains how Apple gives many users’ devices a ‘second life’ by “streamlining the process to securely wipe their devices in preparation for resale, donation, or trade-in.”

Third-party battery metrics are coming to iPhone

Another section explains why information for third-party batteries in iPhones, such as charging cycles and maximum capacity metrics are not displayed in iOS. Third-party batteries may be bought for devices that are out of warranty, or used during a repair when you’re old one is starting to hold less charge than expected. Apple has revealed that it will improve support for third-party batteries later this year — supposedly with the release of iOS 18 in the fall. “In an effort to improve support for third-party batteries, starting later in 2024, Apple will display battery health metrics with a notification stating that Apple cannot verify the information presented.”

This is important because it will encourage users to go to third-party repair shops to get their iPhone’s battery replaced, so they won’t need to go to an Apple Store – great news if you don’t have an Apple Store near you.

Apple is introducing True Tone support for third-party parts

True Tone uses multiple sensors on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to adjust the color of their displays, making images easy on your eyes. In this report, Apple has confirmed that Apple will enable True Tone with third-party parts. ”Apple will allow consumers to activate True Tone with third-party parts to the best performance that can be provided. They will be able to deactivate True Tone in Settings if the display does not perform to their satisfaction.”

As third-party displays will soon be able to take advantage of True Tone, they will perform similarly to the original displays that are part of Apple’s devices. This change will also encourage users to go to third-party repair stores more.

Service Rates have declined

Finally, Apple has stated that its newest devices are less likely to be sent in for repair compared to its older products. “For example, from 2015 to 2022, out-of-warranty repair rates were down by 38%. For iPhone, overall repairs for accidental damage have decreased by 44% since the introduction of improved enclosures starting with the iPhone 7 line-up.”

Alongside improved enclosures, a report from September highlighted that far less adhesive is being used in iPhone 15 Pro models. In addition, the back plate is also easier to remove, making a 15 Pro repair simpler if the back gets smashed.

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Daryl is iMore’s Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple’s products and its community, from the apps we use every day to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he’s also written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider‘, which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series’ early development. His second book, ‘50 Years of Boss Fights‘, came out in June 2024, and has a monthly newsletter called ‘Springboard‘. He’s also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64, and Daily Star.