Apple Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over 'Error 53' iPhone 6 Bricking

[AxoNeuron]

For Apple it is a lot more complicated that this. There is nothing saying that this cares if you have TouchID enabled or not, I suspect it doesn't care either way... The core of the issue is a major component of the security system of the device has been compromised. Since all of the security on your iOS device is done locally with all of the keys being stored on the device in the secure element it locks up when something is outside of expected parameters...

The system is a lot like Secure Boot on Windows 10. Everything has to check out or everything fails. You can't trust anything when one part is out of line so you trust none. Otherwise, the whole system can be compromised.

Even if all of this is true, Apple could easily have included a hardware check DURING the actual update preparation process itself. It would pop up an error saying 'could not update to the latest version of ios'. That works for everybody, both the security types afraid someone will insert a phony malicious touch ID sensor (I find the idea laughable) and the people who had it repaired outside of where an ARS was available. They wouldn't have been able to get the latest ios, but hey, at least they would still have a functional phone...

And once someone had updated to the latest ios, their phone would now be 'protected' against malicious third party touch ID hardware. But at least it wouldn't have hurt anyone who had it repaired 6 months ago long before anyone had even thought this was an issue.

 

[Smartass]

A non-authorized repair shop bricked some phones by using a probably 'out the back door' Touch ID (as they are not just available to anyone to use for repair) and they didn't have the knowledge or ability to properly sync the new part to the secure enclave. THIS MUST BE APPLE'S FAULT for not making it possible to repair a $600 phone with the cheapest parts possible.

Wrong. In this case the only consequence is that the warranty gets void, but the phone should still work properly, just the touchID function should be disabled and fingerprints deleted. iPhone can work perfectly fine without touchID and the "unofficial" TouchID is not and can not be a reason for a whole phone to stop working and deleting all the data.
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And once someone had updated to the latest ios, their phone would now be 'protected' against malicious third party touch ID hardware. But at least it wouldn't have hurt anyone who had it repaired 6 months ago long before anyone had even thought this was an issue.

Apple could have easily avoided all of that just by letting the user know that the TouchID part is not "official/genuine" and disable it. Then it would be totally up to the user himself wether he will go back to the repair shop and request their money back or demand a proper repair. Apple would stay out of all of this and have no problems what so ever and people would also think "Thank god we have apple, so they can warn us about things like this". But no, they obviously wanted more money from repairs and did what they did.

 

[Gudi]

Totally justified lawsuit. There is absolutely no reason to brick the phone for an optional feature such as touchid. Invalidate the fingerprints and allow the user to continue using the phone via the regular pin.

Using the feature is optional, having a TouchID sensor build in is not. TouchID is not an open industry standard everyone can make and expect to work in an iPhone. If you buy fake, you get fake.

 

[bushido]

i think its justified like ... Apple can disable the TouchID after a reboot of the phone or inside the AppStore for the first time after a reboot (SUPER ANNOYING BTW) but they cant figure out how to lock touchid related parts of iOS after a repair without bricking the whole phone. are you kidding me

and to the people screaming but but SECURITY!!!! did you all forget that u also had to put in a passcode which does the same thing as touchid especially after a reboot? hell u even need your passcode to enter the touchid settings so which part seems more secure eh?

they could have simply implement a pop up stating "TouchID not recognized. please put in your passcode OR even better ... a code sent to another device of yours"

 

[Smartass]

Using the feature is optional, having a TouchID sensor build in is not. TouchID is not an open industry standard everyone can make and expect to work in an iPhone. If you buy fake, you get fake.

You really dont get it, do you?

 

[Gudi]

Apple could have easily avoided all of that just by letting the user know that the TouchID part is not "official/genuine" and disable it.

Users could have easily avoided all of that just by going on the Apple website and checking if their local repair shop is on the list of authorized service providers. I not they should have known, that it's not "official/genuine" and might disable the whole phone.

You really dont get it, do you?

I'm about the only one who gets it. Customers have responsibilities too.

 

[MH01]

So... They made third-party repairs, which annulled their warranty, and bricked their phone and now they're suing? Why does Apple owe them anything, exactly? Didn't they agree to Apple's terms when they purchased the device?

No doubt you read the terms and conditions and also agreed to them, could you kindly direct us to the exact reference in the terms and conditions where it says a 3rd party repair can result in YOUR phone being bricked!

I'll bet my iPhone, you never read them.

"Annulling" warranty is fine, apple purposefully bricking the phone as a consequence of the Annulling without a warning is not.

Do you get the idea that people are not renting these devices from apple? They actually own them outright ? You really don't get why someone would be upset owning a $1000 paperweight all the sudden ? Which was working fine for 18 months or so after a repair to suddenly stop after a software update without a warning?

The other scenario is far worse, no repair, the Touch ID just malfunctions! All the sudden, even after the firmware update, one day your phone suddenly shows an error 53 and you say "WTF, it's never been repaired" and now the ball drops and your realise this is not just about 3rd party repairs....

Though back to the original question, please refer to the T&Cs where it says your device can be bricked by apple if a repair is done by a non authorised repair centre.

