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

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

#11

Post by jeroenhd »

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, because somehow those billion dollar geniuses chose to make their devices unrepairable.

This programme is mostly greenwashing but it's a step forward some other manufacturers still haven't taken. If Apple actually cared about repairing phones, they'd design better phones.

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

#12

Post by [deleted] »

Kaibeezy wrote: post #4
kappuchino wrote: post #2

I suggest some people group together to simultaneously order the repairkit / battery replacement to figure out how many of these self repair sets exist. I would not be suprised if it was only 10 to 20ish. On another note, legislation with the intent to advance the right to repair needs to be carfully worded like when the devil grants you a wish: You want your phone battery to be user replacable? Yes, wish granted. Oh…

This tragi-comedy comes from the same circle of hell as the long failure of the Public Service (student) Loan Forgiveness program. Exposure of its failures led, finally, to some relief. Michael Lewis podcast transcript - https://podscribe.app/feeds/https-feedsmegaphonefm-against-t... NPR article - https://www.npr.org/2021/10/01/1041872045/education-dept-pla...

[deleted]

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

#13

Post by srvmshr »

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

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

#14

Post by IgorPartola »

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.

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

#15

Post by jeroenhd »

quitit wrote: post #5
kappuchino wrote: post #2

I suggest some people group together to simultaneously order the repairkit / battery replacement to figure out how many of these self repair sets exist. I would not be suprised if it was only 10 to 20ish. On another note, legislation with the intent to advance the right to repair needs to be carfully worded like when the devil grants you a wish: You want your phone battery to be user replacable? Yes, wish granted. Oh…

I think there would be more controversy if Apple skimped here and only provided an iFixIt style repair kit instead of the legitimate tools that the authorised repairers use. I guess there will always be people to argue both sides of this point. However it seems clear that the shipping would mean Apple is losing money on the transaction.

Controversy was unavoidable when they shipped devices that can't be repaired without these giant kits. This is probably the lesser controversy, though.

Reserving the full price of the equipment on the credit card places these repair out of the hands of the people that need affordable repairs the most. I'm also honestly sure that Apple can design better tooling for consumer repair than this, they've solved more difficult problems.

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

#16

Post by londons_explore »

I actually think this is a great.

I like the idea of more 12 year olds getting a chance to peek at the innards of their tech, using the proper kit so they at least have a chance of not ruining everything.

While I suspect Apple will lose quite a lot of money on this (these toolboxes will end up with most of the tools missing or broken very quickly!), I think from a global economic perspective, the educational value of tens of thousands of people doing this far outweighs those costs.

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

#17

Post by londons_explore »

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…

You could totally laser cut a hole in the back of an iphone to replace the battery. You might need to remake a few ribbon cables, but then you'd have yourself a removable battery.

You could start a business that can cut the required hole, and then sell batteries that fit the hole with the case pre-glued on. (you'd replace a square of the back of the iPhone whenever you replaced the battery)

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

#18

Post by londons_explore »

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.

There are also a lot of laws and regulations about shipping and selling batteries that don't apply to devices with non-removable batteries.

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

#19

Post by throwk8s »

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 doing things like inventing new screws that existing tools can't open. Time will tell.

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

#20

Post by jeroenhd »

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 Galaxy XCover 5 is waterproof (IP68) and has a replaceable battery. It's built for extreme conditions so it looks a little funky, but it's clearly possible to have both.

Sure, gluing the battery into a closed container is a lot easier than developing novel waterproofing methods, but it's not impossible to do so.

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