If your MacBook is finally showing some wear and tear after all of your remote work this year, you’re in luck — at least, theoretically: Apple is moving to verify third-party Mac repair shops after doing the same with iPhone repair stores last year.
According to Engadget, stores that meet Apple’s qualifying criteria will be provided with tools, parts, and training. While Apple has yet to specify what those criteria entail, it seems that they are already going forward with a Best Buy partnership for Apple product repairs.
Apple’s verification of third-party repair services isn’t new. Last year, the tech giant gave its iPhone repair stamp of approval to qualifying businesses that employed at least one “Apple-certified” employee. Given Apple’s willingness to provide the prerequisite training for free, the process of getting verified seems relatively lowkey.
And, with more vendors within driving distance, customers will have options for repairs rather than having to default to the nearest Apple location — a potentially crucial move given current social distancing guidelines.
Not everyone is stoked about Apple’s expansion, though. When Google did the same for third-party Android repair shops, a slew of issues arose. Customers reported problems ranging from poor touch response to keyloggers, with some even finding their phones unusable after going through the “repair” process. Indeed, the verification from Google seemed to do little for the actual credibility of the selected shops.
While Apple’s products fit a different repair model—in part because Apple’s products are arguably simpler to assess than the multifaceted Android market—it’s not unreasonable to expect issues to arise here as well.
Interestingly enough, Apple’s verification announcement comes on the distant heels of Google’s decision to ban third-party tech support ads—including those for Apple products—from search results last year. It’s possible that Apple’s decision is a hair too late to the party, and while third-party shops shouldn’t have to invest much to become verified, their efforts may be in vain either way.
But with Apple supplying the parts and the training for third-party repair services, it’s hard to see the downside for the time being. Having more options leads to fewer crowded venues and lower wait times — two things that all of us desperately need right now.
Jack Lloyd has a BA in Creative Writing from Forest Grove's Pacific University; he spends his writing days using his degree to pursue semicolons, freelance writing and editing, oxford commas, and enough coffee to kill a bear. His infatuation with rain is matched only by his dry sense of humor.
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