iFixit Giving Away 1,776 "iPhone Liberation Kits"

netbuzz writes "In a clever bit of self-promotion, the do-it-yourself repair evangelists at iFixit announced today that they will be giving away 1,776 free 'iPhone liberation kits' that will allow Apple customers access to the inner workings of their devices by replacing the difficult-to-remove pentalobe screws with standard Phillips screws. 'Get a free insurance policy,' iFixit says. 'In the unfortunate event that your iPhone needs repair, you will be set to make any necessary fix. For situations when you need to get the battery out of your iPhone as quickly as possible—such as after dropping the device into water—you will be ready.'"

Comments

why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Trepidity]

I agree it's annoying that the screws are a nonstandard kind. But this "liberation kit" consists of:

1. A pentalobe screwdriver that lets you operate the iPhone screws.

2. Some Philips head screws that you can replace the pentalobe screws with.

But once you have #1, why do you need to do #2?

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[dwightk]

then you don't have to keep the screwdriver with you

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[idontgno]

Indeed.

If you've been handcuffed and finally get the keys, why would you put the cuffs back on, even if you still have the keys? Throw away those shackles.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Anonymous Coward]

I get the feeling you can count to "potato."

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[CastrTroy]

Also, if you're going to bother replacing the screws, why not replace them with something good like torx, hex(allen key), or Robertson? Basically, anything other than phillips and slotted.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Trepidity]

But you're still putting some cuffs back on! Just different cuffs that use a different key. I'll admit it's a key that more people own, so it could be useful to e.g. open the phone at a friend's house.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[BasilBrush]

Because phillips heads are easily damaged when screwing and unscrewing them. And pentalobe aren't.

If you think that screws using a better but less popular standard are "handcuffs", then you're a bit of a drama queen.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[jklovanc]

Because torx, hex(allen key), and Robertson are much less common than philips. The whole reason for the kit is to use an easy to find tool (philips screwdriver) rather than a hard to find tool (pentalobe screwdriver). That objective would be defeated if the hard to find tool was replaced by an almost equally hard to find tool. Small philips screwdrivers are easy to find. Small torx, hex or robertson are not so easy to find.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you've been handcuffed and finally get the keys, why would you put the cuffs back on, even if you still have the keys?

Some people like handcuffs.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Jaime2]

We already have Torx for that.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[icebike]

Because phillips heads are easily damaged when screwing and unscrewing them. And pentalobe aren't.

If you think that screws using a better but less popular standard are "handcuffs", then you're a bit of a drama queen.

And if you think Apple chose pentalobe because Phillips was easily damaged, you are delusional.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Capt.DrumkenBum]

Torx is NOT better.
If I ever find the bastard that decided that it was a good idea to use Torx on my Jeep I will beat him to death with a sack full of the Torx bolts I have broken or stripped over the years.
If there is even one Jeep Wrangler owner on the jury I will get away with it too. Followed by a parade in my honour.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Joce640k]

But once you have #1, why do you need to do #2?

Because the TSA will confiscate your #1.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[CanHasDIY]

Because phillips heads are easily damaged when screwing and unscrewing them.

Probably because you're using the wrong size bit for the job.

Or, the little bugger is so rust-caked that it has become one with the surface it fastens to. In which case, it doesn't really matter what kind of bit you use (unless it's an Easy-Out).

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[BitZtream]

Right, because switching to pentalobe stopped how many people from taking apart an iPhone?

Let me answer for you:

0, zero, zilch, nada, not a fucking single person who WANTED to disassemble their iPhone was stopped by this change.

Contrary to whatever silly fantasy world you live in, 99.9999% of the population DOES NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT DISASSEMBLING THEIR PHONE. They just use the damn thing.

If you think Apple chose pentalobe (which has been a standard screw type available my entire life) to stop people from opening up their case to replace the soldered in battery, you're just a moron.

ProTip: I have pentalobe drivers from my father that are older than I am. They are not uncommon in older high end cameras where you need tiny screws that don't strip when you breath on them hard.

