This comes after President Joe Biden issued an executive order in July promoting the “right” of consumers to repair their own electronics, and Congress is also considering the issue. This is the theme for our recurring section, Quality Assurance, where we take a second look at a long history of technology. Nathan Proctor is leading the right to repair campaign for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The following is an edited transcript of our conversation. Nathan Proctor: Right now, just starting with a few repairs for the three newer iPhones, you can get all the necessary materials that Apple would use in its authorized settings to make the repairs and also an independent store can order them. There are some limitations where they are important. But this is the first time they have actually acquired these official Apple accessories and tools. Kimberly Adams: Let’s just say I want to use this new kit from Apple. How does this process work? Proctor: It feels a bit complicated even for a dedicated DIYer. You need to order a specific accessory, which comes basically pre-encoded on your phone. So you have to order it through this special process. They will also send you, like, more than 70 pounds of tools to the post office you rent to complete the repair. And then you have instructions and you can walk to the repair. And I’m not sure how many people would do that. But I’ve been to a lot of message boards with repair shops across the country, given the campaign, and I know repair shops across the country have already placed orders because they have a set of phones that they need to repair. Nathan Proctor (Courtesy of Kimball Nelson) Adams: But how well does that address the repair concerns around these phones? Proctor: Honestly, other companies just don’t have that much of a barrier between you and your repair. Both Samsung and Google have announced that they will work with iFixit, which looks like DIY online headquarters, to sell spare parts directly to consumers, along with official documentation and instructions, and any special tools required. And there is very little restriction on who can buy them and how they can make these repairs. I think the most important drawback of Apple’s system is this pairing of digital components that they do when the phone is paired with a specific component. And I think that makes this program proof that more could be done, but also proof that more needs to be done. Adams: Apple, Google and Samsung are moving forward with information that was considered exclusive, and they were very careful about that. Why is this happening now? Proctor: I mean, I think that’s a sign that the kind of collective action that goes on around the right to repair is breaking, right? So in the last two years, there have been more than 27 states that have enacted legislation to empower consumers to have access to spare parts and tools and information to fix things. The Biden government issued an executive order in July, which was followed shortly after the Federal Trade Commission issued new directives against repair restrictions. And then both Google and Apple shareholders passed resolutions to push companies to make these changes, so I think it comes from all sides. Adams: Some individual states have passed their own repair laws, both Parliament and the Senate have passed legislation. As you mentioned, there is a regulatory impetus. What do you watch out for when it comes to federal action on the right to repair? Proctor: We really hope that the FTC can start taking public action to make it really clear that certain types of basic monopoly repair restrictions will not be allowed under current law. And I’m really excited to see some of this enforcement coming from big companies like Apple and, you know, other potentially dominant manufacturers and other industries, whether it’s medical technology or agricultural equipment at John Deere. I believe there are many opportunities for the FTC to force these companies to open up their repair markets. Adams: Why is it right now for the right to repair? Proctor: I think so many people have had this experience when they go to a broken device in the Apple Store, to the official manufacturer’s repairman, and they say, ‘No, it’s impossible to fix. Here, let me show you the latest models. “Meanwhile, e-waste is the fastest growing part of our waste stream. And it’s very expensive to keep buying new things all the time, especially when you know the supply chain is struggling. all sorts of significant obstacles and the economy are tightening.People need to make the best use of what they already have and companies need to stop preventing us from fixing what we already have. We asked Apple to comment on the criticism that its phone repair system is impractical. An Apple spokesman cited the company’s online explanation of the service and repair program, adding that consumers do not have to rely on Apple tools if they “prefer an alternative”.

And if you’re wondering, like me, how cost-effective this is, The Verge has a history of analyzing some of the costs of DIY repairs, which it says are probably not much cheaper than repairing them by Apple. Motivation, right? Finally, if you want to know more about the right to repair, we have some episodes that we have released in the last year, including the complications of repairing something bigger – say John Deere tractors. And one for the laws on the right to repair that goes through the state legislatures.