Third Party iPhone Repair Solutions

When the iPhone was first released there was a flash in the pan about the non-user-replaceable battery, much like with the iPod. People complained about Apple being the only place where they could get battery replacements, the amount Apple charged for the service and the amount of time Apple said the task would take. Much like with the iPod, this did not last long.

It was only a matter of weeks before the first third party iPhone battery replacement services popped up and their offer was far more attractive than Apple's in many ways.
As a manufacturer of both hardware and software that powers it, Apple has always been in a position where it could easily choke the life out of third party solutions and dominate large sections of its platform with ease. Apple could easily have done this with both repairs and accessories, for both the iPod and the iPhone. Instead, the company's prices and terms make it profitable both for them and for third parties, which can offer a better deal while still turning a profit.

For both Mac and iPods, there are many companies that handle repairs, upgrades and support, so it was only a matter of time until the same happened for iPhones. Companies such as iResQ, providing repair and upgrade services for iPods, PowerBooks, iBooks, MacBooks and the Apple TV, have announced iPhone repair services.
iResQ said that iPhone repairs will be performed within 24 hours of receipt at the iResQ repair facility in Kansas City and customers are provided with the appropriate shipping materials and pre-paid labels to safely transport the units around the country.
"Per customer demand, we've redesigned our packaging to accept several combinations of iPhones and/or iPods. Customers with multiple items can use one iBox to get the broken units to us" said Kyle Baccus, Operations Manager at iResQ.

Much like with all its products, the iPhone will give birth to a healthy market of services and products, where Apple will be one of many available solutions.