Apple’s iPad Repair Parts Cost Nearly as Much as New Devices

Apple framed its expansion of the Self Service Repair program to iPads as a win for customers and a response to growing right-to-repair laws. But the pricing of those repair parts tells a different story. Independent repair technicians argue that Apple inflated the costs so much that repairing an iPad rarely makes financial sense. That raises a clear question: Is Apple technically complying with the law while making repairs practically unaffordable?

Since May, Apple has offered genuine repair parts for iPads, including the iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16). The program provides access to manuals, diagnostic tools, and replacement components like batteries, cameras, displays, and charging ports. But according to repair professionals, the real-world impact of this rollout has been underwhelming at best and intentionally obstructive at worst.

Repair Costs Undercut the Point of Repair

Brian Clark, who runs the iGuys Tech Shop, told 404 Media that Apple charges $200 for a digitizer for the iPad A16. Aftermarket versions go for about $50, and a new iPad A16 retails for $349. That pricing model leaves little room for customers or independent shops to consider repairs a viable option. A replacement screen assembly for an iPad Pro 13, for example, costs $749 from Apple, more than half the cost of a new device.

Clark argues Apple isn’t trying to support right-to-repair in spirit, only in technical compliance. “They pushed too far,” he said. “These iPad parts are by far the worst priced I’ve seen.” According to him, even basic components like charge ports, parts that fail often are marked up significantly. Apple reportedly charges $250 for an iPad Pro 11 charge port, a part that’s available in the aftermarket for under $20.

A Pattern of Discouraging Repairs?

Jonathan Strange, founder of XiRepair, conducted a cost analysis of the newly available iPad parts and found that over one-third of them aren’t economically viable for repairs. His metric: if the total repair cost, including labor and a modest profit margin, exceeds half the price of a new device, then it’s not a sustainable repair job.

Strange believes Apple sets prices to discourage repairs, not to reflect actual part value. “It doesn’t cost $250 to manufacture a charge port cable. I believe Apple prices parts based on the retail value of the device, not the cost of production,” he told 404 Media. He adds that Apple knows if the price is high enough, “no one will buy it.”

Nathan Proctor of US PIRG echoed this view, telling 404 Media that Apple’s pricing isn’t competitive and continues a long-standing approach of treating iPads as non-repairable. He noted that while design improvements for repairability are slowly taking root, Apple has historically failed to support iPad repair—even for authorized providers.

Strange also pointed out that Apple’s internal retail structure may be part of the issue. “Apple hasn’t repaired iPads not because they aren’t repairable, but because their network of retail employees isn’t trained to handle complex repairs.” He compared sending an iPad to an Apple Store for repair to asking a car salesman to fix a transmission. The result, he warns, could be more customer dissatisfaction as local repair shops prove faster, cheaper, and more competent.

Apple’s Silence Speaks Volumes

Despite multiple critical assessments and growing scrutiny, Apple has not responded to requests for comment.

Right-to-repair laws require companies to sell parts under “fair and reasonable terms,” but regulators haven’t clearly enforced them yet. For now, Apple appears to be operating within legal boundaries, even if the practice violates the spirit of the laws.

The bottom line is this: Apple made a show of opening up iPad repairs. But by pricing parts so high, it all but ensures customers will choose replacements over repairs. That may meet the letter of right-to-repair requirements, but it misses the point entirely.