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Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

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Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#351
post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sort of. For now. How much higher do the walls need to become before it's no longer reasonable to live outside Apple's garden?

Slippery slope fallacy. Wake me up when it actually happens because it never does.

It's not a slippery slope. It's just the natural progression of a monopoly.

Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#352
post #343
post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not moving goalposts at all. All I'd want is a way to get most of the parts from OEM & be able to install them. At the very least I'd expect to be able to swap: 1) Battery (consumable) 2) Front (LCD) 3) Back (either just the glass or the whole frame) But we have to be honest with ourselves here: what good is it to have a repair manual when you cannot buy genuine parts? I mean yeah, this is a small-ish win, but it…

> what good is it to have a repair manual when you cannot buy genuine parts? You can absolutely buy genuine parts for recent iPhones: https://selfservicerepair.com/order (that website looks random, but it's actually Apple's official self repair supplier) Yes, the System Configuration step is still required to pair many of those parts. This has been discussed ad nauseum. Perspectives vary between it being a necessary…

The last time I tried it I had to put in the SN of the device I wanted to repair in advance to get the part. Maybe they fixed it from then, have not checked.

If you cannot get parts in stock (meaning in advance), you might as well send it to the Apple and not bother with repair shop at all. I also think this is the main reason for making it like that. Display, battery and vibration motor has absolutely no security implications.

I would be very happy to see Apple not screwing with individual repair shops. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of their HW (be it iPhones or MBPs). But I'm not a fanboy and I'm not going to bend backwards to praise this corporate entity when it is not deserved. If you compare the ease of getting part for Samsung and Apple, it is like night and day.

That System Configuration step is also a middle finger. Having to chat with some support agent just for changing a consumable item like a battery? Or a vibration motor? What the actual f?

edit: Checked and they still want the SN of a target device before selling you anything - even a battery! From the site: The serial number is required and will be shared with Apple. This number must be from the device that is being repaired or you may encounter issues that prevent the completion of the repair.

Yeah, thanks but no thanks.

Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#353

Really happy to see this write up. I’m probably in the tank, but I genuinely believe that Apple strives to do right by its customers, and to be a good company. it’s not a nonprofit, and I don’t expect them to act like one. Sometimes I feel like people enjoy piling on because they are the big dog. Again, please don’t mistake this comment for a blindness to some of its operations. But it’s nice to see them get credit f…

Oh come on. The backside is made of glass and costs an astonishing 570euros to replace. That’s not striving to do right.

Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#354
post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I checked it was not like that - those kits are actually quite easy to use. The catch is that in order to buy it, you need to give them SN of the device in advance . Meaning you cannot have stock and thus you cannot offer any reasonably fast repair service. And even after that you have to contact their support in order to "pair" the newly installed parts to that device. Most of the people I know use 3rd par…

Apple took 30 minutes when last I had them replace a battery…

Congrats. My battery change took them 2 weeks, had to send it. Came back wiped.

I guess it depends on where you are (Central Europe for me)

Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#355
post #9

Apple started offering home repair kits for iPhone this year, but they’re super difficult to use: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/technology/personaltech/a... There’s speculation that offering the kits is an attempt to head off right-to-repair legislation. But seeing this redesign, I wonder to what degree the repair program is incentivizing repairability within apple’s corporate structure. Now that “profit/loss pe…

I suspect that the driving force behind Apple’s new desire to be repairable is legislative. IMO: Not profit of the “self-service” repairs, nor the improvement to the bottom line when they refurbish their own devices. Not some future goal of selling people the parts and/or tools. Not the goal of being ecologically sustainable (though IMO they do very well at this). I think they are working very hard to steer the Right…

I don't see how software security relates to being able to repair hardware -- third party logic boards would most likely... not exist, for example.

Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#356
post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are conflating separate concerns. Tracking serial numbers to black-list stolen parts (too much effort for too little value IMO but I'm not a bean counter for a nation-state-sized corporation so what do I know?) is very different from white-listing ordained parts. Independent shops should be able to buy broken phones from individuals and part them out for repairs without jumping through Apple's hoops.

> Independent shops should be able to buy broken phones from individuals and part them out for repairs without jumping through Apple's hoops. I assume in this scenario that all independent shops are trustworthy entities that won't use stolen, reclaimed, or third-party parts in order to save money, without informing the customer?

Nothing exists in a vacuum.

Tracking stolen phones and busting chop shops is probably something that should be handled by law enforcement.

Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#358
post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple took 30 minutes when last I had them replace a battery…

Congrats. My battery change took them 2 weeks, had to send it. Came back wiped. I guess it depends on where you are (Central Europe for me)

You mean you sent your phone in without wiping it in the first place?

I always wipe my phone before handing it to Apple.

Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#359

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not as hard as you think it is. Apple is indeed massively over complicating the process.

They gave him three machines to use for replacing his battery. 1. A machine to melt the glue holding the battery in place 2. A machine to apply even pressure to the new battery to ensure it’s properly adhered 3. A machine to apply heat and even pressure to the entire phone to properly give the phone with a watertight seal. That seems like exactly what I’d expect has to happen to repair the phone back to original spec…

Yeah, but you can do the whole repair without it, if you’re confident that you won’t set the existing battery on fire removing it, and don’t mind some small risk of the new one exploding in your pocket after you sit down, and waterproofing isn’t important to you…

Re: Apple’s iPhone 14 Redesign for Repair

#360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I mean that 75pound repair equipment requiring $1200 hold on a card... How is this legal? Holds ought to be capped at the maximum payable for a transaction.

How is this legal? Holds ought to be capped at the maximum payable for a transaction. Sounds like you've never rented a moving truck. Or a power tool. Or tried to rent a car with a debit card.

Last time I rented a van, the hold was AU$500 (around US$300). Seems pretty crazy to put a $1200 hold on some phone repair gear.
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