I have mixed feelings about this. I can see the need for security but at same time I can see why the big companies love to pursue "security", it gives them an incredible opportunity to exert even more control.
Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
11–20 of 140 posts
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
The first step of the process is to not buy anything apple recognizing there hardly ever was a company more hostile to user freedom both on software and hardware side.
An alternative first step might be for other companies to make products that are as good as Apple’s.
It's happening every year on both desktop and mobile. You can't call walled gardens good sorry.
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#13Apple's choice of "buggy behavior without notification" over interoperability of parts with a permanent "non-Apple part" notice is a clear signal of intent. This is not a security issue - this is locking out 3rd party repair in a way that sows doubt in people who attempt these repairs (with "buggy" behavior present after replacement).
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#14I think the story isn't the end of the repairable iPhone. It's about the end of the consumer (or consumer segment) who cares enough to vote with their dollars for repairability more than new functionality and price. We are all free to vote with our money what we want. We collectively choose not to, on average.
How would the consumer ever get to "vote" tho? There never was a year where Apple released a mediocre repairable phone and a slicker unrepairable phone, so the vote has never happened.
You vote every time you choose to buy a product from company X or one of their competitors instead.
Remember back when Apple made phones with smaller screens? They took notice when millions of consumers were buying Samsung/whatever devices instead with a key reason given being 'bigger screen'. Apple then started producing devices with bigger screens.
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#15I think the story isn't the end of the repairable iPhone. It's about the end of the consumer (or consumer segment) who cares enough to vote with their dollars for repairability more than new functionality and price. We are all free to vote with our money what we want. We collectively choose not to, on average.
How would the consumer ever get to "vote" tho? There never was a year where Apple released a mediocre repairable phone and a slicker unrepairable phone, so the vote has never happened.
I realize we're talking about voting with dollars here but it's also possible that consumers could literally vote on (or push their representative to draft) legislation to address the issue. I'm not up-to-date on the John Deere right-to-repair litigation but seems like the concept is the same.
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#16Apple's choice of "buggy behavior without notification" over interoperability of parts with a permanent "non-Apple part" notice is a clear signal of intent. This is not a security issue - this is locking out 3rd party repair in a way that sows doubt in people who attempt these repairs (with "buggy" behavior present after replacement).
I feel like it’s exactly the opposite - buggy behavior is very anti apple, having a phone say “this part is unauthorized” is very clear and tells you that apple is invalidating 3rd party repairs, vs adding something that requires tuning/training via a software tool and fails sorta later. I feel like locking out 3rd party camera repairs via buggy behaviors is very...roundabout.
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#17I think the story isn't the end of the repairable iPhone. It's about the end of the consumer (or consumer segment) who cares enough to vote with their dollars for repairability more than new functionality and price. We are all free to vote with our money what we want. We collectively choose not to, on average.
I think this assumes a level of savvy in the average smartphone customer (aka the entire world)... Most people don't understand "repairability" in the context of less complicated systems (their cars, refrigerators, etc.). They can't vote for what they don't understand.
This can be seen in product faults that remain fixed for many years in other consumer products. (see Samsung washing machines, GM ignition systems, etc.) Folks don't know how to evaluate design considerations at this level, I think this supports robust right-to-repair regulation as a counter-veiling force.
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
An alternative first step might be for other companies to make products that are as good as Apple’s.
It's happening every year on both desktop and mobile. You can't call walled gardens good sorry.
Maybe you can’t, and that’s fine, but for most people the superior user experience delivered by that walled garden is more appealing than any alternative.
I’m not defending Apple’s user-hostile practices, I’m just saying that if this situation is going to change by people voting with their wallets, it’ll be because of changes to things that matter to the masses, and not the (totally legitimate) philosophical concerns of technology enthusiasts.
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#19Apple's choice of "buggy behavior without notification" over interoperability of parts with a permanent "non-Apple part" notice is a clear signal of intent. This is not a security issue - this is locking out 3rd party repair in a way that sows doubt in people who attempt these repairs (with "buggy" behavior present after replacement).
I feel like it’s exactly the opposite - buggy behavior is very anti apple, having a phone say “this part is unauthorized” is very clear and tells you that apple is invalidating 3rd party repairs, vs adding something that requires tuning/training via a software tool and fails sorta later. I feel like locking out 3rd party camera repairs via buggy behaviors is very...roundabout.
I think we agree on the optics. I conclude that this is underhanded on Apple's part.
Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?
#20I think the story isn't the end of the repairable iPhone. It's about the end of the consumer (or consumer segment) who cares enough to vote with their dollars for repairability more than new functionality and price. We are all free to vote with our money what we want. We collectively choose not to, on average.
> It's about the end of the consumer (or consumer segment) who cares enough to vote with their dollars
Is it though? Many competitor smartphones are still repairable, and they still control a good share of the market.