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iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

theguardian.com

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Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#121

Post by axoltl »

a-the-ist wrote: post #108

iPhone 6S on 11.3. I just replaced the rear camera assembly and the front camera+light sensor+earphone assembly with third-party parts (on a moving train, I might brag). Everything works except the auto-brightness setting disappeared. I did Erase Settings and it's still gone. I'm wondering if: - I didn't place the light sensor correctly - I touched it/ruined it - the part is defective - Erase All Content & Settings o…

It does sound like your ALS (Ambient Light Sensor) isn't connected correctly. I'd suggest reseating all the little connectors!

Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#122

Post by saagarjha »

greglindahl wrote: post #109
pfortuny wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get what you are trying to convey. I disagree but there is no problem in that. However: where does Apple state that their products may stop working if repaired with different components? (Honest question, I have tried to find it).

Did Joe's Fly By Night iPhone Non-Genuine Replacement Parts disclose that their replacement part wasn't the same as Apple's? Seems like that's where the onus lies.

Apple has a program for third-party stores that use genuine parts, the Apple Authorized Service Provider program. If the repair shop you go to isn't an AASP, then you can't say they have genuine parts.

Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#123

Post by axoltl »

recursive wrote: post #52
axoltl wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So the manufacturer is not allowed to make everyone's ECU better because you decided to replace your engine with an older model?

You changed the premise. What's being made better? The change being discussed is broken phones. That's not better. Hypothetically, that could be from a change that makes something better. Is there any reason to believe it though?

Fun fact, it'd actually be illegal for Apple to disable devices if it detects a replacement part.

There are anti-trust laws against 'tying agreements', and forcing consumers to only buy components from Apple (due to tie-in) would be violating those laws.

That said, those laws don't say anything about having to interoperate with an inferior part.

So assuming Apple isn't willfully violating anti-trust laws, we can be fairly sure the change was intended to improve some aspect of the touch controller.

Note: There are exceptions if the tying serves a purpose other than maintaining a monopoly (such as the security pairing between the TouchID sensor and FaceID camera).

Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#124

Post by scarface74 »

stingraycharles wrote: post #35
axoltl wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It'd be pretty hard for them to know though. They'd have to reverse engineer (the irony isn't lost on me) every variation of third party screen/touchscreen controller. What happens if some feature isn't available on a third party screen? Either they don't implement the feature at all or third party screens are now worse off and we'll have a headline "Apple cripples third party repairs!".

This is precisely the kind of stuff that Microsoft is famous for, and it is entirely possible. Heck, third party hardware is what made PCs great. I think, however, that there is a difference in customer base; Microsoft caters to businesses, Apple to consumers. When Microsoft breaks a third party app/device with a Windows Service Pack, Microsoft needs to fix this otherwise their customers get angry. When Apple breaks…

Can you imagine the maintenance nightmare in having special case hacks just to support bugs by one program? I read some of the MS blogs where they detailed all of the workarounds they've had to do. It has to make Windows less stable and harder to maintain.

Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#125

Post by ASalazarMX »

axoltl wrote: post #117
pfortuny wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They probably can (and I guess rather easily) test whether the touchscreen is or not from Apple and at least let the ungood ones work as before (I am sure this is pretty easy to do: just keep the old controller), issuing a warning (not that Apple is short on these) to the user: "your screen may malfunction or may be insecure. If you had it repaired outside the Apple network, we remind you that it is not covered by ou…

It's neither easy nor cheap. The engineer in question now has to support multiple variants of the driver, and QA has to acquire several of these screens and maintain a dedicated test rack of them. I'm a little amazed by how many people in this thread don't understand how much work developing for, testing, and maintaining actual physical devices is.

> The engineer in question now has to support multiple variants of the driver, and QA has to acquire several of these screens and maintain a dedicated test rack of them.

Conversely, the update just needs to reliably detect if the screen is Apple brand, and abort the update if it's not. If this can be done, then the current driver could be considered generic and working everywhere, and the engineer would just need to maintain the generic and the current version.

That is, if Apple didn't mind to pay for making easier for third parties to get sales instead of Apple. Somehow I don't think that's the case.

Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#126

Post by tinus_hn »

astockwell wrote: post #4

Apple, I get it. I get why you do it. But seriously, this retroactive punishing of prior 3rd-party purchases is asinine. I had purchased multiple lightning cables from Anker (a very reputable brand), and had one of the iOS 11.x updates basically render them useless. Apple's product support is not fast enough, nor pervasive enough (to say nothing of cheap enough), to justify this behavior. Edited for clarity

Anker produces officially licensed cables that legitimately carry the ‘made for iPhone’ mark. If they stop working it is much more likely something else caused it instead of a software update.

Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#127

Post by tinus_hn »

axoltl wrote: post #8
astockwell wrote: post #4

Apple, I get it. I get why you do it. But seriously, this retroactive punishing of prior 3rd-party purchases is asinine. I had purchased multiple lightning cables from Anker (a very reputable brand), and had one of the iOS 11.x updates basically render them useless. Apple's product support is not fast enough, nor pervasive enough (to say nothing of cheap enough), to justify this behavior. Edited for clarity

It was not done intentionally. They simply don't QA their releases on repaired phones (because why would they?). The touchscreens in question highly likely use an older touchscreen controller from a previous iPhone. These controllers don't support certain commands that evidently they are now using. As far as the lightning connectors go, that WAS done intentionally. The third party lightning connectors generally don't…

Anker cables are licensed, they are tested to be compliant.

Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#129

Post by inteleng »

axoltl wrote: post #119
inteleng wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's bullshit because it isn't a real issue. Apple is just acting as a patent troll, inventing fake problems for the sake of filing patents.

... what? You're a metallurgist, or do you just play one on TV? You also obviously don't understand what a 'patent troll' is.

I play one on TV.

Re: iOS 11.3 update breaks iPhone 8 devices with third party-repaired screens

#130

Post by michaelmrose »

axoltl wrote: post #118
michaelmrose wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why doesn't any other phone manufacturer have this problem?

Apple relies very heavily on customized silicon to provide an edge (Lower power consumption, for example, or extra features). This means that there might be a part out there that's sorta close, but not quite. Once Apple starts pushing their customized silicon, the off-the-shelf part doesn't keep up.

This is complete nonsense
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