Third-party repairs are a sore subject for Apple, with the company citing its own desire to know repairs are handled safely as a reason why it cracks down on unofficial repairs.
But third-party repairs are still a thing, with dedicated shops out there using unofficial Apple parts to replace broken pieces of a smartphone or other Apple-branded device. Plus, self-repair kits are out there in the wild as well — much to Apple’s chagrin. In an effort to crack down on this, Apple is issuing on-device warnings when it detects non-genuine Apple parts used in repairs.
MacRumors reports that is the case with display replacements in the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The pop-up will show itself after a display has been replaced by a technician, and only if the device cannot detect if its a genuine Apple part.
As noted in the report, the warning reads, “Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple display”, which will show up in the About section within the Settings app. You can see the warning in the image at the top of this article.
Apple has a dedicated support document for the matter, which it published recently. It reiterates that genuine displays from Apple have been “designed, tested, and manufactured for Apple quality and performance standards”. That includes the features that are meant to help sell the displays as top-tier panels, including overall brightness, True Tone, Night Shift, Haptic Touch, and even the Multi-touch technology therein.
Apple stresses in the document that if you need to get a display repaired you should find a genuine technician to handle the job. It adds:
Only technicians who have completed Apple service training and who use Apple genuine parts and tools should replace iPhone displays. These service providers include: Apple, Apple Authorized Service Providers, or Independent Repair Providers using genuine Apple parts. Replacements not performed by Apple, authorized service providers, or certified technicians might not follow proper safety and repair procedures and could result in improper function or issues with display quality or safety. Apple displays are designed to fit precisely within the device. Additionally, repairs that don’t properly replace screws or cowlings might leave behind loose parts that could damage the battery, cause overheating, or result in injury.
Apple’s support document says that if a non-genuine part is used for the repair by the technician, additional problems can appear during usage. That includes non-responsive Multi-touch inputs, the display might turn off during a phone call, accidental touches might register at the display’s edges, True Tone might not function properly, and more.
Apple has done similar things with the batteries in its smartphones as well, so this is not entirely a new move by the company. In August of this year, the company launched a more expansive network of third-party, authorized repair shops, though, which will use genuine Apple parts for repairs.
What do you think? Should technicians and owners be warned if a non-genuine Apple display is used in repairs?