You can absolutely buy genuine parts for recent iPhones: https://selfservicerepair.com/order (that website looks random, but it's actually Apple's official self repair supplier)

Yes, the System Configuration step is still required to pair many of those parts. This has been discussed ad nauseum. Perspectives vary between it being a necessary security precaution and an entirely self-interested move by Apple to control their supply chain. I suspect the truth is somewhere in between.

I've never done the System Configuration step, but it requires chatting with a support agent and it sounds much easier than the repairs themselves. I absolutely agree things could still improve. But I also think we should recognize this new iPhone 14 re-design as a huge improvement that shows a promising trend.

If you cannot get parts in stock (meaning in advance), you might as well send it to the Apple and not bother with repair shop at all. I also think this is the main reason for making it like that. Display, battery and vibration motor has absolutely no security implications.

I would be very happy to see Apple not screwing with individual repair shops. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of their HW (be it iPhones or MBPs). But I'm not a fanboy and I'm not going to bend backwards to praise this corporate entity when it is not deserved. If you compare the ease of getting part for Samsung and Apple, it is like night and day.

That System Configuration step is also a middle finger. Having to chat with some support agent just for changing a consumable item like a battery? Or a vibration motor? What the actual f?

edit: Checked and they still want the SN of a target device before selling you anything - even a battery! From the site: The serial number is required and will be shared with Apple. This number must be from the device that is being repaired or you may encounter issues that prevent the completion of the repair.

Yeah, thanks but no thanks.

Please read the thread (shrug emoji).

Because that idea is BS, designed just to block 3rd party repair shops from doing quick repairs leaving you with the same (or worse) level of service that Apple itself offers.

Why on Earth would anyone need to provide SN of the phone to buy consumable such as battery? Makes no sense at all. Even the display is stupid because most of the time people come to the repair shop is because Apple takes 2 weeks & wipes data from device. Which is kinda problem for many people since they often don't have another $$$ for spare phone and also forgot to backup.

Almost any other vendor lets you buy parts such as LCD or battery and just swap it. And for most of the phones you can do that kind of work in under an hour.

They don’t. It’s a 30 minute repair with no wipe necessary.

This also applies not only to the battery replacement but for screen as well. I've had to do that also and it also was not a 30 minute repair unfortunately. If it was, I would be quite happy and would not be so frustrated over this stuff.

You are claiming that there is a ‘location’ where Apple themselves in general need to send off a phone for a battery replacement, one of the most common repairs.

Which Apple Store was that? Where is it located? We can easily enough ask them what the general turnaround time for a battery replacement is.

Are you an actual Apple employee with some power to help me (or help the situation in general)? If so I'd be really glad and more than willing to share all my information with you! Let me know. We buy Apple products worth roughly ~$10-30k every year depending on the stuff we are getting so I'm afraid that we are not that big to be interesting by ourselves but we are certainly bigger than 3 iPhones a year :-)

I'd be the first person to actually celebrate having some official way to either repair my stuff or at the very least a way to get genuine parts without having to jump through multiple artificial hoops designed just to piss me off.

By your own indirect admission you cannot change anything so why bother? I don't really care if you personally believe me or not. Sorry.

An honest person would have no reason to hide the location. I think it’s fairly clear that you’ve been caught in a lie.

Your offer is that I should disclose information about my whereabouts so you can do nothing to help me. Well thank you for this opportunity but I think I will politely decline. :-D

As I said earlier: If you cannot help me at all, I have no interest in proving anything to you. Sorry.

Are you afraid that some harm will come to you if you name an Apple Store that was slow to repair a phone?

Nobody is asking you to disclose your whereabouts. Just tell us which Apple Store took 2 weeks to repair a phone, if indeed there is one.

You can’t seriously believe they are afraid of naming an Apple Store. If the store existed and they named it, then I’d look like a complete asshole.