We repaired an iPhone to see if iOS 18 improves device repair.
From complicated to much more complicated.
The video began with a fundamental question: “What makes iPhone repair so complicated?” The answer was clear from the start: there are many factors contributing to this difficulty.
As it was my first experience repairing a phone, I felt notable nervousness starting with an iPhone. Not only was I afraid of damaging the device, but I was also aware of Apple's reputation regarding repairability. My interest lay in testing a new repair feature that Apple recently introduced with iOS 18, called “Repair Assistant,” with the hope that it could address a problem that has plagued iPhone repairs for years.
Before the arrival of iOS 18, replacing components of an iPhone, such as the screen or battery, without going through Apple’s official repair channels led to the loss of functionalities on the device. This was due to a design strategy known as “part pairing.” Apple assigns serial numbers to the device components and links them to the logic board, meaning that none of these parts can be replaced independently or at a repair shop without a method to associate the serial number of a new component with the device. As a result, if any part was replaced, certain functions of the phone related to that part would become disabled, such as True Tone, Face ID, or battery health.
The Repair Assistant is a software tool designed for independent repair shops and DIY users to pair new parts in their phones without having to follow Apple’s procedures. This will allow genuine Apple parts to be used for repairs, and it has been reported that iOS 18.1 will extend functionality to devices using third-party screens and batteries, based on a promise from an Apple white paper titled Longevity, by Design.
To explore whether the iOS 18 Repair Assistant addresses this significant challenge in iPhone repair, I reached out to Shahram Mokhtari, the lead teardown technician at iFixit, who provided me with an introduction to Apple’s history regarding repairability and the impact of part pairing. I also consulted Jessa Jones, a right-to-repair advocate and expert on iPhone repair and microsoldering, who guided me through my first attempt to repair an iPhone and allowed me to experience firsthand how the Repair Assistant works. Jessa also showed me some of the tricks and obstacles that arise in independent iPhone repair when parts cannot be obtained from Apple.
What I initially thought was complicated turned out to be, in reality, much more intricate as we delved into the details of the specific frustrations faced by independent iPhone repair shops.
