Apple activates limited on-site iPhone repairs in select US cities

AppleInsider

Apple recently added an option for customers to receive on-site service for certain iPhone repairs in select metropolitan cities across the U.S., with work fulfilled by Apple Authorized Service Provider Go Tech Services.

Apple's Get Support webpage shows a new option for on-site repairs.

While repairs are not conducted by Apple itself, the new service option is a convenient and presumably expedient alternative to visiting an Apple Store or shipping a damaged device to a repair center.

Apple offers on-site repairs to enterprise customers, but until now has restricted consumer service to physical stores and mail-in service. Unlike its small business offerings, the consumer version appears limited to iPhone and is currently unavailable to owners of Apple Watch, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and HomePod.

The new feature can be accessed through Apple's Get Support webpage under "Schedule a Repair." Depending on the problem and location, Go Tech Services is listed as a viable alternative to Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers. Clicking through sends users to Go Tech Services' website, where they can schedule a meet time.

It is unclear if on-site service warrants an additional fee, as pricing information is not available on Apple or Go Tech Services websites.

As noted by MacRumors, which spotted the option earlier today, Go Tech Services on-site repairs are accessible in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco. Other areas might be covered, as Apple does not furnish a complete availability list. Whether the company intends to roll out the service nationwide is unknown.

It appears Go Tech Services is equipped to handle a limited range of repairs that at this point starts and ends with cracked front screens impacting recent generation iPhones. Other devices are not noted as eligible for on-site service on Apple's website, nor does the service selection process show on-site repair availability for other issues like water damage, cracked rear glass, malfunctioning buttons or battery replacement.

seanismorris

Very limited range of repairs as expected.

GeorgeBMac

seanismorris said:

Very limited range of repairs as expected.

Frequently Apple Stores do not even repair for many of those excluded services themselves -- they simply hand out a new or refurbished phone.   I saw that a couple months ago when I accompanied a friend who had cracked the front and back glass on his AppleCare+ covered iPhone 8+.   They simply handed him a new phone.   But maybe that makes sense:   a third party repair shop would not be able to hand out new or refurbished iPhones.   (But, at the same time, it is very strange that they would not be replacing batteries.  Weird.)  

A big question is whether they will honor apple Warranties, extended coverages and AppleCare+.

On a related topic:

That becomes a bigger question now that Apple has extended AppleCare+ coverage out indefinitely.  I just extended the AppleCare+ coverage on my iPhone 7 out on a month-to-month basis for $6.00 a month -- which is a pretty good deal on an older phone that is, like me, old and prone to break down a lot.   Plus, it likely extended the useful life of my phone -- so it may pay for itself just in that alone.  Or, in another case:  I bought my grandson an Xr with the intent of replacing it when it ran out of AppleCare+ when it was 2 years old -- but now I can simply extend the AppleCare+ coverage indefinitely -- no need to replace the phone.  There is now no more reason to replace it after 3 or 4 years than there was for after 2 years.   (In reality though, my iPhone 7 will then  be a dated, 5 year old phone when his turns 2 years old -- so I am likely to buy him a new one and take his hand-me-down Xr because he gets a lot more out of a high end, modern phone than I would.)