iphone 4s boxChinese news agency Xinhua reports that consumer organizations in the country are taking a closer look at Apple's warranty repairs, criticizing the company over a number of policies including the use of reconditioned parts rather than new ones.

According to the company's after-sale clauses, customers have to agree that Apple repairers utilize used or reconditioned parts to replace damaged parts on the products of iPhones or iPads during the repair process, the provincial consumers' council found in an industrial investigation and released the result on Tuesday.

The customers also have to agree that replaced parts will be retained by Apple, which is believed to probably reuse these parts to repair other products, the result said.

Apple has faced similar criticism in other countries, with Apple executive Farrel Farhoudi having testified before the South Korean parliament on the company's use of refurbished devices as warranty replacements. Apple ultimately changed its policies in South Korea, with customers whose iPhones are deemed defective during the warranty period now receiving new units rather than refurbished ones as replacements.

Top Rated Comments

Tboogh Avatar
172 months ago
If the repaired unit functions as new and has the same life cycle as a new one what's the difference. I praise Apple for not wasting resources on new parts when existing ones will do just fine. This is a perfectly good way to handle defective units and is environmentally sound.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrStern Avatar
172 months ago
I don't understand why this matters

Why should it matter? So long as the parts are in perfect working condition and similarly guaranteed, who cares? What is Apple supposed to do with all the perfectly good parts on replaced items? Throw them in a landfill?

If a one year old machine is replaced under warranty, why shouldn't the customer get another one year old machine that is in perfect condition and guaranteed just the same as the one he or she replaced?

To me, this is just common sense. I don't get the objections.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mondongo Avatar
172 months ago
Chill out, people…

This is not an Apple exclusive practice. IBM has been doing the exact same thing for several years with their AS/400’s, iSeries, now Power Systems and Z series, which are mainframes. And the enterprise customers that have these systems pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in yearly maintenance costs.

The maintenance AND purchase contracts clearly specify that even BRAND NEW MACHINES may contain refurbished parts at IBM’s discretion. This has NEVER been an issue in my many years of experience, and nobody gives it a second thought.

This practice makes perfect sense both from a cost-effectiveness AND an environmental point of view. :cool:
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OtherJesus Avatar
172 months ago
And if Apple tossed perfectly good parts into landfills they would be sued for that too. What a joke. I'd rather a company use perfectly good parts instead of wasting more resources and energy to produce "brand new" ones that could just as easily fail.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dampfnudel Avatar
172 months ago
If your iPhone becomes defective during the warranty period, you should receive a new unit, not a refurbished one.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ATDistinction Avatar
172 months ago
As far as I see it, Apple could be like other phone manufacturers and only repair and not replace... I'm happy with the refurbished phones.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 17 Pro Max Teardown Reveals Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 Modem for 5G

Friday September 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone Air is equipped with Apple's custom C1X modem for cellular connectivity, all of the iPhone 17 models are outfitted with Qualcomm modems still. A teardown video shared on Chinese platform Bilibili today (via Reddit) appears to confirm the iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem in particular. The same modem is likely used in the iPhone 17 and iPhone ...
iphone 17 pro max techwoven

Here Are The Best Cases You Can Buy for Your New iPhone 17 and iPhone Air

Friday September 19, 2025 6:46 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhones launch today, and there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to protecting your new device from drops and scratches. In this article, we're taking a look at some of the best options for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air cases, as well as a few charging accessories. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design Draws Criticism From Users

Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected. Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update. Complaints There are a long...
iphone 17 pro inside

iPhone 17 Teardowns Confirm SIM and eSIM-Only Battery Capacities

Friday September 19, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
YouTube channel REWA Technology today shared an iPhone 17 Pro teardown video, offering a closer look inside the model with a SIM card tray. We are still waiting for repair website iFixit to share a more comprehensive teardown of the latest iPhone models, but this video provides a good look in the meantime. The device features various internal design changes, including larger rear camera...