According to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors, the good news from an environmental standpoint is that it appears Apple has figured out a way to replace Face ID without having to replace the entire iPhone. The memo is basically Apple telling all authorized technicians that they will soon be able to have access to a new TrueDepth Camera service part.
This will contain all the necessary components to replace Face ID such as the front camera modules, meaning that technicians will only need to replace that part of the iPhone instead of giving customers a brand new iPhone. In the memo, Apple says that this will help reduce the number of whole-unit repairs and will help towards the company’s commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of their products.
This is also good news for customers whose iPhones may no longer be under warranty because replacing a module could be cheaper compared to having to replace the entire device, although we have no idea how much this module replacement will cost.