Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

theverge.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 558 posts

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

#51

Post by wrycoder »

ghaff wrote: post #35
wrycoder wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I want is for Apple to allow iFixit to buy OEM batteries, and the battery should come with access to the validation service. That way, Apple has no liability for the actual repair. But, as others suggest, I think there is actually a dark pattern at work here.

There's nothing particularly special about OEM batteries. I don't generally buy them when I need replacements.

I’ve replaced several iPhone batteries. Even when purchased from iFixit, they don’t last nearly as long as OEM.

About half as long, I’d estimate.

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

#52

Post by jackpeterfletch »

razodactyl wrote: post #25
IgorPartola wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

If a group of government scientists can deploy devices into the field with waterproof enclosures and replaceable battery banks - it makes me wonder if Apple could do it :P

I guess the question is should they be _made_ to do it.

If someone comes along and creates a device that has those features, like we've seen with the Framework laptop, that's great.

For the people that want that kind of device with that specific set of benefits and trade-offs that's awesome.

Personally not my device though. my usage patterns means it makes more sense for me to take the more integrated solution, and just forego any upgrades all modularity for the life of the product.

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

#53

Post by 2Gkashmiri »

srvmshr wrote: post #32
2Gkashmiri wrote: post #9

Go to new Delhi, India. Look up "ghaffar market". This is like " the" mobile repair market. Entire rows upon rows of literally one man stalls which repair your phone on the fly. They take mobile repairing to the next level. No need for "sterile environment" that people show, clean rooms and all. They just do it in all the dust and grime and sweat showing our devices are really resistant to a lot.

Places like Ghaffar Market exist in most Asian cities. In fact, Delhi has another at Nehru Place

My point is, if people like these can repair your phone in 1/50 the cost of a "genuine apple repair" or even a "trusted third party repair" guy, why do you care about "genuine" because the lines are blurry at that point. Sure you can spend $200 to repair your $1000 iphone screen from apple but you know if you take to the ghaffar market, they will charge you what, $30 if that. Sure there will be quality issues but what about if your phone costs $200 and the "official" screen repair is 50% of that but sketchy place rate is like $10?

The point is about Choice. i know if i break my cheap android, i can get it repaired at a cheap price and continue using it or else i had to go to "official" shop and they would quote me 60% of the price of a new device into forcing me to buy a new thing. Thats bad

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

#54

Post by vvillena »

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.

The first Motorola Defy was a comparable device to its competitors when it was released, and its big feature, being water-resistant, didn't make any compromises apart from rubber caps on the ports (not necessary in modern phones) and a better back cover with a manual latch.

Sealing phones isn't needed at all. It's a decision driven by the market makers.

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

#57

Post by nvrspyx »

Kim_Bruning wrote: post #39

All this just to replace a battery is obviously utterly ridiculous. On the one hand this could be malicious compliance. On the other maybe they still need to design their new phones to be easier to repair and this is a temporary measure? Either way, newer laws should be worded such that it costs $0,00 to replace a battery with no deposit; all costs for tooling go to the manufacturer. Then it will cost the manufacture…

> On the other maybe they still need to design their new phones to be easier to repair and this is a temporary measure?

Doubtful. Yes, they could be easier to repair and it's kind of a pain in the ass, but you can buy all the tools required to fix an iPhone 13/13 Pro battery from iFixIt for less than $100, although the tools are not as advanced as the ones Apple provides.

Also, if Apple benefits from this being a ridiculous process, which they do, there is probably no intention of making this easier. This reminds me of the iPhone battery and slowdown "scandal", there may have been good intentions at first, but then realized that it would benefit them to not tell the user what was going on, encouraging entirely new purchases rather than simple battery replacements.

Apple seems to only take exploitative opportunities when it provides the cover of plausible deniability because then it's difficult to argue. CPU slow-down? We just wanted to make sure people's phones still worked with bad batteries, please ignore the fact that we didn't tell the user the battery was bad. Repairing yourself both twice as expensive and extremely inconvenient? We're just trying to do right by the user's right to repair and provide the tools that we ourselves use, please ignore the fact that we're still charging the exact same price for the battery alone, the cost of the tools only makes sense on our scale by reducing the number of times our Geniuses break phones during repair, and request 100% collateral for our tools before renting. Please don't look at rental car services, it's not the same. Our tools are important and advanced...that's why we need them back in 7 days, no extension.

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

#58

Post by makeitdouble »

throwk8s wrote: post #19
shaicoleman wrote: post #8

"The more I think about it, the more I realize Apple’s Self-Service Repair program is the perfect way to make it look like the company supports right-to-repair policies without actually encouraging them at all."

I don't think it's incumbent upon Apple to invent a new set of tools for self-service repairs. Assuming these are the tools they actually use, rather than a cumbersome set they invented just to be insufferable, then making the tools available seems like a fair way to (reluctantly) satisfy the right-to-repair demand. I think a better indication of whether they're really honoring the right to repair is if they keep doi…

Time won’t flow back, but it was less than a decade ago that you replaced batteries by popping the phone’s back. I wouldn’t say Apple bears no blame in making 79 pound tools necessary to replace a battery.

And as they basically opened that path for every other maker to follow and point at Apple as a justification, we really shouldn’t give them a pass.

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

#59

Post by fartcannon »

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

I have never understood this kind of compliance. The hordes that buy their disposable garbage aren't going to care, they've shown repeatedly that they're insensitive to, sometimes even aggressive towards their own autonomy. So why do this? Just to _waste_ more?

It's so petulant.

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

#60

Post by ghaff »

JKCalhoun wrote: post #50
throwk8s wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's incumbent upon Apple to invent a new set of tools for self-service repairs. Assuming these are the tools they actually use, rather than a cumbersome set they invented just to be insufferable, then making the tools available seems like a fair way to (reluctantly) satisfy the right-to-repair demand. I think a better indication of whether they're really honoring the right to repair is if they keep doi…

I agree but I thought the same when SMDs (surface mount devices) came on the scene many, many, years ago. I did not have a reflow oven, nor a rework station capable of replacing a bad capacitor, etc. Alas, had we all poured out into the streets and demanded companies stick with through-hole components.... It does seem technology (more specifically, manufacturing) are moving beyond the means of a "guy in a garage".

And for that matter frequencies and other specs have generally moved beyond the scopes and logic analyzers that individuals are likely to be able to afford to debug problems (though they've gotten cheaper as well).

I certainly support right to repair and voted for it in my state (both times as Tesla in particular tried to do an end around) and strongly oppose artificial barriers like DRM. But honestly I find framing this around a less than $100 repair by Apple (or a third party) maybe every 3 or 4 years seems to me like an odd hill to die on.

Post reply on HN