Apple to roll out iOS feature that will let you know if your refurbished iPhone has genuine parts

Soon users planning to invest in second-hand Apple products will be able to know if the iPhone was repaired and if it runs on a genuine battery and has its screen fixed ever. A new parts and service history will appear with the upcoming update (iOS 15.2) for iPhones where buyers will get to know about the history of the device. The history will be available in Settings >General>About.

The new update can tell if a screen has been changed or battery replaced and even include a date on when the service was performed. Apple also starts to include a warning on use of an aftermarket (not genuine) screen installed. Earlier iPhones as old as iPhone XR models can warn if a battery is not genuine, while iPhone 12 and 13 can call out more including the cameras.

Earlier screen repairs in iPhone 13 were difficult with iOS giving warnings and micro soldering required to avoid warning labels and deactivating Face ID sensors. iOS 15.2, however, updates the process to allow repairs by users or a third-party shop without a complaint from the device.

iOS 15.2 updates the process to allow repairs by users or a third-party shop without a complaint from the device.

Open repairs by third party shops can cause iPhones to have low-quality aftermarket batteries that might overheat or screen getting terrible colours because it’s not really OLED (when it should be). Buying such kinds of phones in the aftermarket is not advisable as there is little the user can find at the time of purchase.

Now with Self Service Repair from Apple, customers will have a means of getting genuine parts and repairing iPhones at home. Newer iPhones on iOS 15.2 repaired through self-service will acknowledge that a repair was done and the parts are genuine, as the method is supported by Apple.

However, this new feature will make reselling iPhones more difficult as if aftermarket parts are used, independent buyers won’t have the leverage to quote lower values if repair was done with genuine Apple parts and it is mentioned in Settings. Moreover, it can lead to a difficult situation if the phone needs to be sent for inspection to confirm trade-in value.