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submitted 1 year ago by L4s@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

[ifixit] We Are Retroactively Dropping the iPhone’s Repairability Score::We need to have a serious chat about iPhone repairability. We judged the phones of yesteryear by how easy they were to take apart—screws, glues, how hard it was…

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[-] aleph@lemm.ee 271 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

"Why don't you buy Apple products?"

Me: Gestures broadly at this:

Ever the innovators, Apple introduced a new dimension to repair that our scorecard simply didn’t account for: namely, that you could take a highly repairable design like the iPhone 14, install a genuine Apple replacement screen or battery, and then… it fails to work. Following the correct procedure was no longer enough.

Today, you need one more thing: a software handshake, using Apple’s System Configuration tool. It contacts Apple’s servers to “authenticate” the repair, then “pairs” the new part to your system so it works as expected. Of course, it can only authenticate if Apple knows about your repair in advance, because you gave them the exact serial number of your iPhone, and they’ve pre-matched it to a display or battery. This is only possible if you buy the screen or battery directly from Apple. Forget harvesting parts—which is a huge part of most independent repair and recycling businesses. It’s also impossible to pair any aftermarket parts—which means only Apple-authorized repairs can truly restore the device to full functionality.

[-] hellothere@sh.itjust.works 144 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I can understand Apple refusing to do repairs under warranty, or even invalidating a warranty, if someone has broken their phone after digging around inside without knowing what they are doing, but bricking a phone the person owns through a software lock is absolutely insane and stinks of attempts at service capture and fighting right to repair laws.

Yet another reason I'll never give them a penny.

Fairphone gang rise up!

[-] Shayeta@feddit.de 27 points 1 year ago

I can't even imagine that. Modifying your device DOES NOT void your warranty. The burden of proof is on the manufacturer to prove that the modification caused the failure.

[-] hellothere@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

I get that, and I don't want to use cars as a good example because they aren't, but even car manufacturers have less restrictive policies than Apple is pushing here.

It would still be wrong to invalidate the warranty for the reasons you give, but it's still better than this.

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[-] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 63 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This hardware DRM shit is just plain evil. Was considering an Iphone next year for the first time, but going to nope right out of there.

[-] erranto@lemmy.world 60 points 1 year ago

Almost everything apple does nowadays is a marketing front, repairability, privacy, not including chargers, accessories and removing the headphone jack for the sake of the environment, and more to come.

[-] sploosh@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Apple isn't alone in not providing chargers. My S23 Ultra didn't have one in the box.

[-] Imotali@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

But your S23 Ultra also uses the most common cable type for a charger. That isn't proprietary. That you likely already have a good several of.

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I think it’s a bit dishonest to imply this is the only reason they do things.

Privacy? I’d like to think that’s more than a marketing front considering how much data is actually worth.

Otherwise I totally agree with you

[-] r_se_random@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Actually, the whole Privacy part is one of the biggest gimmicks Apple has ever pulled.

Sure, it doesn't allow Meta and Google to not allow data collection, but research indicates Apple continues to collect the same amount of data. In the long run, I'm sure that Apple would also use this data to serve ads in their own way, just that they'll call it "iAds", and fanboys would cream their pants

[-] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

just that they'll call it

AiDS

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[-] A7thStone@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You don't think apple sells and uses your data?

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[-] burrito82@feddit.de 38 points 1 year ago

for now, we are only rescoring the iPhone 14. We are not retroactively rescoring earlier iPhones at this time. If we did, their scores would also likely decline.

I don't get it. They finally recognized that the score does not reflect reality, leads to wasted money and frustration, and then they don't apply there newfound insight to products already affected? To me that seems somewhat dishonest.

[-] joel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 33 points 1 year ago

Seems to me that it took a huge amount of time and resources to reach the new score, and I'm guessing they don't have the budget to do the same for every model

[-] hellothere@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 year ago

I'm guessing they don't feel the time to do a fair re-review is worth it on older devices with less, but higher than 0, new users.

Most people who are interested in those devices already have them, so a change in score doesn't really make a difference.

[-] duckmilk@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

This should be illegal. We legislation that force repairability and open repair methods (anti-drm).

So what’s the new solution in place of DRM to make sure that the things you make aren’t ripped off by China or any other rich competitor?

What’s to stop the big players that are already seated in their thrones from abusing and stealing shit from the peasants?

[-] DauntingFlamingo@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 year ago

How does forcing a company like Apple or John Deere to allow their customers to repair their own products lead you to think China isn't already ripping off every bit of tech they come across?

