Apple decision could be big step for right to repair advocates

The company plans to offer parts and installation instructions to consumers.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – We’ve seen our electronic devices go through lots of changes over the years, and you don’t need to look inside your phone to know how complicated things are in there. The companies that make these devices generally keep schematics and repair information under tight wraps, which can make it hard for you, or anyone else, to fix an issue.

That’s a large part of the “right to repair” concept. Cars, agricultural equipment, and in this case, phones, are getting harder and harder to fix.

“With how much things have become smaller and smaller, there’s no way that certain parts of the phone are going to be able to be repaired”, says Jeff Arnold.

Arnold owns Tech Jedi, a standalone electronics repair business. Since it’s not an authorized Apple service center, Arnold has had an uphill battle when it comes to working on the company’s products.

“If they’re not allowing the consumer to get the parts on hand, then those things become obsolete”, he says. “Devices become obsolete and they’re forced to upgrade and buy the newest thing that’s out there.”

However, Apple has recently announced that they’re opening up access for people to buy official parts and instructions for how to use them. In a way, it’s back to how things used to be at the dawn of smartphones.

“In the past, with different companies, if there was something really wrong with it you had the option of getting a schematic to get down to the nitty-gritty and repair something”, explains Arnold. “You don’t have that option now, and none of them make that accessible.”

That means this could be a big first step, but Arnold is cautiously optimistic, and he says consumers need to keep the pressure on companies.

“Without that pressure”, he says, “without people talking to their legislators about that, those companies seem to just kind of take advantage as much as possible.”

Apple’s plan comes after some calls for accessibility have come not just from lawmakers and the general public, but from their own investors.