Phillips is designed for low quality, high volume assembly line work. Read that over and over again until you understand why apple doesn't use them anymore, on anything.

Oh, and my local Ace Hardware carries a pentalobe driver set, seems like they would have picked an obscure head rather than something I can pickup tools for at the hardware store down the street ... don't you think?

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[danlip]

I don't know what you are doing, and I am not familiar with Jeeps, but I have never stripped a torx and I have stripped hundreds of phillips heads. I would outlaw phillips heads if I could.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[ArcadeMan]

Nothing beats Robertson drive.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[BitZtream]

If you are so clumsy/accident prone that when you buy a phone, you're worried about being able to open it quickly to remove the battery because it got wet ...

Then you probably shouldn't be so stupid as to buy an iPhone in the first place, don't you think?

I can say this safely because there is no fucking way you're going to open the case faster than the water causes damage, no matter how quick or what screws you have. Even if you have the screw driver in your hand, with whatever head you want, and I drop your phone in glass of water in front of you, you will not get it open before the damage is done.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[BitZtream]

1) How often are you opening your phone? WHY are you opening your phone so often that you need to have a screwdriver handy?

2) I've never, in my life, seen anyone who has given a fuck about the screws when buying a used device. None of the reselling sites care, no one cares out side of the tiny group of slashdotters who aren't going to buy one anyway. No one pays extra for phillips screws versus pentalobe because .... ALL THE REPAIR SITES ALREADY HAVE PENTALOBE DRIVERS to deal with all the phones they get that are normal.

You don't have any good reasons and you're struggling to make them up.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[kimvette]

The problem is most industries mis-use phillips heads. They are specifically designed to cam out.

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives

> Created by Henry F. Phillips, the Phillips screw drive was purposely designed to cam out when the screw stalled[citation needed], to prevent the fastener damaging the work or the head, instead damaging the driver. This was caused by the relative difficulty in building torque limiting into the early drivers.

Your statement is akin to blaming violent crimes on guns, or blaming obesity on spoons. Blame the manufacturers who spec phillips head screws and bolts into their assemblies.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[geminidomino]

I don't think so, Tim.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Above]

That's not quite accurate...

Phillips was designed for things that were generally designed to be assembled once, and not disassembled. For instance the "cam out" behavior is commonly used with special electric drivers for installing drywall in homes. If the drywall ever has to come down, there's no backing out screws. The drywall gets ripped down and the screws pulled out with a hammer.

If you look at the products that use phillips for assembly they are generally not intended to be field repaired. Think of a phillips as a replacement for a nail, or rivet, not some other sort of threaded fastener. In this context stripping the head was never a design concern, since removing the fastener was never a design concern. It's like saying rivets are bad because they have to be drilled out; that's kind of the point of using one.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[UnknowingFool]

Right, because switching to pentalobe stopped how many people from taking apart an iPhone?

Wouldn't the answer be anyone who didn't have a pentalobe screwdriver? It doesn't permanently prevent anyone determined to get inside an iPhone as they can just buy one of these screwdrivers as they are not in a normal set.

If you think Apple chose pentalobe (which has been a standard screw type available my entire life) to stop people from opening up their case to replace the soldered in battery, you're just a moron.

No I think that Apple is betting on human nature. The more steps you put into a procedure the less likely the average person will complete the procedure. It's the same reason why syncing an iPhone/iPod is one step: plug in the cable. Now it doesn't take a genius to complete a second step like clicking on a "Sync" button. However that extra step discourages people.

I bought an iPod years ago to hold my entire music collection. My brother bought a Dell model. At the time, he was boasting the superiority of his device. Two years later I was still using my iPod. He kept his in a drawer. It was too much of a hassle to keep it updated, he said.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[BasilBrush]

So let me get this straight -- are you putting forth the argument that Apple chose to use pentalobe screws for their customers' convenience? That they wanted to ensure that the heads wouldn't be stripped by the frequent screwing/unscrewing that they could expect?

The world is more complicated than the single reason for everything attitude of most posters.