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[-] duckmilk@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

DRM does not prevent them stealing the technology they are only there to maximize profit. Everything is basically manufactured in China so the know-how is already overseas. Copyright laws already exist to prevent complete rip-offs.

If a shock absorber of my car breaks I have the freedom to choose the quality/type of the spare part (Genuine/OEM/used or aftermarket supplier) and who performs the repair (Dealer/local repair shop or myself). That's healthy competition and it should be the same for electronics.

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[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago

Uhhhh, it wasn't already zero?

[-] chic_luke@lemmy.world 54 points 1 year ago

It was at 7/10 because the iPhone 14 introduced a repair-friendly design that made it, in theory, easier to repair than most competing high-end smartphones. However, the fact that there is a software DRM on the parts you install makes this repairable design completely useless for the end user, it just makes repairs cheaper for Apple themselves, thus adding insult to injury.

That about wraps it up

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 35 points 1 year ago

Apple puts weird DRM on everything.

They even have DRM on the Hall Effect sensor that detects when the lids closed on their newer laptops, so you cant take one from one laptop and put it in another.

The fucking hall effect sensors.

Its nothing but a fancy magnet that turns your screen off when you close the lid, a thing that costs pennies, and they had to engineer their own version to have DRM and bullshit.

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[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

Honestly, Apples entire business model always meant they should rate a zero. It's been about making tech disposable for 20 years. Any "repairability" by them is at best a marketing strategy.

[-] havokdj@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Powermacs were user serviceable back when security bits were uncommon. Once you got over the hurdle of buying like a $40 screwdriver, you could service them entirely yourself.

I'd go so far as to say the earlier iPods were user serviceable. Everything past the iPhone 4 though was a steady downhill without a doubt.

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I wouldn't call requiring a 40 dollar screwdriver a positive sign. If anything it was an early red flag as to their intentions.

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[-] jmd_akbar@aussie.zone 17 points 1 year ago

That score of 4 is still very high... I feel, it should be closer to 1...

[-] Nobsi@feddit.de 8 points 1 year ago

If you looked at the scoring then you wouldnt spout such nonsense.

[-] jmd_akbar@aussie.zone 8 points 1 year ago

Mate, don't get your knickers in a twist... You're getting riled up over nothing here...

The iPhone 14 getting a repairability score of 4 shouldn't affect you or your life... Neither should some random person online thinking it deserves a much lower score...

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[-] RacerX@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

I'm not doubting this is true given the source, but there are phone repair shops all over my town that repair cracked iPhone screens all the time. How do they make that business work if they have to register something like a screen replacement?

[-] orphiebaby@lemm.ee 26 points 1 year ago
  1. It's not talking about screens
  2. Those people are licensed and using parts directly from Apple, which Apple allows

Read the damned post.

[-] huginn@feddit.it 10 points 1 year ago

They can pony up the exorbitant fee to get access to the Apple repair kit that lets you work on Apple devices.

Then they register the screen replacement with their privileged access.

It was possible with older phones to just swap out the screen but starting with 10 (iirc) it is no longer possible to do without the tools.

[-] Blinding@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I work as a repair tech for Batteries Plus, on the X and above what usually happens is a notification in the settings app about being unable to verify whatever part is an OEM part and that the service log for the device has been updated. If it's the battery that is being changed and it's not paired, it will lock you out of viewing Battery Health information, and if the repair shop doesn't copy over some data from the original screen then the replacement screen can cause the loss of True Tone. Haven't experienced a phone completely brick itself because of third party repairs but Apple certainly forces a loss of functionality simply because they want all repairs funneled through them.

[-] WindowsEnjoyer@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

Why do people care about Apple's repairability? If you don't like that your phone is unrepairable - don't buy it?

[-] flatplutosociety@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Because there are a lot of people out there who don't know about or understand all this, and I don't think a regular consumer should be expected to know about weird software quirks to be protected from a company's rapaciously anti-consumer policies.

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[-] FLX@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Should and will be illegal

[-] BallShapedMan@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I've been trying to convince myself now that the iPhone uses USB C to swap from Android since Google and the whole DRM bit. To be fair I'm a Firefox user and I know Apple uses a chromium wrapper for Safari or what have you but I am afraid of Graphene OS installation.

With this I just can't do Apple. Alright all you Lemmies telling me just to try it and so being a wimp, I'm gonna do it.

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this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2023
675 points (100.0% liked)

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