Introduction
As you may know, Apple’s iOS 18 arrived on the 16th of September 2024. iOS 18 introduces changes that will have a significant effect on iPhone repair and screen replacement and- as a result- alters how we buy and sell screens for the iPhone 15, 14, 13 and 12 families. (See below for the new prices).
Previously, the proximity sensor was matched to the iPhone itself, not the screen. This meant that, when replacing the screen in an iPhone, we’d transfer that phone’s own (existing) sensor to the new screen where possible.
iOS 18 changes this- the proximity sensor is now matched to a given screen. Therefore it’s now(!) desirable to keep the proximity sensor together with its screen rather than with the old phone. When that screen- and the sensor- are used in a screen replacement, the sensor is paired to the new phone after the repair and calibration have been completed.
For those in the screen repair/refurb business, there’s an obvious problem with the change- most of us will have existing stocks of iPhone screens which don’t include the now-desirable sensor flex!
See below for how these changes affect what we pay for screens to be recycled and also for how theses changes affect your independent iPhone repair business.
Changes to Recycling Prices
As a result of the above, as of September 2024, we now offer a higher price for newer iPhone screens with the associated proximity sensor attached. In addition, we now also buy fully-broken iPhone 15, 14, 13 and 12 family screens provided they still have their associated proximity sensor and IC.
Here’s an explanation of the four rates that now apply to iPhone 15, 14, 13 and 12 family screens sold to us for recycling :-
- “With proximity sensor” price- NEW, applies to broken screens with intact touch and display (as per standard price) plus the proximity sensor/cable
- Standard price- Same as before, applies to broken screens with intact touch and display
- “Bad Touch” price- Same as before, applies to broken screens with faulty touch
- “Broken with proximity & IC” price- NEW, applies to fully broken screens which still include proximity sensor and IC
(Please see our price list for current rates paid).
We anticipate making further changes to our offerings in future, and we’ll keep you updated on that.
How Do the Changes Affect Repairers?
How does this affect you if you’re in the iPhone repair business?
If you’ve replaced any screens without having done any of the following…
- Transferred the original IC physically to the new screen
- Retained the sensor cable/flex which that matches the display IC to the screen
- Copied the MtSN number to the new screen from the original, or
- Used an original pull including the matching sensor flex. (Something which, before iOS 18 came out, would have resulted in no FaceID on the 12 family and stopped ambient light and TrueTone working on the 13 and later)
…then, once they upgrade to iOS 18, your customer will receive a notification telling them that the part isn’t functioning in the expected manner!
If you’ve done any of these then you should be fine- either it will pass fine and show as “genuine” or it won’t show up in parts history in the first place.
Otherwise the customer will get a pop-up message taking them to parts history. Once they restart configuration as requested, they’ll be told:-
Apple can- and likely will- change the wording on this and other warnings, possibly making them worse. (While we’ve intentionally avoided the perceived rights and wrongs of this case, it’s fair to say that the existing wording has already attracted a highly negative reception among the independent repair community for its intentional slant).
Unfortunately, there’s nothing that can be done to get around this at present. Any phone with a screen replacement you’ve done which doesn’t follow one of the scenarios above will get this message. (In previous cases, solutions have come- typically- from third-party businesses in China, but this sudden change has been a genuine surprise that caught everyone off-guard).
If your customer comes back and complains, the only technical solution is an iCloud-clean pull/refurb complete with the matched, original sensor flex. At the risk of stating the obvious, all that will cost money- and possibly a loss on the job for you. You’ll have to allow for the fact this scenario is likely to happen and decide for yourself where the tradeoff between customer satisfaction and staying in business should be…!
This is very likely to be a case of educating the public as to your side of the story, managing expectations and making the situation as clear as possible in the face of that negatively-slanted wording and a slick PR campaign (which will paint this as an entirely-positive move to protect iPhone owners from disreputable repair businesses).