For sure Pentalobe was chosen to discourage ordinary users from opening their devices. Yet it presents no barrier for techies, whether in the employ of Apple or not.

And it IS a better screw design, less easily damaged, whoever opens up the device.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[msauve]

Amateurtip:

I have pentalobe drivers from my father that are older than I am. They are not uncommon in older high end cameras where you need tiny screws that don't strip when you breath on them hard...
Oh, and my local Ace Hardware carries a pentalobe driver set...

Come back when you known the difference between Apple's proprietary pentalobe head, and whatever you're confusing it with.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[wile_e8]

If you think Apple chose pentalobe (which has been a standard screw type available my entire life) to stop people from opening up their case to replace the soldered in battery, you're just a moron.

ProTip: I have pentalobe drivers from my father that are older than I am. They are not uncommon in older high end cameras where you need tiny screws that don't strip when you breath on them hard.

Are you sure about that? I thought Apple created and patented their own non-standard pentalobe screws and only sells the screwdrivers to Apple techs. It was specifically designed to not work with the screwdrivers available for camera repair or at Ace Hardware. There are many standard screws which are just as high-quality as the Apple pentalobe, going this route only serves to hinder any unauthorized "tampering" with the devices.

I guess I can never underestimate the spin Apple fans will go through to argue that Apple's user-hostile policies are actually good for you.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Em Adespoton]

Right, because switching to pentalobe stopped how many people from taking apart an iPhone?

Wouldn't the answer be anyone who didn't have a pentalobe screwdriver? It doesn't permanently prevent anyone determined to get inside an iPhone as they can just buy one of these screwdrivers as they are not in a normal set.

If you think Apple chose pentalobe (which has been a standard screw type available my entire life) to stop people from opening up their case to replace the soldered in battery, you're just a moron.

No I think that Apple is betting on human nature. The more steps you put into a procedure the less likely the average person will complete the procedure. It's the same reason why syncing an iPhone/iPod is one step: plug in the cable. Now it doesn't take a genius to complete a second step like clicking on a "Sync" button. However that extra step discourages people.

I bought an iPod years ago to hold my entire music collection. My brother bought a Dell model. At the time, he was boasting the superiority of his device. Two years later I was still using my iPod. He kept his in a drawer. It was too much of a hassle to keep it updated, he said.

A normal set of screwdrivers doesn't include a Jeweler's size 2 Philip's head driver. You need to get a custom set to get it.
However, the pentagram set that came with my drill/driver set handles pentalobular screws just fine. Sure, it doesn't fit all along the outside edge, but the interior angles line up, which gives more than enough torque.

Then again, I've used a few sizes of slotted head drivers to take apart everything for years; even used them to take apart a Mac Plus (Torx) back in the day to fix the infamous solder issue (they used cold solder on stress points on a fanless PC). Slotted drivers have the benefit of also being able to break traces on circuit boards when needed, slice through wiring, and do just about anything else you want -- assuming they're properly hardened. Been using the same set for the last 20 years (my previous sets weren't properly hardened, and I kept chipping them).

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[icebike]

Phillips was designed for things that were generally designed to be assembled once, and not disassembled.

Not true. Phillips was absolutely not designed for things that were never taken apart.

And drywall screws (ala buglehead screws) are easy to remove with a power driver, even those damaged by too much torque when installed, because the reverse plane of each slot is not damaged by to much forward torque. (I've removed entire walls of drywall which other workers put up by mistake before the insulation was installed.)

Yes, Phillips was designed to cam out before too much damage was inflicted, but that was only assured by screw hardness. Soft screws would often take the entire lobe out with too much torque.

Phillips is an industrial standard designed to solve the problem of the screw driver slipping out of the slot. It was never intended nor represented to be non-removable. That it occasionally is speaks to cheap materials.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[sootman]

Slotted FTW! I want to be able to get into my phone with the same tool I use to remove lightswitch covers -- a butter knife. :-)

(This is this reason my mom started keeping a screwdriver w/ interchangeable bits in the silverware drawer -- because that's where my dad always went when he needed to unscrew something.)

