Apple has announced that its Self Service Repair and Genuine Parts Distributor programs are now available in Canada, following theirlaunch in the USand other regions back in 2022.
“Expanding Apple’s repair programs in Canada is another milestone in our mission to make repairs easier and more accessible around the globe,” said Brian Naumann, Apple’s vice president of AppleCare Service and Repair, in a recent statement.
Apple says that itsSelf Service Repairprogram is designed for people who are comfortable taking repairs into their own hands. Like the US program, it features comprehensive repair manuals, genuine Apple parts, various diagnostic tools, and rental tool kits. The repair videos that made their way to the US program a few months ago are also available at launch in the Canadian version of the program. With its launch in Canada, Apple’s Self Service Repair is now available in 34 countries and 25 languages.
Along with Self Service Repair, Apple is also bringing itsGenuine Parts Distributorprogram to the Canadian market. Repair providers are now able to offer a wide variety of Apple parts for iPhone and iPad repairs, including displays, charging ports, and batteries, all through online retailerMobileSentrix(the retailer is also a distributor in the US). It’s unclear if more retailers will be added to this list in the future. Apple launched its Genuine Parts Distributor program in the US last year and in Europe in May.
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The program seems to be the same as the US'
The Apple Watch and AirPods still aren’t included
The Canadian Self Service Repair program appears to be identical to the one that launched in the US last year, including the fact that it only includes recent iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro models. TheiPad was added to Apple’s Self Service Repair programin May, but like other devices, it primarily includes tablets the company still sells, like the M4 iPad Pro, the M3/M2 iPad Air, the A17 iPad Pro, and more. It doesn’t offer parts or guides for Apple Watch or AirPods repairs, and it’s unclear if Apple has plans to change that in the future.
This announcement comes following reports from404 Mediaciting independent repair professionals stating that they feel Apple is intentionally inflating the cost of iPad parts to push people towards purchasing new tablets. The launch of Apple’s Self Service Repair and Genuine Parts Distributor program marked a significant shift for the company, which previously limited the availability of self-repair guides and genuine replacement parts. The change follows several years of pressure from government regulators around the world and right-to-repair activists.
