Awkward: Apple's At-Home Repair Kit Could Actually Cost You More Than Paying The iPhone Maker To Carry Out Repairs

Using Apple Inc.'s AAPL recently-released at-home repair kit rental service may be even more impractical than implied by its weight of 79 pounds — which is more than two truck tires and nearly as much as an average 12-year-old boy.

What Happened: Apple-specialized news outlet MacRumors' review of Apple's self-service repair program published on Tuesday highlights how impractical it appears for many, if not almost all, applications. The outlet's videographer Dan Barbera ordered the kit to replace the battery of his iPhone 12 mini, which resulted in him spending nearly $120 ($49 for renting the repair kit and $70.99 for the battery bundle) instead of paying Apple $69 to carry out the repair.

Sending the old parts back resulted in a $24.15 reimbursement, so the final price is $95.84.

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MacRumors also highlight that the kit is rented for a week and — if the user fails to send it back within time — Apple charges him $1,300. Furthermore, "it's inconvenient to have to deal with one 40-pound repair kit and a second 30-pound repair kit," it is not cost-effective, and Barbera — who is an average consumer — found the process difficult. The report also highlights that there were also components required by the repair manual missing from the kit, including tweezers and heat-protective gloves.

While MacRumors notes that taptic engine, speaker or camera repairs are cheaper if performed this way, it is still often not recommended to the average user. The report concludes: "Overall, for the layperson, it's probably better to take your phone to a professional for repair rather than attempting to fix it yourself."

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