Apple has always had an idiosyncratic relationship with iPhone repair, from banning phone repairs for good reasons to suddenly allowing Face ID repairs. By the way, now it can be repaired on any iPhone. Like it or not, the face recognition scanner is one of the most important features in an Apple smartphone. Probably, in the current conditions, such a smartphone will be an excellent way out for many, because the stocks of Apple equipment are slowly coming to an end and you need to look for alternative solutions. We understand what has changed in Apple’s repair policy, what will happen if the face recognition scanner is not repaired and Should I buy an iPhone without Face ID?.
Repair Face ID in iPhone X
At the end of February, Apple announced that it had changed the rules for Face ID repair: previously, the smartphone could not be repaired, and instead you were given a completely new one. Face ID was not replaceable, which caused the display to stop working in the smartphone. A little later, all specialists in service centers got access to Face ID repair, however, everything was limited only to smartphones, starting with the iPhone XS and newer. At the same time, there were still options for repairing this component. For example, our Apple Pro friends can repair Face ID and do it very inexpensively. We even wrote a separate article about how repairs are made. It is very interesting.
At first, Apple forgot about the iPhone X, but not for long: on April 6, 2022, Apple added the first frameless smartphone to the repair program. Thus, the company is going to increase the life of smartphones in order to reduce the carbon footprint of its production. The consequence of this is precisely the increased maintainability of the iPhone – as you remember, it has practically not changed for many years (we wrote about this in our article). Thanks to this indicator, the smartphone can be repaired at the nearest service center.
Here are the prices for iPhone repair (by model)
Can I use iPhone without Face ID
Although the smartphone will be working, its functions will be partially limited. What won’t work?
- For example, you can forget about quick unlock – you will first have to swipe the screen up, and then enter the pin code.
- The same is with authorization in banking applications and in cloud storage. You have to enter a code.
- Payment Apple Pay doesn’t work in Russiabut if she suddenly returns, Face ID will not work.
- You won’t be able to create animoji, only ready-made stickers that are already in iOS.
Despite this, the iPhone will still remain safe, because in fact Face ID is an addition to the passcode, more precisely, its secure alternative. Please note that you can disable Face ID in iPhonebut you can’t disable the passcode.
What inexpensive iPhone to buy
Right now, the price of the iPhone in Russian retail is decreasing and there is a great opportunity to buy the same iPhone at pre-crisis prices. True, there won’t be enough iPhones for everyone, so you will need to somehow get out. The best way to save is to buy iPhone with non-working Face ID, and then contact the service center to replace the module. For example, in Apple Pro.
All of this will cost noticeably less than a new iPhone right now. You can also try buy used iPhone with a broken Face ID on Avito, but there is a risk of getting a dead smartphone, in which you will not limit yourself to just replacing the face recognition scanner. In any case, choose your smartphone carefully.
Another way buy an inexpensive iPhone is to order it from Aliexpress: sellers offer smartphones, among which there are many that have already been discontinued. For example, iPhone X (we recently wrote about it), iPhone XR or iPhone XS.
You should pay attention to them if smartphones run out in stores: the reviews say that the product is of really high quality and there are no problems with its operation. True, such devices can be a little more expensive, but here are some options for you at a nice price.
If we used to worry about which iPhone to choose, then now it’s not up to it: iPhones are gradually ending, which means that we will begin to appreciate the devices more than we did before. Some users will probably switch to Android, others will buy iPhones at exorbitant prices in order to have access to new technologies. I’m sure most would still prefer to stop change iPhone every year and will start repairing them to extend the life of the smartphone and save money. The main thing is to choose a good service center. Otherwise it will turn out, as in this story.
