Apple’s self-repair program for MacBooks: How much it costs, potential issues and more – Times of India

Apple has recently expanded its DIY repair program to include MacBook Air and Pro laptops that are powered by the company’s proprietary M1 chipsets. The Cupertino-based tech giant has also confirmed that the newly expanded program will also include laptops with M1 Pro and Max processors. According to a report by The Verge, the repairability experts at iFixit (who dissects Apple devices regularly) have been through the company’s new program and have shared some mixed reactions.
What iFixit thinks about Apple’s expanded repair program
As per the report, iFixit’s Sam Goldheart has mentioned that the new MacBook Pro guides “threw us for a loop.” Goldheart has also added that the issue is with the company’s documentation which seems to have made MacBook Pros “less repairable” than they have been in the past.
The report notes that the repair manual for replacing the 14-inch MacBook Pro’s battery is a whopping 162-page long guide and one of the first steps to try out the DIY repair program is to “read the entire manual first.”

Moreover, the report has also explained the reason for the guide being so elaborate as it turns out that replacing these batteries “isn’t just a matter of popping the battery out.” As Apple currently doesn’t sell replacement batteries for the 14-inch model, users will need to replace the entire top case and keyboard to replace the battery. The report claims that a full-computer teardown is both unusual and unnecessary for a laptop battery replacement.
Apple’s DIY repair program: A matter of money
Goldheart from iFixit has also pointed out that Apple’s DIY repair program is also very expensive and can’t be afforded by many users, the report notes. In this case, the “top case with battery” part that you’ll need to purchase for the 2020 and 2021 MacBook Pro models is not cheap. The report confirms that users have to pay more than $400 for the top case with battery after the repair credit at Apple’s store.
iFixit has claimed Apple’s self-service repair program as an “excruciating gauntlet of hurdles” as users not only have to go through the 162-page manual but also have to “pay an exorbitant amount of money for an overkill replacement part.” On top of that, users also have to pay another $50 for the tools they recommend and have to complete repairing the device within 14 days, including the System Configuration that will pair the new part with their device.
The report also mentions that another Apple user, who wanted to try the self-service repair program to replace the battery in his iPhone Mini faced the same issues as pointed out by iFixit. This user deposited a $1,200 fee for the equipment and received 79 pounds of tools from the company which also included an industrial-grade heat station after putting. The report also mentions that the user will have to forfeit the deposit amount if he fails to return the equipment within seven days.

Difference between self-repairing iPhones and MacBooks
iPhones are intricate devices and they might require a relatively difficult and specialised process to repair, the report admits. However, on the other hand, MacBook batteries have never been this complicated to replace in the past (for example, iFixit’s 2021 MacBook Pro repair guide).
The iPhone repair kit is difficult, yet it is a step in the right direction for Apple devices, however, the same can’t be said for these MacBooks especially when the experts at iFixit (who usually treat Apple devices fairly) are raising their eyebrows, the report claims. Meanwhile, the report mentions that Apple spokesperson Nick Leahy has affirmed that a replacement battery (not attached to the case) will be available in the future.