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Apple: iPhones Are Too 'Complex' To Allow Unauthorized Repair (vice.com)

Jason Koebler writes: Apple's top environmental officer made the company's most extensive statements about the repairability of Apple hardware on Tuesday: "Our first thought is, 'You don't need to repair this.' When you do, we want the repair to be fairly priced and accessible to you," Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of policy and social initiatives said at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. "To think about these very complex products and say the answer to all our problems is that you should have anybody to repair and have access to the parts is not looking at the whole problem."

Apple has lobbied against "Fair Repair" bills in 11 states that would require the company to make its repair guides available and to sell replacement parts to the general public. Instead, it has focused on an "authorized service provider" model that allows the company to control the price and availability of repair.

23 of 305 comments (clear)

  1. Then I guess they're too complex for me own by darthsilun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And I'll just have to buy something else instead.

    Problem solved.

  2. Re:It doesn't go far enough. by mccalli · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why? No-one's forcing anyone to buy an iPhone. Buy an Android phone instead if that's what you'd like.

  3. Re:Obvious BS detected... by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can understand wanting only authorized techs working on their product, but it's a MASSIVE leap to go from that to lobbying in 11 states against "Fair Repair" bills.

    No, it really isn't. If those fair repair bills pass, then the law will explicitly prohibit only permitting authorized techs to work on their product. Lobbying against those bills is the only reasonable response for a company which doesn't want anyone repairing their products without their permission.

    The root problem is that unrepairable products are literally destroying our biosphere. They're made intentionally unrepairable so that the user has to buy a new computer in order to expand it, like Jobs tried to do with the original Macintosh. In spite of his efforts, the engineers gave the machine some expansion capacity because they knew than an unexpandable computer was bullshit.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  4. Well, it's the same with cars by rainer_d · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Take it to some backyard-workshop for repairs? Warranty is gone.
    That's why you take it to an authorized dealer/repair shop.

    Why are people so hell-bent on saving every cent on repairs for a device that (now) can cost well above 1k USD?

    That's like people buying a Ferrari or a Rolls Royce Wraith and then complaining about the cost of ownership because an oil-change or break-pad exchange or fixing a ding costs a fortune.

    Weird.

    --
    Windows 2000 - from the guys who brought us edlin
    1. Re:Well, it's the same with cars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ... brake-pad exchange or fixing a ding costs ...

      Let's use a car analogy: Have you taken your car in and the mechanic has said that you've driven it for 2 years, you have to buy another car? No: Because car manufacturers promise to make parts for 10 years. Your phone manufacturer doesn't and it's obvious why: That increases warehousing expense and cannibalizes latest-model sales. Allowing authorized Apple 'mechanics' isn't just more expensive than do-it-yourself repairs, it allows Apple to stop manufacturing legacy parts. Apple is justifying their luxury-tax philosophy so that idiots like you don't notice the real problem.

      If Apple really wanted to avoid burdensome legislation they would manufacture legacy parts for their authorized 'mechanics'. But they've decided fighting the government over (generous) consumer entitlements is cheaper than repairing old phones.

  5. i agree with those stating apple is lying by strstr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I have repaired Samsung android and LG android phones. I have studied the guides. I have replaced screens.
    I have also repaired by myself dell studio XPS and alienware laptops from replacement of the CPU, GPU, heatsink fan, and mobo, and more.

    basically every device I've seen is self repairable, designed to open up like nothing, and each component is generally separate easy to remove and replace. this includes the screen, mobo, camera lense, camera itself, cases, bezel, glass on the screen, etc.

    one can actually remove just the glass from the screen of most devices easy, and replace it when shattered, re-using the LCD/touch sensor.

    on eBay or other site, one can order brand new or refurb every component of every phone.

    basically you choose your difficulty level. either you want to replace a shattered screen entirely by ordering a whole new LCD/screen kit, or you attempt to remove the old glass and re-glue on new glass to save some bucks. or you order a new mobo/CPU combo. you just drop in the component removing the old. you re-assemble the phone and you're good. if you break anything during the process you just order a new one of those too.

