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Fixing your broken phone? Apple will let you do it yourself

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(NewsNation)—  If you have a broken phone, you might not need to bring it to a repair store anymore. Apple’s new Self Service Repair Store is letting people fix their own devices.

The tech giant announced last week its Self Service Repair Store is now available in the U.S.

The new online store offers more than 200 individual parts and tools people can rent or buy to fix their phones. They allow customers “experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices” to make repairs on the iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone SE’s display, battery and camera, according to a news release.

So how challenging is it to fix your own phone? NewsNation’s Marley Kayden put it to the test, using a kit to fix a colleague’s cracked phone screen.

Here’s what she found.

THE PRICE

With the hundreds of parts available online, Kayden had a lot of options to choose from. Altogether, renting her repair kit cost $300.

“Since we rented the tools, that’s about $50 more than you’d be paying if you just took the phone to an Apple store,” Kayden said. “But we love a good challenge.”

There was also a $1,000 security deposit required to rent the equipment.

THE PARTS

People can rent or buy what Apple said are professional-grade tools from the repair store, which is operated by a third-party provider. Apple said these parts go through extensive testing to make sure they are reliable and of good quality.

Kayden’s parts came in two big boxes that arrived in three business days. In those boxes were a torque driver, torque security bit and security screws, among other items.

“A few extra replacement parts” might have been helpful in case of mistakes, Kayden said.

FIXING THE PHONE

When attempting repairs, “there were some big wins along the way,” Kayden said, as well as “a few bumps in the road.”

“Instructions were more complicated than expected,” she said.

But even with some challenges, such as missing gloves and a lost screw, Kayden still got the job done, and was able to return the phone to its grateful owner.

“Considering Apple offers same-day repairs that might be the easier route next time,” Kayden said. “But if you like a challenge and you have very steady hands, the self-repair option could be for you.”

To start the Self Service Repair process, customers can go to support.apple.com/self-service-repair

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