Earlier this year, Apple announced changes to its self-repair program to support repairs using genuine iPhone parts This included extending the Activation Lock feature to all iPhone parts, and this new feature officially landed as part of iOS 18

BetaProfiles noted this change in the release candidate build of iOS 18 that was just released to developers and public beta This change means that Activation Lock links all components of the iPhone, including the battery and camera, to the Apple account This is an attempt to eradicate the black market for iPhone parts, which sells components taken from stolen iPhones, because even if the iPhone is locked, the components still have value

However, it is unclear how long this will last Activation locks work by linking the serial numbers of individual parts to an account If an iPhone under repair is detected with a part that came with an iPhone with Lost Mode or Activation Lock enabled, calibration is restricted

As we have seen in the past, Apple has placed many hoops and obstacles in the iPhone repair process This includes software-based calibration that requires specialized software and a connection to an Apple server In the past, Apple has been accused of using such barriers to crack down on third-party repairs, and has in the past outright refused to work when certain components, such as Face ID, have not been officially calibrated

The rise of phone companies offering self-repair and increased efforts by right-to-repair activists means that iPhone repairs are available to everyone This includes calibration, but one must contact Apple to get a calibration

In theory, Activation Lock should ensure that calibration is not performed on detected stolen parts Otherwise, the component would be rendered useless or devalued

There is no doubt that some brave criminals are looking for ways to crack Apple's security But it is gratifying to see that they have created a major obstacle preventing them from profiting from stolen phones

Whether this will lead to a decrease in stolen iPhones is unpredictable, but it may increase the number of threatening messages that criminals send to force people to unlock their stolen iPhones But, well, anything that stops them from making money from stolen devices will be a good thing

Let's hope Apple hasn't snuck in any nasty surprises in the process of self-repair with legitimate parts