    Apple claims this is somehow too difficult for individual people to do..? why is that? what's it to Apple if you fuck up your phone or something or do low quality repair? the phone is already damaged and used up anyway!

    it's so easy a cave man can do it.

    https://www.obamasweapon.com/

    1. Re:i agree with those stating apple is lying by thegarbz · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I have replaced screens.

      I have repaired screens. Where replacement screens can cost upwards of $150, on many OLED phones it's possible to actually separate the display from the glass front. I repaired a Galaxy S5 for $11 and those $11 included every tool except of the hot air gun. It not only included UV curing glue but even included the UV lamp needed to cure it.

      The repair world quotes based on rip/replace prices. An intermittent problem with the heaphone jack? Replace the entire main circuit board, fixed for $250. No one "repairs" anything anymore except for the tinkerers.

  6. Re:Mitutoyos on your desk but no where to go by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Dont forget the posts such as yours, which contribute nothing towards the topic.

  7. Re:And then there's this by slick7 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How can you have any pudding, if you don't eat your meat?
    If you don't eat your meat, you won't get any pudding.

    --
    The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
  8. Re: And then there's this by msauve · · Score: 5, Insightful
    He's talking about an OS upgrade, what do the "policies of all other hardware manufacturers" have to do with it?

    But, to the point, the Win10 requirements:

    Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
    RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
    Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS 20 GB for 64-bit OS
    Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
    Display: 800x600

    The GP has a "a 2009 Mac Pro. It's a 12/24 core, 3 GHz-ish, 64 GB machine".

    So, it looks like Windows is doing a better job of supporting Apple hardware than MacOS is.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  9. Just confirms my opnion by TheAngryCat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I keep seeing reasons why not to buy an iPhone. A friend commented on his iPhone-7 $600.00 for the average person to replace the battery. He was referring to the lack of a removable battery. I'll stick with my LG V-20 a couple of mm thicker but seriously, who gives a crap. If Apple ran the US we would be an authoritarian dictatorship, and changing light bulbs in your home would require you to buy another home.

  10. Re:Whaaaaaat? by olsmeister · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You are completely mangling the way most free marketers would think about this. The better way is to let anyone hang a shingle as an iPhone repair specialist. Maybe they'll be able to fix them, or maybe they'll be too complex and unrepairable. If the former, the shop will be successful and prosper. If the latter, and they permanently screw up enough phones, people will go elsewhere to an authorized repair center and the shop will close.

  11. Re:Whaaaaaat? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Apple is lying and exaggerating about something to make more money? WHAAAAAAAT? This is my surprised face. The only thing that will stop them is laws, the end. We need right to repair laws and that's that.

    So when Apple is forced to write a repair manual, and sell you the replacement parts, will they also be required to sell you the machinery to repair the phones?

    Or do we change all components over to through hole from SMT? While Apple detractors find this amusing, it isn't like it won't affect Samsung or other manufacturers.

    First thing we have to do is define repairable. Then we have to define the level of acumen needed on the part of the user. I've got the equipment to work on SMT boards, you need a microscope, various methods of soldering, depending on what you are doing. But at a bare minimum, you need a tiny tip soldering iron, and your hands better be steady. So I can do rework.

    So is the repair person defined as my ability, or by the hypothetical Grandma? Is the repair definition at the component level, which will mean the phone will almost certainly need a total redesign and will end up much larger.

    I've done actual physical work on smartphones. Perhaps 1 percent of us will have the ability to work on those tiny components.

    Will the cost of the (hundreds?) of different repair manuals and the required stockpiling of all of the components - and define how many years they must be available - 10 years perhaps? Will these be provided free of cost to the consumer? They have to buy them before hand.

    And don't forget, this will apply to all devices, not just ones produced by the manufacturers you don't like. It's very easy to get some folks to support "something something because Apple". Be careful what you ask for - you just might get it, even if you never owned an Apple device.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  12. Re:Whaaaaaat? by srichard25 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "The only thing that will stop them is laws, "

    What???? How about people just stop buying products from companies that adopt anti-consumer policies? Apple doesn't have a monopoly on smart phones.

    We don't need a law for everything.

  13. Re: And then there's this by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1, Insightful

    This is 2017. How many years of support do you expect from Apple and what is this expectation based on when taking into account policies of all other hardware manufacturers?

