Apple Shipped Me a 79-Pound iPhone Repair Kit to Fix a 1.1-Ounce Battery

Post by wrycoder » Sat, May 21, 2022, 12:18 PM UTC

srvmshr wrote: post #13

If made to fulfill the word of the law without actually having to follow it in spirit, this would be my modus operandi too. By designing $1200 deposit, $49 rental & two Pelican suitcases of tools and manuals, while keeping the battery replacement price same at $69 (what you'd normally pay in total at Store), they have entirely disincentivized self-repair without actually breaking any law. Masterstroke /s

Post by ezconnect » Sat, May 21, 2022, 12:19 PM UTC

londons_explore wrote: post #17

jeroenhd wrote: post #11

It's so silly that modern phones (from all manufacturers, really) need these giant kits (or hacks like microwaving a jelly sock) just to replace the single part that wears down. I still have my first Android phone. It contains a battery you can pop out after removing the back cover. Replaceable batteries used to be the norm! Now we need suction cups, hot air stations and professional guides to replace the part, becau…

You could totally laser cut a hole in the back of an iphone to replace the battery. You might need to remake a few ribbon cables, but then you'd have yourself a removable battery. You could start a business that can cut the required hole, and then sell batteries that fit the hole with the case pre-glued on. (you'd replace a square of the back of the iPhone whenever you replaced the battery)

Post by razodactyl » Sat, May 21, 2022, 12:19 PM UTC

IgorPartola wrote: post #14

jeroenhd wrote: post #11

It's so silly that modern phones (from all manufacturers, really) need these giant kits (or hacks like microwaving a jelly sock) just to replace the single part that wears down. I still have my first Android phone. It contains a battery you can pop out after removing the back cover. Replaceable batteries used to be the norm! Now we need suction cups, hot air stations and professional guides to replace the part, becau…

On the other hand phones are now thing and waterproof. Not saying that replaceable batteries are bad but it’s not like this was an entirely arbitrary decision.

Post by chinathrow » Sat, May 21, 2022, 12:22 PM UTC

ezconnect wrote: post #23

londons_explore wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could totally laser cut a hole in the back of an iphone to replace the battery. You might need to remake a few ribbon cables, but then you'd have yourself a removable battery. You could start a business that can cut the required hole, and then sell batteries that fit the hole with the case pre-glued on. (you'd replace a square of the back of the iPhone whenever you replaced the battery)

The battery has DRM now as stated on the article.

Post by wrycoder » Sat, May 21, 2022, 12:26 PM UTC

ghaff wrote: post #10

ad404b8a372f2b9 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not all issues have to be "both-sides"-ed. You really think it'd be more controversial if Apple were to ship a standard, iFixIt style replacement toolset like everybody else does rather than two suitcase-sized boxes weighing a combined 80 pounds with a 1200$ deposit and further require a call to their support line to validate the parts in order to change a battery?

While this is arguably extreme, I do think you'd find people complaining if they broke their screen with the standard iFixit suction cup and other tools when trying to replace a battery. (Which I managed to do on an old iPhone I didn't much care about.) iFixit does a nice job but a lot of electronics repairs without training and the right equipment are not something just anyone can easily do.