Michael Hiltzik: At long last, Apple will let you repair your iPhone, but it didn't go far enough

Consumers and tech nerds have become accustomed to obsessing on every new product release from Apple. But this week the company made an announcement that may have a bigger impact on owners of its iPhones and other devices than another sleek gadget.

For the first time since the company became a mass merchandiser — let's say since 1984 — Apple will allow consumers to perform the most common repairs on its iPhones, namely screen and battery replacements.

The change in the company's long-standing policy of forcing its device owners to go through its network of authorized repair shops or through the company itself sent shock waves through the right-to-repair community, which has fixated on Apple as its most influential foe.

"It's incredibly significant as a reversal of its policy," says