Hell freezes over as Apple supports right-to-repair bill

Apple's letter also asked that the bill "focus on requiring manufacturers obligations to provide the documentation tools, and parts to enable the repairs performed by authorized repair channels, as opposed to a broader undefined scope of repairs." Apple also wants repair providers to mention when they're using "non-genuine or used" components.

The bill, as written, also requires non-authorized repairers to provide written notice of their lack of official vendor approval.

Elizabeth Chamberlain, director of sustainability at iFixit, told Ars Technica that while disclosing the use of third-party parts is reasonable, she's concerned that it "supports unnecessary fear-mongering around used and third-party parts."

"I also worry that lumping used and third-party parts together will contribute to further confusion. Apple's 'unable to verify' warnings already blur the line between those categories," she added.

In short, this bill allows Apple to encourage people to repair their devices at Apple-certified repair shops by marketing them as better than non-certified ones.

Louis Rossmann is skeptical but he read the bill draft and could not pinpoint any poison pills or potential loopholes.

It's most likely mostly that they'll have to sway that way no matter if they like it or not in Europe and they aren't going to make different phones for the different markets, so they flip the PR machine towards pretending THEM coming up with supporting right to repair, instead of being forced to by the EU.

Maybe not as hard of what they expect the EU bringing to the table and they want to get ahead and get some right yo repair on their own terms before the EU finished cooking something harsher