Apple plans to make it easier to repair damaged or broken iPhone screens by distributing its proprietary fix-it machine to third-party stores. Apple Stores use a custom device called the Horizon Machine, which is about the size of a microwave oven, to replace cracked iPhone screens. The device contains a suction cup for loosening the display, the needed screw drivers, and other precision parts to complete each repair. Apple has agreed to make this device available to its authorized resellers, including Best Buy in the U.S. Apple has some 500 Horizon Machines already in use at its own stores and mail-in repair centers. It expects to seed about 200 of the Horizon Machines to its reseller partners over the next couple of months and reach a total of 400 by the end of the year. This will almost double the availability of Horizon Machines by the holiday season and should make it much easier for consumers to have their iPhone given a fully compliant repair. "We've been on a quest to expand our reach," said Brian Naumann, senior director of service operations at Apple, in a statement provided to Reuters. Naumann said repair times at its own stores have increased. Apple hopes providing more Horizon Machines will cut down on those repair times. The news from Apple comes as "right to repair" laws gain strength around the U.S. Kiosks and other small shops in malls offer screen repairs, but often do so without official parts or coverage from Apple and other OEMs. An aggressive law moving through the New York State legislature would require Apple to provide such shops with its genuine parts at a minimum. Though many small shops perform perfectly adequate repairs with third-party glass, Apple's official screen part includes the fingerprint sensor and only the Horizon Machine can repair damaged sensors.
from Phone Scoop - Latest News http://ift.tt/2rATJzX
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