If you have an iPhone 16 and you smashed it on the ground, you’re in luck: Apple has started selling replacement parts, including cameras, displays, and batteries for its latest iPhones. The company, which has long resisted letting customers repair their devices themselves, has relented after years of pressure from repairability advocates such as iFixit.
Replacing the camera assembly will cost $169 for a standard iPhone 16 or $249 for the larger 16 Pro and Pro Max. Displays cost between $279 and $379 depending on the model and size. Batteries cost $99, or $119 for the 16 Pro, although they will cost more than $60 for the Pro if you send the old battery back to Apple. The camera will cost around $189 if you return the defective part. You should check Apple’s official website to find out the full price, including credit refunds. If you do not have specialized tools to carry out the repair, Apple will provide you with a battery repair device for rent, which is used by its own technicians.
Apple first launched its self-service program in 2022, which gives customers access to parts, tools, and instructions for repairing some iPhone and Mac models. For years, the company has restricted repairs to authorized technicians, saying that unauthorized professionals could make mistakes that could damage devices and harm Apple’s pristine brand. And iOS still rejects components that are not Apple-authorized. But these decisions contradict Apple’s own commitment to sustainability, as the company’s restrictions make repairs more expensive and may lead to more people simply throwing away their devices for a new one. An open market ultimately lowers costs and allows people to use their devices longer.
Fortunately, pressure has forced Apple to open up access to repair manuals and parts to everyone, and the company will soon offer better support for more affordable third-party components, which will extend the life of devices that consumers believe will continue to work great if they can replace a particular part, such as a cracked camera or display. Recent data suggests that consumers are upgrading their devices less frequently.
It’s great that Apple has been able to make its devices last so long by only increasing their value. But as customers are replacing their devices less frequently, the company is making up for lost revenue by increasing services, where it charges recurring subscriptions for products like Apple One. It recently began rolling out Apple Intelligence, a set of artificial intelligence tools built into iOS that require the latest hardware, which the company hopes will convince customers to upgrade to the iPhone 15 or later.
