Getting an iPhone repaired at select Apple-authorized repair shops is about to get a lot faster for customers.
ComputerCare, a computer repair shop in Santa Clara, California, today announced that it has been selected as one of only three Apple Authorized Service Providers in the United States to participate in a new pilot program that will allow it to manage iPhone repair and calibration completely onsite.
As part of this pilot program, ComputerCare and two other yet to be named repair shops have received a specialized and proprietary calibration machine from Apple to ensure that iPhone repairs are fully compliant with Apple's specifications and security requirements for features such as Touch ID and Multi-Touch.
ComputerCare said the calibration machine is compatible with the iPhone 6s and newer, although Apple has been using the machines since as early as 2013. The calibration process is said to take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
With an in-house calibration machine, ComputerCare said it will be able to drastically speed up repair times for its customers, as it will no longer need to ship repaired iPhones to Apple for final testing and calibration.
"We already manage iPhone repairs at our facilities, but because of the devices' specialized security features, the current process requires them to be shipped to Apple for final testing and calibration before being returned to customers," said Georgia Rittenberg, President of ComputerCare. "Having a calibration machine onsite helps us to remove that extra step in the process and dramatically reduces turnaround times."
Apple already has iPhone calibration machines in the back of every Apple Store, enabling Genius Bar employees to perform same-day repairs for most issues. But, not every customer lives near an Apple Store, so expanding the machines to select third-party repair shops is convenient.
If the pilot program is successful, Apple will presumably consider providing a larger number of Apple Authorized Service Providers with calibration machines in the future. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
