What you need to know
- Apple now lists the iPhone and Mac in France with repairability scores.
- That's in order to comply with a new law in the country.
Apple has added repairability scores to listings for the iPhone 12, M1 MacBook and other products in a bid to comply with new laws in France.
From Macgeneration:
Apple has started pinning the first repairability indices on its smartphones and computers. The score out of ten is visible in the Apple Store app, in this help sheet as well as on the manufacturer's French website.The iPhone 12 range (mini, 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max) receives a score of 6. The iPhone 11 and 11 Pro index is much worse (4.6), and it's even lower for the iPhone 11 Pro Max with 4.5, just like the iPhone XR for that matter. The iPhone XS Max and XS have a score of 4.6 and 4.7, respectively. The iPhone SE 2 fares much better with 6.2, while iPhone 8/8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus score 6.6. The highest-rated model is the iPhone 7, with 6.7.
Apple has also listed the repairability of its Macs, including the 16-inch MacBook Pro, M1 MacBook Air, and M1 MacBook Pro.
As the report notes, companies must set their own ratings using criteria set out by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. The new laws in the country came into effect from January 1, but seem to have had some grace period as Apple has only just pushed out its scores to comply. The rules cover smartphones and laptops, as well as lawnmowers, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines. Repairability is based on available documentation, how easy a device is to disassemble, the availability and delivery time of spare parts, the price of spare parts, and available software updates.