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Em Adespoton]

Exactly. And that ignores the fact that it's a 15-minute (or longer) process to get the battery out of an iPhone.
If you were going to get your phone wet, and then immediately try to stop the damage, you'd do better to have a bag of rice on hand to drop it into.

Indeed... I've actually (successfully) pulled this trick. Just don't touch the buttons on the device, even to turn it off, prior to the rice trick. One device where I pressed the buttons was bricked because of it (even though I was attempting to turn it off) -- one device I've tried it on, as soon as I realized it was dunked, it went in a bag of rice for 3 days. THEN it got taken apart to ensure there weren't hidden pockets of water. THEN reassembled, recharged, and turned on.

If you start fiddling with screws on a wet electronics device, you're, well, screwed. You're more likely to let water IN to where it's not supposed to be than to keep it OUT.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Em Adespoton]

We *won* a Macbook a few years ago - got it for free - so I figured I couldn't go wrong . . . and so many things are wrong, all the time. My wife uses it for iPhoto, and that's about it.

I encountered exactly the same "Why would you want to do that?" responses to *any* question I asked of Apple support or the company making the one accessory I was foolish enough to buy (won't even dignify them by adding their name). If it's not in the application, then nobody could possibly want it, and if it is, then nobody could possibly want it differently.

As someone who's been using Macs for more years than most current Apple employees have been employed at Apple, I can tell you there are always things to love to hate. However, the mindset among people like me is different from the Apple passivists, the Linux tweakers and the Windows powerusers -- When you look at Apple products as "they've packed all sorts of potential in, and then coated it with a 'don't scratch this' exterior," you start to see how you can reclaim the device for yourself. I don't tend to use a lot of Apple add-on software; having a BSD background, I DO tend to tweak the underlying systems a lot. I've also modified my share of Apple motherboards (to add components I then write drivers for, tweak functionality, etc).

In sort, if you get the response of "Why would you want to do that?" the question is either legitimate (so that you can be pointed to the best method of doing what you want) or you're asking the wrong people.

The bits I still haven't bothered fixing are global paste middleclick (there's a third party solution for that), fixing power management security, and re-jigging the way iCloud works with my local keychains so that I'm the one in final control of my data and security, not Apple.

These things can be done though, I just haven't found them worth the effort (I've been command-c/v/xing since the Apple ][ days, long before working in X with a mouse).

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[xiong.chiamiov]

Contrary to whatever silly fantasy world you live in, 99.9999% of the population DOES NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT DISASSEMBLING THEIR PHONE. They just use the damn thing.

They use it until they crack the screen; then they want a non-broken phone.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Princeofcups]

If you think that screws using a better but less popular standard are "handcuffs", then you're a bit of a drama queen.

Don't worry. Most of the people complaining about "handcuffs" don't even own iPhones. They just enjoy bitching about Apple.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[jklovanc]

Take a look at the picture on the right of this page. Do you think all those Allen keys would fit the iPhone screw? Only one might. Allen Keys come in different sizes and you have to have the right size.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[Plumpaquatsch]

The you can find drivers for the replacement screws at any hardware store or even Walmart, and any computer geek already has a set.

Yup. Right next to their pentalobe driver.

Re:why replace once you have the screwdriver?

[readingaccount]

Some people like handcuffs.

Handcuffs can be a lot of fun though, particularly during certain sexual activities. But if you're unlucky and want to be freed, you might find the handcuffer is more interested in keeping you locked up on the bed while they rifling through your drawers and valuables, leaving you naked and restrained against your will. If you're REALLY unlucky, they might even pee on you while they do it.

Not sure where I'm going with this...

Problems with statutory rights

[gnasher719]

In the EU, including Britain, the customer has certain rights against the seller to fix problems even after the manufacturer's warranty runs out. An essential part of this is that the seller has to fix problems for some time if the buyer can prove that the problem was there when the item was purchased.

