Leaks show what Apple will and won't fix

by Eben Griger Apple has been infamously tough when it comes to repairs for their devices. User repairs often void the warranty or in extreme cases, brick the device. There’s seemingly been no rhyme or reason to the issues Apple’s “Geniuses” choose to fix. Until now. Sources at Business Insider have gotten their hands on Apple’s “Visual/Mechanical Inspection Guide,” a 22-page document detailing just what can and cannot be fixed under warranty. So far, nothing unearthed is illegal, but it’s not exactly pro-consumer either. Under Apple’s warranty service, they will fix front camera misalignment, dead pixels, and cracks, the last two having some pretty significant asterisks with them. Dead pixels and under-screen debris will only fall under warranty if you report them as the issue. Genius sees it while performing a different repair? Tough luck, they have no obligation to fix it. For cracks, as long as it is a single, hairline crack, then it’ll be fixed (because iPhones never crack badly, right?). Things like spider web cracks, liquid damage, and issues with the speakers fall under the “Out-Of-Warranty” service, meaning they’ll fix it, but it won’t be cheap.What Apple won’t service is pretty par-for-the-course. Intentional tampering, third-party batteries, and devices being “forcibly separated into multiple pieces” are all going to result in a new device if anything happens. Overall, this leak isn’t shocking and most likely won’t cause Apple to dramatically change their policies, on the off chance even a slight change is made. Who it does help is the consumers, giving them the information to make better decisions when it comes to repairs and phone choice.