Danish Competition Authority Closes Apple Repair Probe After Commitments to Open iPhone Repairs

Key Takeaways

• Apple’s Repair Rules Raised Competition Concerns: Danish regulators preliminarily found that Apple’s control over parts, software, and repair messaging may have restricted competition for iPhone repairs by limiting full functionality to Apple-approved inputs.
• Commitments Resolve the Case Without a Finding: Apple disputed the allegations but offered commitments that the Authority accepted, closing the case without a formal decision that competition rules were breached.
• Broader Access to Full-Function Repairs: Apple committed to allowing all repairers to restore full iPhone functionality using new or used, original or non-original parts, without artificial technical barriers.
• Neutral Repair Messaging for Consumers: Apple will display only objective, factual, and non-discriminatory repair messages, removing warnings that could undermine trust in independent repairers.
• Potential Benefits for Consumers and Repairers: Regulators expect the commitments to expand repair options, strengthen competition, and put downward pressure on repair prices over time.

Deep Dive

Danish competition regulators have brought their long-running investigation into Apple’s iPhone repair practices to a close, after the company agreed to a set of commitments aimed at making repairs easier and more competitive in Denmark.

The case, led by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority, examined whether Apple’s control over spare parts and software had restricted competition for iPhone repairs, particularly for devices repaired outside Apple’s own network. While the Authority stopped short of finding a breach of competition law, it concluded that Apple’s commitments were sufficient to address its concerns and improve conditions in the repair market.

At the heart of the investigation was how iPhones behaved after being repaired with parts or software not supplied by Apple. According to the Authority, between at least November 2018 and December 2024, repairs to key components such as screens, batteries, and cameras could only restore full functionality if new original Apple parts and Apple’s software tools were used. Repairs carried out without Apple’s input often resulted in disabled features and warning messages stating that an “unknown part” had been installed, which were notifications the Authority said could undermine consumer trust in third-party repairs.

For years, Apple tightly controlled who could perform iPhone repairs. Initially, only Apple itself could carry out full repairs. That changed in 2018, when Apple allowed Apple Authorized Service Providers to repair iPhones using Apple’s systems, including access to its Global Service Exchange software to verify and calibrate original spare parts. In 2019, Apple extended similar access to Independent Repair Providers.

Even so, Danish regulators remained concerned that repairers outside Apple’s ecosystem, particularly those using used original parts or non-original components. faced structural disadvantages. In its preliminary assessment, the Authority said Apple’s practices may have reduced competitive pressure from those repairers, shielding Apple’s own repair network and spare parts business from competition.

The Authority’s theory of harm was straightforward. By limiting full functionality to repairs using Apple’s own inputs, Apple may have weakened competing repair services, raised the price of spare parts, and pushed up overall repair costs. Higher prices, in turn, may have nudged some consumers toward buying new iPhones instead of repairing existing ones, while excluding certain repairers from offering full-functionality repairs altogether.

Regulators said this conduct could amount to an abuse of a dominant position in a market for inputs needed to repair iPhones to full functionality in the EEA, potentially breaching both Danish competition law and EU competition rules. Apple strongly disagreed with that assessment, maintaining that it had not infringed competition law.

Rather than pursue a formal infringement decision, the Authority accepted a package of commitments offered by Apple, concluding that they adequately addressed the competition concerns and made the case suitable for resolution without further enforcement.

Under the commitments, Apple has agreed not to introduce artificial barriers into the repair process, regardless of whether repairs are carried out using new or used parts, original or non-original components, or by Apple-affiliated or independent repairers. Apple will also ensure that correctly installed parts can achieve the full functionality permitted by the part itself, irrespective of who performed the repair.

Crucially, Apple has committed to changing how iPhones communicate repair information to users. Post-repair messages must now be objective, factual, and non-discriminatory, ensuring that devices no longer cast doubt on repairs simply because Apple’s own parts or software were not used.

The Danish Competition Council said the commitments are likely to have a tangible impact on the repair market. Chair Christian Schultz said consumers and businesses could see lower repair prices and more choice, while independent repairers may gain new opportunities.

“Our preliminary assessment was that Apple’s conduct may have enabled higher prices for spare parts and influenced consumers to replace devices rather than repair them,” Schultz said. “With these commitments, all repairers will be able to repair iPhones without Apple placing artificial barriers in the way.”

The Authority stressed that the case does not amount to a finding that Apple violated competition rules. Because the matter was resolved through commitments, regulators did not make a final determination on the relevant market or formally conclude that Apple abused a dominant position.

While competition cases against large technology companies are often pursued at the EU level, Danish regulators noted that national authorities remain free to act. In this instance, Denmark’s high iPhone usage made the domestic market particularly relevant.

The Authority expects Apple’s commitments to strengthen access to iPhone repairs in Denmark, increase consumer choice, and make repairing an iPhone a more attractive alternative to buying a new one, which would be a shift that could reshape how the country’s iPhones are fixed in the years to come.

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