Today, Apple announced that it’s partnering with Best Buy in a push to expand its service network. Customers can now choose from nearly 1,000 Best Buy stores across the US for service and repairs on Apple products. As part of the expansion, Best Buy’s Geek Squad has nearly 7,600 newly Apple-certified technicians, who can make same-day iPhone repairs and service other Apple products. As we learned this spring, Best Buy will also collect iPhones for recycling.
The partnership will be especially appreciated in places where the closest Apple store is hours away — like Yuma, Ariz; Sioux City, Iowa; and Twin Falls, Idaho — or the line at the Genius Bar is longer than you’d like. Though, in addition to Apple retail stores there are over 1,800 third-party authorized service providers in the US. That’s three times as many locations as three years ago, and according to the company, eight out of 10 Apple customers will be within 20 minutes of an authorized service provider.