U.S. tech giant Apple has announced it will partner with repair shops in Ukraine to license technicians to fix its proprietary devices like iPhones, MacBooks and iPads.
Today, owners of Apple devices can fix them only at unofficial repair shops. If the shops are backed by Apple, they will be safer and more reliable because they will follow official repair manuals and use the company’s genuine tech to repair basic parts like batteries, speakers and screens.
Apple said it will announce the first agreements “later this year.”
Such partnerships are part of Apple’s program called Apple’s Independent Provider launched in 2019 to support independent repair stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe. At first, the company tried to fight the unofficial technicians but faced backlash as many countries — including Ukraine — do not have official Apple stores. When they do, many Apple users cannot afford to go there.
Under this program, Apple supplies unofficial technicians with the original parts and tools they need to repair its proprietary tech. The company will also launch free training courses for businesses that fix Apple’s devices. Spare parts will cost the same as at they do in official Apple repair stores but the price of service will be lower.
Any Ukrainian store that repairs Apple’s tech can apply for the program, but it will have to get a certificate from Apple. The company said that this process is simple and free of charge.
At the same time, according to U.S. tech media Vice, businesses that join the program have to sign a contract with Apple allowing the company to conduct unannounced inspections. That way, Apple can sue stores that sell unofficial parts for its devices. Many technicians are against this and say that Apple will have too much control over their businesses.
According to Vice, Apple will continue to inspect participating repair centers for up to five years after they leave the program and can require them to share information about their customers, including names, phone numbers, and home addresses, at Apple’s request.
Ukraine doesn’t have an official Apple service center but may open one soon. Earlier in May, Apple registered a limited liability company in Ukraine and regularly publishes job vacancies based in Kyiv. The head of the registered company is listed as Roman Gumenyuk while the founder of Apple’s Ukrainian office is Apple Distribution International Limited, registered in Ireland.
Read more: Apple publishes job vacancy in Kyiv, sparking rumors of imminent store opening
Apple hasn’t officially announced its plans to open a store in Ukraine. But the company’s official distributor confirmed that Apple will open its office in Ukraine in the near future.