Now you turn up with your iPhone not working and all the screws replaced. "Hey Apple (or O2, or Vodaphone, or whoever sold it), the phone doesn't work and it sure must be your fault because I never opened it". "So how do you explain that all the screws have been replaced? You most definitely opened that phone. "

Re:Problems with statutory rights

[cockpitcomp]

Just explain that replaced one screw at a time, therefore, the phone was never "open". The great thing about phone companies is they are always very understanding of their customers and willing to work with you rationally.

Re:Problems with statutory rights

[K. S. Kyosuke]

And these screws are tiny, and what are the bets they are gone when you need them?

Want another quick and witty comeback? You keep them in the same box where you keep the warranty card. Because, you know, you have to keep *that* one anyway.

Did Father Steve approve of this?!?!?

[TWiTfan]

The rest of you can burn in Hell if you want, but in THIS house, we stick to Father Steve's teachings.

Re:I liberated myself from iPhone

[cockpitcomp]

This kit is for libattery not liberty.

It's about time

[roc97007]

I've been fixing ipods for years as a side business. [1] I don't make enough to be worth my time. The only reason I do it is that it offends me that such a popular device is considered disposable when the parts that break/wear out are replaceable. It seems to me that someone could really make a go at this, and I'm very happy that someone is.

[1] If you're interested, the things most needing replacement in my experience are (a) the cheap plastic headphone jack (b) the battery and (c) the screen in that order. All the parts and the tools you need have been available online for some time (although they used to be hard to find; common now) and it's not hard to do. But I can sometimes see why Apple doesn't want you to look inside. For instance, the commercial Sandisk SD card soldered onto the circuit board of the ipod mini. (They didn't even bother to take the label off.)

Re:It's about time

[xiong.chiamiov]

Hi! We're trying to build out a comprehensive set of resources for people wanting to start a repair business ([1], [2]), and we'd love to have any feedback or suggestions you might have. Information on the most common repairs, like what you've just provided, is an excellent example of the type of thing we're wanting to make more common knowledge.

Re:I liberated myself from iPhone

[amicusNYCL]

I liberated myself from iPhone

It's such a weird promotion.

The latest iPhone designs use proprietary pentalobe screws that do not allow customers to open up their devices. Although you have purchased your phone, you do not have the ability to open it up to repair it.

Well yeah, if you have the right tools then you sure do have the ability to open it. It's not magic.

In the unfortunate event that your iPhone needs repair, you will be set to make any necessary fix.

No, not really. You'll be set to open up the phone using a different screwdriver. Congratulations.

For situations when you need to get the battery out of your iPhone as quickly as possible—such as after dropping the device into water—you will be ready.

Ready to go find a screwdriver. But not the one that opens the original screws, the other screwdriver that opens the new screws. Congratulations on your newfound freedom.

When people see your iPhone, in all it's liberated glory, they will know that you don't stand for restrictions on your hardware .

Not really. Since you have an iPhone at all then people will know that you really don't care about restrictions, or you wouldn't have gone with an iPhone. The kind of screws on the phone don't affect that.

You believe that repair choices should be up to the owner, that repair should be easy, accessible, and affordable.

But then you said "Fuck all that", and bought an iPhone anyway.

Re:Warranty

[gnasher719]

I assume with the turn of a screw you also void the warranty?

No. For warranty the manufacturer would have to prove that you caused the damage. For statutory rights in the EU after the warranty runs out _you_ have to prove that _you_ didn't cause it.

Re:you've not seen what most officers use, hinge c

[Em Adespoton]

It sounds like you are only with one type, chain cuffs. They were popular for a few decades.
They could be opened with a wire while wearing them,especially if not double locked.

Most cuffs before and since don't have the chain in the middle, so if applied correctly it's nearly impossible to TOUCH the keyhole, much less pick it. If you can get the sound your butt and legs, you might be able to learn to pick them while holding the pick in your mouth.

I sure hope you typed that on an iPhone...

Re:you've not seen what most officers use, hinge c

[Cro Magnon]

I sure hope you typed that on an iPhone...

Or in handcuffs!