Apple revealed in its white paper, “Longevity, by Design,” that it will loosen some of its restrictions on third-party repairs. The tech giant plans to provide software support for third-party replacement screens and batteries installed in iPhones later this year. This change means that features such as battery health and True Tone will remain functional for users opting for third-party repair services.
True Tone, a feature that automatically adjusts the iPhone screen’s white balance to depending on the environment, is currently being disabled once iOS detects a third-party replacement display. But starting later this year, users will soon be able to use True Tone even with third-party parts. Apple did caution that True Tone may not always display accurate colors or perform optimally due to potential compatibility issues with third-party replacement screens. To fix that, users will be given an option to disable the feature if necessary.
When it comes to third-party replacement iPhone batteries, Apple will now display their health metrics but will inform users that these batteries cannot be verified. An internal analysis by Apple found that some 2nd hand batteries are sold with manipulated data, showing a maximum capacity of 100% even though the actual battery state is actually less than that.
Apple has historically been resistant to third-party repairs but has gradually become more accommodating over the years. In 2022, the company made the iPhone 14 easier to repair at launch, although restrictions on third-party replacement displays remained a challenge for repair vendors. In April, Apple announced that starting this fall, with the release of the iPhone 15 and newer models, iPhones will be repairable using used but genuine parts.