The New iPad Air Is Apple's Most Important Release In Years

Apple's new iPad Air and magic keyboard.

After months of speculation about chips, specs and displays, Apple's new iPads have finally dropped. But one important question remains, do they have paired parts? If not, then the new iPads could signal a major change for all of Apple’s future devices.

For the uninitiated, Apple has some restrictions on how its devices are repaired, which has come under criticism from activists, independent repair shops and legislators.

Currently, it’s not possible to take—for example—a genuine iPhone 15 battery from one phone and place it into another without losing some features because the part hasn’t been authenticated by Apple. This means more expensive repairs, fewer options for consumers and a less environmentally friendly repair process.

This can be seen in some iPad models, too. I reported last year that the Apple Pencil won’t draw straight lines on a fifth- and sixth-generation iPad Mini if the display has been replaced without Apple's authorization.

Ricky Panesar, founder of repair specialists iCorrect.co.uk, made the discovery. “We found with the newer versions of the iPad that when you put a new screen on, even if it's taken from another iPad, the pencil strokes don't work perfectly,” Panesar explained to me at the time.

But last month, Apple announced a sudden policy reversal for “select iPhone models this fall.” In essence, that means future iPhone owners won’t be punished with warning signs or non-fully functioning devices if a repair is carried out without Apple’s authorization. The company said it did so to increase “product longevity” and minimize “the environmental impact of a repair.”

Behind the spin, the state of Oregon passed a right-to-repair law in March (which Apple objected to) that explicitly banned the practice of parts pairing. That was two weeks before Apple’s 180-degree turn.

But if Apple is making it easier to repair the iPhone for longevity and environmental reasons, surely it wants the same for all of its devices? Yesterday Apple announced a new Pencil and new iPad Air and iPad Pro models, but there’s no mention of parts pairing in any of the press materials. I asked the company if the iPads would support genuine replacement parts without losing any functionality, but it didn’t respond by the time of publishing.

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This is an important bit of missing information because it can have an effect on the long-term value of iPads and give second-hand buyers some confidence when purchasing an Apple tablet. One Redditor discovered that they couldn’t draw a straight line on their sixth-generation iPad Mini, which they bought from a reseller. Commenters explained it was likely down to an incorrect screen replacement.

As it stands, Panesar says that parts pairing can be seen right across Apple’s iPad range. “The iPad’s screen is paired with the Display IC, which directly affects the functionality of the Apple Pencil after a screen replacement. Additionally, Apple’s biometric features like Face ID and Touch ID are also paired to the logic board.”

Oregon’s right-to-repair law appears to be fairly clear on parts pairing. It says that its purpose is to stop the practice of companies that “prevent or inhibit an independent repair provider or an owner from installing or enabling the function of an otherwise functional replacement part,” by reducing “the functionality or performance of consumer electronic equipment,” or forcing gadgets to “display misleading alerts or warnings, which the owner cannot immediately dismiss, about unidentified parts.”

It applies to “consumer electronic equipment that is manufactured for the first time, and first sold or used in this state, after January 1, 2025.”

The new iPads come before the January 1, 2025 deadline, but so do the “select iPhones” (the iPhone 16) that Apple said would benefit from the policy reversal this fall. Apple has spun its change of mind as an unprompted, pro-consumer move. So if the iPad has paired parts, what is the justification? Is the longevity and environmental impact of the iPad range not as important as the iPhone's?

If Apple does indeed follow its new policy, then that will signal a broader change in the company’s entire device lineup going forward. A huge win for right-to-repair activists, independent repair shops and the environment. We will have to wait until the new tablets can be dissected by repair specialists to find out Apple's true thoughts on parts pairing.

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