Apple has decided that disabling Face ID if an independent repair shop replaces your iPhone 13 screen was a step too far and has promised to resolve the problem.
When the first teardowns of the iPhone 13 appeared in later September, it was discovered that Apple had linked the screen with a microcontroller. Replacing the screen without transferring the microcontroller means Face ID is disabled on the phone. The chip transfer requires expensive microsoldering tools and training, which is beyond many independent repair shops.
The only way to ensure Face ID on your iPhone 13 continues to function is by asking Apple or an Apple Authrorized Service Provider to do the work. However, as The Verge reports, Apple has had a change of heart. A software update is now planned that will remove the need to transfer the microcontroller. It means screen replacements can be carried out at indepedent repair shops without fear of Face ID being disabled, but what we don’t know yet is when Apple intends to release this software update.
It’s unclear why Apple changed its mind, but the revelation screen replacements had been rendered almost impossible by independents wasn’t received well across the repair industry. iFixit went so far as to say the decision could “shatter the market completely” and ultimately result in shops going out of business.