    It's Apple. They could hand out free blowjobs from Sophia Vergara with each Mac sold, and Slashdotters would bitch about it. What they don't understand is that this sort of thing will affect whatever they are using.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  14. Re: And then there's this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There's a difference between support and letting us work on our own stuff.

    My house is over 50 years old, and I can change an outlet any time I want without calling the guy who built it. I can buy a 100 year old car, and tear it right down to the frame and replace every single component. In fact, a lot of people make hobbies or businesses off that fact.

    Then there's apple. "Oh, you couldn't possibly figure out the complexity of replacing a small circuit board on a ribbon cable!

    Except that it's fully possible for plenty of people, but for Apple's unethical attempts to make the unit unrepairable artificially.

  15. Re: And then there's this by lucm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's Apple. They could hand out free blowjobs from Sophia Vergara with each Mac sold, and Slashdotters would bitch about it.

    Or Apple could force customers to get sodomized by a pony when they buy a Mac, and fanbois would still wait in line at the Apple Store, and they would defend Apple on Slashdot, talking about how this is helping ponies

    --
    lucm, indeed.
  16. Re: Whaaaaaat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You being someone facetious. Most of the major repairs that need to be done to an iPhone aren't surface mount devices, it's replacing screens, or replacing daughter boards containing ports or buttons.

    There is an entire industry of stores whose only purpose is to fix cell phones. That's reality. And reality trumps rhetoric.

  17. Re: And then there's this by omnichad · · Score: 3, Insightful

    With Apple, they block you. With Windows, you at least get to make that choice for yourself. Of course those specs are absurdly low, but Apple won't let you update really powerful hardware.

  18. Re: And then there's this by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's Apple. They could hand out free blowjobs from Sophia Vergara with each Mac sold, and Slashdotters would bitch about it.

    Or Apple could force customers to get sodomized by a pony when they buy a Mac, and fanbois would still wait in line at the Apple Store, and they would defend Apple on Slashdot, talking about how this is helping ponies

    Having Apple devices since there have been Apple devices, I'd be fine with Lady Sophia's services, but your rabid hatred of Apple and your odd example might be looked at by some as both hatred and projection, there Bronie

    Just sayin'. I have Apple, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android devices at present. Youre hatred is misplaced and has a strange basis, each is just another device.

    But Hey! Ponies!

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  19. Re: And then there's this by lucm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    your rabid hatred of Apple

    I don't hate them (or their customers), I'm just trying to offer a bit of counterbalance to the endless fanboyism on Slashdot. Apple stories haven't been "news for nerds" for a long time.

    --
    lucm, indeed.
  20. Re:And then there's this by epine · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Adding a hard drive would also void the warranty because "why would you want to add a hard drive". This attitude actually drove away a lot of Apple fans from Apple forever, and led to the disenchantment which drove Jobs away from Apple.

    I was one of those people with enough dosh in my foolish youth to spring for the original fat Mac (something just shy of CDN $4000 with printer and external floppy as I dimly recall), which within less than two years became a decorative boat anchor after I priced an internal hard drive upgrade at CDN $1500, which instead I spent, as I now recall it, on an entire crappy 80286 clone, which was ugly and clunky, but far more useful to me as a software developer.

    What first drove me absolutely ape-shit about my double-floppy fat Mac was that whenever it needed something from an unmounted floppy, it would by (some inscrutable logic) pop one of the two mounted floppies—almost always the disk it would seconds later request that I reinsert.

    I knew my workflow, the machine didn't, yet it figured it should choose which disk to auto-eject, and I shouldn't even have my own button. I never had a development workflow that required less than three floppies.

    Soon I had installed permanent paperclips in both floppies so I could override this outrageously unhelpful behaviour, whose mother was a sentient elevator servicing a hamster high rise, and whose father was a talking toaster who smelled of elderberries.

    It drove me APE FUCKING SHIT.

    And you're quite right. I've never gone back to the Apple fold.

  21. Re:And then there's this by rtb61 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, if that is Apple's market that is Apple's market. The real way the law needs to be updated is that customers need to be made fully aware at point of purchase, the abnormal limitation upon device repair and the costs involved, failure to make the customer demonstrably aware of those limitation else, the customer should be entitled to a refund at any time after purchase.

    --
    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen