The beta version of iOS 18 introduces a restriction on the activation of iPhone components. If the smartphone detects that the new part belongs to another iPhone with activation lock or loss mode enabled, the calibration capabilities of this part will be limited. This was reported by 9to5Mac.

The feature links your Apple Account not only to your iPhone, but also to its components, such as the battery, cameras, and display, depending on their serial numbers.

Until now, due to Find My and the blocking of iPhone activation after a factory reset, the only thing left to do was to disassemble them and sell them for spare parts.

Of course, this won’t solve the problem completely, as it doesn’t cover all smartphone components, and there may be customers who agree not to calibrate the installed part and ignore the notifications.

However, this will greatly reduce the market for stolen iPhones, as most people will not buy a device with obvious problems. Now, a thief thinking of stealing an iPhone should understand that its location can be tracked even when the iPhone is turned off (Find My), that the device cannot be sold as a working phone (activation lock), and now its value as a “parts donor” will be much lower.