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iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

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Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#11

Post by pacamara619 »

userbinator wrote: post #5

The iPhone 12 camera, when transferred to another iPhone 12, appears to work on launch, but fails miserably in actual use. It refuses to switch to the ultrawide camera, responds only to certain camera modes, and occasionally hangs and becomes completely unresponsive. There is zero doubt in my mind that this is completely deliberate, and doing some deep reverse-engineering would likely yield how it is done (if anyone…

> There is zero doubt in my mind that this is completely deliberate

It is, and there is proof. A two cameras have been swapped and didn't work, they worked again when swapped back so there was no damage while disasembling it.

Louis Rossmann has pointed this out in one of his recent YouTube videos, just like he points out so many other scams Apple is getting away with.

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#12

Post by jacobwilliamroy »

mdaniel wrote: post #3

I mean this honestly, and not as a snide comment: is this even news, or surprising one iota to anyone? Maybe it's interesting to post this in order to further raise people's awareness about the lack of "right to repair" of Apple hardware, but I'm pretty sure if they found a way to patent a screw, and then prosecute those making screwdrivers for it, they 100% would

Yeah it's news. Gotta communicate to solve problems. I've already forwarded this to my friends who work in repair shops.

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#13

Post by qppo »

pacamara619 wrote: post #11
userbinator wrote: post #5

The iPhone 12 camera, when transferred to another iPhone 12, appears to work on launch, but fails miserably in actual use. It refuses to switch to the ultrawide camera, responds only to certain camera modes, and occasionally hangs and becomes completely unresponsive. There is zero doubt in my mind that this is completely deliberate, and doing some deep reverse-engineering would likely yield how it is done (if anyone…

> There is zero doubt in my mind that this is completely deliberate It is, and there is proof. A two cameras have been swapped and didn't work, they worked again when swapped back so there was no damage while disasembling it. Louis Rossmann has pointed this out in one of his recent YouTube videos, just like he points out so many other scams Apple is getting away with.

This doesn't sound like a scam, it sounds like the peripheral is calibrated and mapped to the device in software. It doesn't surprise me that it would fail, kind of like that video where someone swapped the board out and expected everything to work when to the device it appears every single peripheral has had a failure condition and needs to be recalibrated and verified.

I don't have an issue with requiring software tools to repair software problems in modern electronics. The issue at hand is whether that tool is available for consumers and repair shops, which I doubt.

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#14

Post by qppo »

Red_Leaves_Flyy wrote: post #9
cblconfederate wrote: post #2

It's part of the "switch to Services"

Apple service is pretty terrible from what I've read here and heard from friends, and seen on reddit, or the news, and etc.

It's better than Googles

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#15

Post by ksec »

qppo wrote: post #13
pacamara619 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is zero doubt in my mind that this is completely deliberate It is, and there is proof. A two cameras have been swapped and didn't work, they worked again when swapped back so there was no damage while disasembling it. Louis Rossmann has pointed this out in one of his recent YouTube videos, just like he points out so many other scams Apple is getting away with.

This doesn't sound like a scam, it sounds like the peripheral is calibrated and mapped to the device in software. It doesn't surprise me that it would fail, kind of like that video where someone swapped the board out and expected everything to work when to the device it appears every single peripheral has had a failure condition and needs to be recalibrated and verified. I don't have an issue with requiring software…

May be people are putting in Non Apple Cameras in those phones for repair or returns. Or start selling those as parts from these exchange and stolen parts online . And while it is a relatively small in percentage, at Apple scale it is still massive amount of money.

I am not sure if there is a solution that solves "both" side of the equation.

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#16

Post by ksec »

batt4good wrote: post #10

I could honestly care less... Apple Care is a measly fee in comparison to the cost of the phone. The one time I had a third party repair shop fix my phone, the battery was permanently damaged and I had to get a new phone.

$149 for a $699 iPhone 12 isn't exactly a measly fee.

At this point Apple should just start iPhone with AppleCare Subscription.

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#17

Post by userbinator »

qppo wrote: post #13
pacamara619 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is zero doubt in my mind that this is completely deliberate It is, and there is proof. A two cameras have been swapped and didn't work, they worked again when swapped back so there was no damage while disasembling it. Louis Rossmann has pointed this out in one of his recent YouTube videos, just like he points out so many other scams Apple is getting away with.

This doesn't sound like a scam, it sounds like the peripheral is calibrated and mapped to the device in software. It doesn't surprise me that it would fail, kind of like that video where someone swapped the board out and expected everything to work when to the device it appears every single peripheral has had a failure condition and needs to be recalibrated and verified. I don't have an issue with requiring software…

It's absolutely NOT about "calibration" or whatever other excuses, because (every other manufacturer's) phone cameras use a more or less standard interface based on MIPI CSI, and are basically designed to be plug-and-play to allow ease of integration and development. The only things that could be considered calibration in camera modules are presets that are stored in an EEPROM, and affect the quality of the image at most. It would not cause any of the symptoms outlined in the article.

In other words, Apple went out of their way to do this. They probably use the EEPROM to store some additional serialisation data, check whether it matches the data stored on the mainboard, and then subtly sabotage the behaviour of the app based on that. It won't be long before the truth surfaces.

They've already done similar shady shit with even simpler parts like batteries: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20641424

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#18

Post by thebruce87m »

dmitrygr wrote: post #4

Is it possible that it just needs calibration that is unique for item?

Absolutely. If you wanted it not to work, then the first thing you would do is check the serial and spit out an error. You wouldn’t accept some commands and randomly hang on others.

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#19

Post by yladiz »

qppo wrote: post #14
Red_Leaves_Flyy wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple service is pretty terrible from what I've read here and heard from friends, and seen on reddit, or the news, and etc.

It's better than Googles

Well, it's not difficult to have service that's better than something basically nonexistent.

Re: iFixit finds iPhone 12 camera repair impossible without proprietary Apple tool

#20

Post by batt4good »

ksec wrote: post #16
batt4good wrote: post #10

I could honestly care less... Apple Care is a measly fee in comparison to the cost of the phone. The one time I had a third party repair shop fix my phone, the battery was permanently damaged and I had to get a new phone.

$149 for a $699 iPhone 12 isn't exactly a measly fee. At this point Apple should just start iPhone with AppleCare Subscription.

Most people who intend to really use their iPhone purchase a model that's at least $1k. Budget minded folks don't buy Apple products - Apple care isn't intended for the budget minded individual.
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