Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone? • Hacker News Board

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#121

Post by ryukafalz » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 3:09 PM UTC

Lio wrote: post #56

Yetanfou wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So what’s the alternative? Currently: a Google-free AOSP-based distribution on one of the hundreds of supported devices. In the future, hopefully: a free software mobile platform compatible with a range of hardware. Google-free Android is a thing, I've been using it for about 10 years now. I do not have a Google account, there is no 'Gapps' (Google Apps) on my devices, I do not use the 'Play Store' (which is a bit…

Which distribution would you recommend as a starting point? My assumption has not been that Google free Android doesn’t exist but that I’d need Google’s app store to run the third party apps I need. Specifically things it's stuff for firmware updates on stuff like Shimano Di2 or other hardware devices. Are third parties now officially supporting other alternative app stores? (Sorry about the questions but this is qui…

>Specifically things it's stuff for firmware updates on stuff like Shimano Di2 or other hardware devices.

As someone who dabbles in alternative mobile OSes, it's always frustrating to me when more and more products require using Apple/Google services for basic functionality. I try to avoid buying devices like that whenever possible, because they just lock me into those ecosystems.

The Amazon app store is an option, for things that are available there. It's not everything, but it feels like there's a decent selection there.

That said, for those apps that are only found in the Play Store, there are third-party clients like Aurora Store: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/

(Warning: possibly against some part of the Play Store ToS and Google is notoriously opaque regarding enforcement. Use caution.)

That, unlike e.g. the Play Store, should be installable normally as any other Android app even on compatibility layers like Anbox. This probably isn't super polished yet, but I know there's work being done on using Anbox for Linux phones and it seems to work: https://social.librem.one/@dos/105119691527269967

But yeah, personally I'm planning on 1) keeping an older phone around for the things that absolutely need it and 2) avoiding things that absolutely need it as much as possible.

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#122

Post by tartoran » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 3:27 PM UTC

barnacled wrote: post #90

It does somewhat amuse me to see the degree to which people rationalise Apple's ongoing, consistent control freakery with excuses and justifications. Every time a story like this comes up the amount of people defending what they do really shocks me. I used to work for Imagination Technologies, whose GPU all Apple mobile devices are based upon. I was at the company when Apple announced that they would no longer requir…

I agree with you but it doesn’t shock me at all, Apple knows very well what kind of users they are targeting and do enough to excite them every year with new toys. For a while they had taken the lead on many fronts but they seem to have lost that advantage due to their prevailing goal that isn’t likely to change anytime soon and for which they are doing better than anyone: money.

I am not enamored with the alternative either and would avoid google’s tentacles even with more vehemence so the only thing i’m hoping for is an opensource phone os that isn’t controlled by any corp. I’m looking at the PinePhone which is very promising for a linux phone but they still need to catch up with the competition. If we all supported these types of initiatives we’d have what we really want even sooner.

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#123

Post by tartoran » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 3:28 PM UTC

e_proxus wrote: post #81

nbzso wrote: post #53

I hate to repeat my self but this articles keep piling up. Vote with your money first, then if you have a way search legislative measures. They will never stop to search a way to profit more. This is just a beginning. Fully closed macs are coming. I don't care anymore for iPhones, my professional problem is with apple desktops and laptops. If we follow Apple logic in near future I will have to Jailbreak my personal c…

There aren’t many (if any) realistic options. It basically boils down to Apple, Android or some extremely niche third party special phone (Fairphone etc.) which are mostly Android anyway. So either you pay Apple for premium hardware and software quality but loose out on repairability. Or you get Android which is a potential or actual privacy nightmare. Or you get an obscure other phone which is less supported and usu…

Have you looked at the Pinephone? It’s not ready for primetime but it appears to become a nice option

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#124

Post by thebruce87m » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 3:42 PM UTC

alisonkisk wrote: post #88

whytaka wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They had actually reinstalled the cracked screen before giving it back to me.

That could unblock a blocked light sensor due to shifting of the broken screen.

Yes, or they broke something themselves and replaced it, or fixed a loose cable without realising. There are so many possibilities but trying to get a shop worker to agree that it’s a software bug is going to be tough. My experience with these sort of things is that companies will generally do the opposite - make you do software resets for things that are obviously hardware issues.

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#125

Post by tim333 » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 3:43 PM UTC

yholio wrote: post #59

maccard wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I moved from apple to android a few years ago, hoping the grass would be greener. I hoped I was leaving behind a locked in ecosystem with hard to repair devices for a more open ecosystem where competition would improve quality. Android is a fat mess, with flagship phones from premium manufacturers being incompatible with various OS features, and devices from different manufacturers being incompatible in ways that nev…

The Android ecosystem is great for low cost devices. I have a 5 year old Samsung that still serves me great for what I need it: quick web searches, mapping and Waze, communication etc. The screen is cracked in 200 pieces, I literally stepped on it on multiple occasions, the power button has fallen off but I figured I don't really need it anyway except the rare cases where I leave it to discharge completely. Otherwise…

The Apple ecosystem is great in my experience for used devices if you don't mind that. My like now iPhoneSE (old model) was £100 off eBay, works great. The macbook is 7 years old, pretty good - some plastic iffy. Both still run the latest software, are fast etc.

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#126

Post by MikusR » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 4:58 PM UTC

tinus_hn wrote: post #45

So how does this play out with the recently announced third party repair program?

