Gerry Palmers Tech 11.07.2021 00:Nov AM EDT

iPhone 13 Users to Get Nasty, Pricey Shock: Screen Repair Trap to Cost Time, Money

While sales of the iPhone 13 have surged due to its outstanding features for a next-generation Apple smartphone, users of the recently unveiled device are in for a nasty, expensive surprise.

The new iPhone 13 model carries a "new screen repair trap" that may alter the repair industry forever, a Forbes article quoting an iFixit report revealed. This "trap," the report said, would cost the user "time and money" due to its delicate and complicated nature.

iFixit found out that Apple added a small chip about the "size of a Tic-Tac" below the iPhone 13 screen. This chip, iFixit said, said is a microcontroller that pairs each iPhone 13 smartphone to its display. When the display is broken and necessitates a replacement, this microcontroller must also be configured to pair with the new screen.

Expensive Apple Service Toolkit Needed to Fix iPhone 13 Display Issue

To do this, an "Apple Services Toolkit 2 (AST2)" is required. AST2 is a costly proprietary service that needs consent and certification from Apple.

If the screen is damaged and replaced, but users choose not to pair the new display with the new iPhone 13 microcontroller, the Face ID won't work at all. The Face ID, the iPhone's main security access feature, will be disabled, and users will get the error message, "Unable to activate Face ID on this iPhone." This would happen even if the screen is replaced by a genuine Apple display.

iFixit commented in the report that this is absolutely unnecessary. It stressed that "keeping Face ID working on the iPhone 13 after a screen swap should be easier than ever." This is because the iPhone scanner is separate from the display.

The repair site indicated how "unprecedented" this issue is, since screen replacement is "incredibly common." It noted that tens of thousands of Apple repair shops globally support iPhone users by replacing phone screens at competitive prices. It seemed, the site said, "Apple is...seemingly cutting the industry off at the knees."

Apple Repair Move to Unnecessarily Cost Money, Cause User Inconvenience

All iPhone users should be concerned about this, the site added, even if the device is repaired by Apple itself. Such a proprietary move would leave Apple users with no choice but have their iPhone 13 checked by an Apple Store, which could be quite distant. And, the site further said, Apple is free to set the price to whatever it wants, cutting off competition even in the repair sector.

Currently, Apple already charges $600 for out of warranty glass replacement on an iPhone 11 Pro Max, forcing owners to acquire AppleCare+ insurance for $200 per year.

Previously, Apple had third-party repair blocking issues for the iPhone's Touch ID, iPhone batteries, and cameras, which led to public outcry. The company parried criticism by claiming that a bug caused all those malfunctions.

As such, the site is calling on iPhone 13 users to again show their disgust and disapproval over the move to force Apple to change this setup that would be quite disadvantageous to owners.