Apple's Australian stores will now fix faulty iPhones, iPads and Macs under warranty if they were purchased in the past two years - but don't expect the company's staff to tell you about it.

For some time Apple's standard 12-month warranty has appeared to conflict with Australian consumer law, which provides statutory warranties for a “reasonable” period of time, undermining Apple's ability to charge hundreds of dollars for AppleCare support plans that include extended warranties, as well as other services like telephone support.

Confronted by "aggressive competition" ... Apple.

On Friday, Apple's Australian retail store staff and authorised Apple resellers were notified about a change to Apple's internal policy on how it handled standard warranty claims.

Until now, many Apple consumers have reported on forums that store staff have only ever discussed with them a standard 12-month manufacturer warranty when selling, fixing or replacing Apple goods.