That program makes the repair shop order each part individually based on serial numbers.

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#127

Post by csomar » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 5:41 PM UTC

cmckn wrote: post #63

csomar wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the same issue with the Macbook Pro battery. The laptop is just a couple months beyond the 1-year warranty and Apple did not recognize it as their fault. Needless to say, I'm happy now with Archlinux despite it took a while to set the whole thing up. I don't think I'll be buying any more Apple laptops but for phones, I don't think Android is doing any better.

Not sure when this happened, but many credit cards offer an additional year of warranty protection if you purchase electronics on them. I had a $750 motherboard replacement reimbursed on a MacBook recently when it was 2 months out of warranty. Worth looking into!

Good Point. But it was purchased with a debit card. Good reason to always use the Credit Card.

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#128

Post by avgcodemonkey » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 5:53 PM UTC

whytaka wrote: post #35

Not too long ago, I went to the Apple store to get my MacBook Pro looked at for a faulty key and degraded trackpad. As I had a Genius diagnose the issue, the screen brightness of my iPhone 7 had dropped nearly completely. While it was true that the glass of the screen had cracked due to a fall, the phone had operated just fine for many months since. The Genius told me it was likely a display issue while I told him it…

The right speaker on my 2016 MacBook Pro blew out recently, and is the third time a speaker has blown out. Every time a speaker blew out, it was preceded by the exact same sequence of events: I open the lid of the computer, the machine starts making buzzing sounds as a notification sound starts playing, and one of the speakers blows out.

Note that Apple engineered the hardware so that the speakers are glued to the top case, so replacing either speaker entails replacing the whole top case, which includes the left and right speakers, the keyboard, the trackpad and the battery. An out-of-warranty top case replacement for the 2016 MacBook Pro costs $600.

My machine was now out of warranty, but the same exact thing happened just a little over three months prior and Apple did a repair by replacing the top case. I called to see if Apple would be willing to extend the 90-day warranty for repaired parts just a bit.

The call was transferred to a supervisor. The supervisor told me that it was the left speaker that was blown out last time, and it was the right speaker that was blown out this time, so they considered this to be a completely separate incident and there was no 90-day coverage at all for the right speaker to begin with. I would have to spend $600 to get this fixed, and the supervisor would not budge on the price, either.

I am infuriated because even though they replaced the top case, which, to emphasize, includes all of the parts glued to it - the left and right speakers, as well as the keyboard, the trackpad, and the battery, they do not consider the right speaker to be a component in the same part as the left speaker. Even more infuriating is how Apple glues parts to the case so they can charge exorbitant amounts of money for out-of-warranty repairs.

It also allows their staff to suggest braindead quick-fix solutions equivalent to "pay to replace the whole thing or go away," without actually diagnosing the real problem. I say this because the fact that a speaker blowing out was always preceded by the exact same sequence of events suggests to me that something else may be faulty, but the Apple technicians have never bothered to diagnose what the real problem was.

I am also immersed in Apple's ecosystem and I was ready to trade this computer in and buy a new 16-inch MacBook Pro this year once a new one comes out, given the myriads of issues I've had with my machine (it has also needed three display replacements and one keyboard replacement). I was also ready to buy the new iPad Air.

Now I've decided I won't buy the new iPad Air, and my next computer will likely not run macOS.

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#129

Post by Yetanfou » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 6:09 PM UTC

Lio wrote: post #56

Yetanfou wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So what’s the alternative? Currently: a Google-free AOSP-based distribution on one of the hundreds of supported devices. In the future, hopefully: a free software mobile platform compatible with a range of hardware. Google-free Android is a thing, I've been using it for about 10 years now. I do not have a Google account, there is no 'Gapps' (Google Apps) on my devices, I do not use the 'Play Store' (which is a bit…

Which distribution would you recommend as a starting point? My assumption has not been that Google free Android doesn’t exist but that I’d need Google’s app store to run the third party apps I need. Specifically things it's stuff for firmware updates on stuff like Shimano Di2 or other hardware devices. Are third parties now officially supporting other alternative app stores? (Sorry about the questions but this is qui…

I mostly use LineageOS (formerly Cyanogenmod) as a starting point, sometimes with a few customisations but often just straight off the 'net.

As to app stores, I use F-Droid and Aurora Store (an alternative front end to the Play Store) for those few proprietary apps (mostly the Swedish BankID electronic ID app) I need to have access to. Aurora Store works with anonymous Google accounts, you do not need - and are advised not to use - a real Google account for this.

I use MicroG (free software implementation of the Google Services Framework) on a few devices but mostly just do without it.

Re: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

#130

Post by supernova87a » Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 6:13 PM UTC

gear54rus wrote: post #5

simongr3dal wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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.

I think you have to acknowledge that you're part of a very specialized user group, and that your goals and requirements are very different from the general population.

Is Apple to sell phones to you, or to the general population? Answer is obvious, isn't it?

For the general population, making a tightly controlled (and simple) hardware and software environment makes more things possible -- overall -- to the users than absolute freedom does. It's a paradox -- by controlling things, they set the market for this product loose.

You can see how it is a hard thing to manage to, and leads to users like you being unhappy. Linux gives incredible freedom to users, yet has very little market penetration.

Not everyone wants to be able to side load apps, tweak their battery charging settings, and have their phone die because they did something wrong to it.