How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#131

Post by rtkwe » Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 1:06 PM UTC

neotek wrote: post #111

rtkwe wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He answered in a comment. It was about 300 USD in parts but he's not sure because he'd spent a lot of money gearing up to try to populate a bare logic board pcb by hand before someone talked him out of it.

He said on reddit he spent about $1000 all up including the tools required.

Yeah but as I said a lot of those tools were for populating a bare logic board though that he didn't end up doing because a repair shop told him he could expect to waste 4+ boards before making on that worked so I don't really think that's part of the cost of the phone since they weren't used in the final product or making it.

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#132

Post by rtkwe » Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 1:11 PM UTC

SexyCyborg wrote: post #84

As a Shenzhen local, I'd consider this video one of very few that present a 100% accurate view of the local hardware and market culture. It's very well done and everything he says is correct and that's unusual.

Off topic but What is that fried layered egg roll up thing around 9:46 in the video? It looks pretty great and I want to try to find/make one.

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#133

Post by marak830 » Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 1:26 PM UTC

scottyallen wrote: post #103

Animats wrote: post #99

All those people and all that parts infrastructure, just to repair and recycle one brand of phones. Phone repair training school with posters of iPhone boards on the wall. All those shops selling phone parts. All that specialized equipment for servicing them. I like the "bubble removing" machine, a heated vacuum chamber. It looks like mid 20th century automotive, when there were corners with four gas stations that ac…

Scotty here, the dude that made the video. I'm not sure I can answer the first set of questions about why phones are fragile. I think it probably has something to do with consumer expectations/tastes around look and size of phones though. But I can give you some answers for your second set of questions. > So what does all that Shentzen parts retail look like when you're building something new? The markets originally…

Reading your replies(can't watch the video, I'm at work - chef here), really makes me wish I was back coding. Which would give me time to do things like this! Do you have a blog or is this a one off?

Edit: found the link lower :-)

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#134

Post by threadwhisperer » Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 3:27 PM UTC

rtkwe wrote: post #132

SexyCyborg wrote: post #84

As a Shenzhen local, I'd consider this video one of very few that present a 100% accurate view of the local hardware and market culture. It's very well done and everything he says is correct and that's unusual.

Off topic but What is that fried layered egg roll up thing around 9:46 in the video? It looks pretty great and I want to try to find/make one.

Never been to Shenzhen but as a Malaysian, it looks a lot like a roti canai, which is an Indian-influenced flatbread. There are frozen ones sold internationally (I've personally seen them in grocery stores in the UK and South Korea) so they may be available where you are. It might be called either roti canai or roti paratha on the packaging.

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#135

Post by singletoon » Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 7:25 PM UTC

One of the very best documentaries I 've ever watched. My most favorite part on describing modern Chinese culture : the need to replace the logic board, and the seller's reaction : 'legit'. In China people still are, indeed, very honorable.

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#136

Post by namlem » Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 7:41 PM UTC

chirau wrote: post #23

On top of that 300, add R&D costs, marketing, assembly and shipping and you could very well justify the hefty price we pay for the iPhone. I am actually surprised it cost this much to make custom.

Those are genuine refurbished iPhone parts. If he were making an Android phone he could have done it for much less.

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#137

Post by dazhbog » Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 11:46 PM UTC

As a foreigner living in SZ for the past few years, and literally 3 minutes away from the markets, I have to say, well done Scotty for capturing the mess and awesomeness of Huaqiang Bei. Shame that the markets won't stay like this for long though :(

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#138

Post by tertansa » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 4:53 AM UTC

scottyallen wrote: post #104

benliong78 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say the same as someone who lives in Hong Kong and travels to Shenzhen with some frequency. With one caveat, those folks selling parts definitely treats me with a lot less friendliness than they do with foreign buyers, especially when you're buying just one. There are also varying level of quality when buying parts, especially batteries and screens. It's hard for repair shops in the area to charge higher prices f…

> With one caveat, those folks selling parts definitely treats me with a lot less friendliness than they do with foreign buyers, especially when you're buying just one. Yeah, that really sucks. There's definitely a lot of pretty apparent white privilege here, which I try to be really aware of and not take unfair advantage of. But it can be tricky to navigate at times.

Wow, like the other posters, I was impressed with your accurate portrayal of Shenzhen.

But I do have to say this comment surprises me even more as many of the expats I've met are either blind to or aren't willing to admit there is white privilege there (and other parts of Asia).

I'm really glad there are people like you as our "ambassadors."

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#139

Post by tertansa » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 4:56 AM UTC

rtkwe wrote: post #132

SexyCyborg wrote: post #84

As a Shenzhen local, I'd consider this video one of very few that present a 100% accurate view of the local hardware and market culture. It's very well done and everything he says is correct and that's unusual.

Off topic but What is that fried layered egg roll up thing around 9:46 in the video? It looks pretty great and I want to try to find/make one.

In China, it's called an "Egg Pancake"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QSivyUEQIY

Re: How I Made My Own iPhone in China [video]

#140

Post by willhslade » Fri, Apr 14, 2017, 4:28 PM UTC

dazhbog wrote: post #137

As a foreigner living in SZ for the past few years, and literally 3 minutes away from the markets, I have to say, well done Scotty for capturing the mess and awesomeness of Huaqiang Bei. Shame that the markets won't stay like this for long though :(

Why not?