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We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

ifixit.com

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Re: We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

#291

Post by paulmd »

dang wrote: post #290
paulmd wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Can you please not post in the flamewar style to HN? We're trying for something different here, and we've had ask you this many times before—that's not cool. If you wouldn't mind reviewing https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and taking the intended spirit of the site more to heart, we'd be grateful.

It’s a shame you don’t have rules against advocating for violent criminal conduct! One would really hope that would be addressed before tone-policing the criticisms of that.

Re: We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

#292

Post by npteljes »

drcode wrote: post #179

Most comments in this thread: I don't want to have ownership of devices I pay money for, because if I don't own anything, nobody can steal it from me.

Well, yeah. Ownership is responsibility, and the world is shifting towards more convenience, so less responsibility. So we're also going towards less ownership as well, with products being turned into services and leases. And frankly, in a lot of cases, I don't mind it.

Re: We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

#293

Post by mschuster91 »

baq wrote: post #249
flanked-evergl wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The next step to talking profits out of stolen iPhones is to make harvesting parts difficult. I would 100% buy this if you showed me data that indicates that part harvesting is behind most of the remaining theft of iPhones, which it very well may be, but if we have the data we would not have to guess.

I’m buying this right now, this is how a lot of car theft works also - parts are a good source of cash.

Especially catalytic converters. Can be stolen from an unprotected (i.e. no massive baseplate) car in below 30 seconds, and nets you about 1000$ a piece from junkyards willing to ignore the sawzall marks.

[1] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/watch-catalytic-converte...

Re: We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

#294

Post by npteljes »

orwin wrote: post #59
abtinf wrote: post #43

This is another dishonest post by Kyle and iFixit. The failure to mention a critical a reason for pairing—theft prevention—is enough to dismiss the entire piece as hopelessly biased. Just a few years ago, every major news source had an article every other week sounding the alarms about the smartphone theft problem. They would universally blame the phone manufacturers for not doing more.

So, abandonning liberties for a bit of security then.

This needs to be said, so that people can make an informed decision. Because I think it's important to know that not one is better than the other.

Re: We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

#295

Post by npteljes »

whynotminot wrote: post #78
orwin wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, abandonning liberties for a bit of security then.

I just don’t understand how repairing a phone got conflated with liberty in these conversations. Don’t like the product don’t buy the product.

>Don’t like the product don’t buy the product.

This has never worked, because in a single product, a myriad of concerns are bundled together. Just like how people are complex, and you can't simply avoid toxic people. Or you can't just uproot and go live in a better place.

Individuals have much less liberty than the "free market" and "vote with your wallet" sentiments imply.

Re: We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

#296

Post by realusername »

IshKebab wrote: post #214
specialist wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These restrictions also reduce pwnage. Zero trust has to be end-to-end, software and hardware.

Is there a single documented case of someone's phone being hacked because of a replaced hardware component like a screen? That sounds like fantasy land to me. Maybe the NSA can do it? But I suspect they could more easily hack phones in software.

I also want a real case of this happening, right now even for high profile targets they just use software attacks.

Re: We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

#298

Post by xg15 »

Which Apple marketing person invented that "theft" argument?

Apple is pulling the exact same kind of shady bullshit that John Deere did with its tractors - except that in that case, the tech community was up in arms and actually spearheaded a right-to-repair movement.

Meanwhile, when Apple does the same thing, everyone seems to be falling over themselves trying to find an excuse why, well actually, Apple really only has the best interests of its users at heart.

What's going on?

Kudos to iFixit for at least showing some stance, but even their post is weirdly excusing in places:

> While it’s an improvement over the status quo of just a few years ago, when Apple wouldn’t sell parts or supply instructions or software tools to anyone outside the Genius Bar and a few select “authorized” repair outlets, it’s still a major problem. Apple has made some real progress here—and we’ve been reluctant to criticize manufacturers taking meaningful steps. There are good people inside Apple working hard to make this situation better.

Since when can investing a huge amount of resources to build your own DRM scheme and then paddling back a tiny bit when there is too much political pressure be called "taking meaningful steps"?

Would you applaud Microsoft for "taking meaningful steps" after they spent years on hardwiring Edge-only links into the OS, then eventually carved out a tiny exception after EU pressure grew too large?

Re: We are retroactively dropping the iPhone’s repairability score

#300

Post by wyldberry »

pzo wrote: post #206
wyldberry wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are more robberies than a mugging. Pick pockets are a real scourge. If you have a reliable way to turn stolen goods into currency, you are incentivized to take that item. Jewelry -> pawn shops for example. The anti-theft measure here makes it not profitable, or much harder to profit, from taking a phone because you can't resell it or strip the valuable parts. I had a friend get pick pocketed in spain, and the n…

Do you think pickpocketer take your phone out of your pocket, check it then say "oh shit this is iphone 15 with DRM" and put it back to your pocket ? Pickpocketers will fish anything that is in your pocket and in crowded public transport immediately pass to other partner in crime. Same with thefts on scooter that rob woman with bags - they don't check if it's prada bag or if has any valuables inside. Same with thefts…

Moving stolen electronics for phone components has been a consistent revenue stream for a long time and there's a lot of organization that goes into it. No one is pretending this solves the problem, rather that it creates a negative incentive for targeting phones specifically.

The world of scamming and petty theft is vast. I've known some real slick thieves, and they are of the opinion that lifting a phone is just not worth it these days. However, this deterrent is obviously going to be effective on a spectrum. If someone is trying to sell you stolen goods, are you going to buy a new iphone from them on the off chance you can get parts out of it?

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