WiGoMan Blog - Tech Care (Repair, Reuse, Recycle) Industry Leader

The warning signs appeared in late September 2021 when Apple stunned the tech repair industry with a small piece of software that would disable Face ID if you were to replace the front screen assembly on an iPhone 13 -- even if you used a screen from another iPhone. This is a process known as part serialization that requires the tech working on a device to sync the serial number of the part to the device. A process that can only be done by the OEM (in this case Apple). This wasn't Apples first move to disrupt the tech repair industry. FIRST MOVE: PART SERIALIZATION Part serialization is not new to Apple or to other OEMs. The tech repair industry first saw it with Apple battery replacements back in August 2019 . Here again the tech needs to sync the part to the device -- a process that can only be completed by authorized representatives of the OEM. If the part is not properly authenticated then the user would get an error message followed by certain features not working. In this c...

The Tech Care Association (TCA) issued a dual appeal to Apple today (11/30/21) to open it's repair program to independent tech repair locations. They have also asked Apple to make progress on its decision by the end of this year so that the tens of thousands of small business people in the industry can make better plans for their future. This two pronged appeal from the TCA consists of a video message and an open letter to the CEO of Apple, Mr. Tim Cook, and its board of directors. The video (below) has a personal message from TCA founder & CEO Rob Link as well as messages from various industry people who articulate their message well on why Apple should work with our industry. Here is the YouTube Video: In the letter to Mr. Cook and the Apple board of directors Mr. Link points out the tremendous accomplishments that the independent tech repair industry have given to Apple over the years. As stated in an earlier post on the TCA blog he believes that "Tech Repair Peop...