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Here’s some good news for those of you still rocking an iPhone X: Apple has reportedly started offering repairs for the phone’s Face ID module without needing to replace the entire handset. The fact that Face ID repairs once required a full device replacement was likely a huge headache for a lot of iPhone X users, as it meant repairs weren’t cheap or particularly easy. Not only that, but at a time when much of the world seems to be turning its focus toward reducing tech waste, Apple’s policy of fully replacing phones that needed new Face ID modules likely didn’t sit well with a lot of owners.
Apple’s move to repairing Face ID sensors without full device replacements is a relatively new thing itself, as rumors of its rollout only started surfacing in February. At the time, a MacRumors report claimed that Apple and third-party repair technicians would be able to replace Face ID modules without having to replace the entire device, but that such repairs would be limited to iPhone XS and newer, leaving the iPhone X out in the cold. Now, thanks to MacRumors once more, we’re learning that Apple has updated its repair policies to include the iPhone X.
Too little, too late for Apple’s Face ID repair program?
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MacRumors claims to have seen a memo that says the iPhone X’s Face ID system can now be repaired without an entire device swap but provides little extra context — not that it’s needed in this case, as this is a fairly small change in the grand scheme of things.
One has to wonder if this updated policy is coming around the bend a little too late, though. The iPhone X was first released in 2017, meaning the device is a little over four years old at this point. It’s old enough that Apple doesn’t sell it anymore — the oldest iPhone you can get from the company currently is the iPhone 11, which is two generations newer than the iPhone X.
Still, this change won’t be entirely worthless. The iPhone X is still a solid phone, and it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that many still use it as a daily driver (albeit after swapping out an aging battery or two). This new policy will help ensure that any remaining iPhone X handsets in use won’t have to be thrown out entirely when their Face ID modules go bad, which is good, but we can’t help but wish Apple would have rolled out this new repair policy years ago.
