Apple and its service partners can now repair Face ID on an iPhone without replacing the entire device, allowing the company to offer cheaper and more environmentally sustainable means of device repairs to customers.
As MacRumors reported last week, Apple Stores and authorized service providers would soon be receiving parts of the TrueDepth Camera system, including the front-facing camera and Face ID.
In a new memo seen by MacRumors today, Apple said it has begun to send out those parts to authorized service providers and Apple Stores, allowing for Face ID repairs without whole-unit replacement. Repair prices will vary depending on the service provider, location, and device. The new repair option is available only for the iPhone XS and later. The iPhone X, which marked the birth of Face ID, is not supported.
Apple said that the new repair option is not available in Argentina, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad, and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The memo did not offer any timetable for when availability may expand to other countries.