 

[bushido]

Users could have easily avoided all of that just by going on the Apple website and checking if their local repair shop is on the list of authorized service providers. I not they should have known, that it's not "official/genuine" and might disable the whole phone.
I'm about the only one who gets it. Customers have responsibilities too.

there was another story on MR a couple of days ago where iPhones repaired by genuine authorized service providers got bricked. if you cant even trust a genuine repair store you can never know what parts are actually being used as you are not the expert.

thats actually the worst part, you go get your iPhone fixed and have to pray that it doesnt brick or walk around for a while hoping that it does not brick. unnecessary uneasy feeling added to their customers mind.

plus there are those stores every once in a while that promote GENIUNE PARTS AND INSTANT REPAIRS. People like my mum would never know the difference

 

[Gudi]

Could you kindly direct us to the exact reference in the terms and conditions where it says a 3rd party repair can result in YOUR phone being bricked!

https://www.apple.com/lae/support/programs/aasp/

• Only Authorized Service Providers are able to obtain parts directly from Apple in order to complete repairs

If you can't even trust a genuine repair store you can never know what parts are actually being used as you are not the expert.

I can be sure that a unauthorized repair shop has no access to original parts directly from Apple and I can be sure an authorized service provider will lose it's authorization when it doesn't fulfill the required operational standards.

 

[MH01]

Users could have easily avoided all of that just by going on the Apple website and checking if their local repair shop is on the list of authorized service providers. I not they should have known, that it's not "official/genuine" and might disable the whole phone.
I'm about the only one who gets it. Customers have responsibilities too.

Customers have consumer rights. customers do not have a responsibility to be forced to do repairs at only authorised locations. Thier choice.

You are confusing authorised repairs that keep the device under warranty, and out of warranty repairs.

I bought by £800 phone outright, if I choose to repair it down the road, voiding my warranty, it's my choice, I own it, apple does not get to brick my device , as a consumer I made the decision. This big brother action is BS.

Are you saying that in all the apple products you have owned you have never replaced the Hdd, ram etc? And you would be cool with apple bricking those? Cause a 3rd party hardware was added?
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https://www.apple.com/lae/support/programs/aasp/

• Only Authorized Service Providers are able to obtain parts directly from Apple in order to complete repairs

Wrong. That is supply chain. Not even the T&C.

Where in the Terms and conditions, the ones when you first activate your phone, does it say that YOU agree to allow APPLE to brick your phone if a 3rd party repair is done ?

 

[Smartass]

Users could have easily avoided all of that just by going on the Apple website and checking if their local repair shop is on the list of authorized service providers.

The only thing users could avoid by going to a non official repair is their warranty. Apple has no right to permanently disabe their phone and delete all of their data without any warning. And even if they did warn users about a possible scenario like this, it still wouldnt stand on court since there are anti-trust laws for a reason.

I not they should have known, that it's not "official/genuine" and might disable the whole phone.

If that were the case, then there really wouldnt be any point of having any consumer protection related laws since every fault that would happen to certain device would be explained just by "Well you shoul've known". Users werent warned, they didnt know and there is no way they could ever known what will happen in this case. TouchID tech has been out for more than 2 years know and these things didnt happen so please, explain to me, how could ANYBODY know that.

I'm about the only one who gets it. Customers have responsibilities too.

Yes, their responsibility is that they use the phone according to official manual, terms and conditions etc. Yet, in all of these documents, Apple didnt mention the posibility of losing your phone if you replace your TouchID with a "fake one".
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https://www.apple.com/lae/support/programs/aasp/

• Only Authorized Service Providers are able to obtain parts directly from Apple in order to complete repairs

Well, unauthorized service providers can also complete repairs. That really doesnt change anything and thats not even in TErms and Conditions. Like i said, apple didnt mention ANYWHERE what might happen if you get your TouchID or even a screen repaired by a non-authorized service provider. And even if they did, it still wouldnt exculpate them on any court, not EU nor US.


Really, stop defending apple.

 

[MH01]

Look, for all the people here defending apple, do you realise how serious this is, and while you are all blaming the customer for the 3rd party repair, and saying its thier fault, and apple has done the right thing.

Do you realise that Apple can brick YOUR phone , cause the ORIGINAL Touch ID has malfunctioned ? No repair , nothing. Can happen to any of you TODAY!!

Just have a read of this http://www.dailydot.com/technology/what-is-error-53-iphone/

If your are fine with a hardware malfunction leading to your device suddenly being bricked, leaving you stranded all I can say is wow, just wow. I'd want my device to continue working so I can take it into apple at my convience and have it fixed .

Forget the 3rd party repairs for a sec.....THIS can happen under hardware failure! And it's not like home button does not get clicked hundreds of times each week....a part of the device most likely to fail from constant wear and tear.

 

[recoil80]

Your not installing it right.

You are reparing it wrong

 

[Gudi]

Users werent warned, they didn't know and there is no way they could ever known what will happen in this case. Really, stop defending Apple.

Really, stop lying. Ignorant people might believe your nonsense.

What type of damages are not covered by my warranty?
Apple's Limited Warranty for iPhone excludes coverage for damage resulting from accident, disassembly, unauthorized service and unauthorized modifications. Please review the warranty for further details.

See that, no warranty on unauthorized modifications. Every company on the whole wide world excludes unauthorized modifications, because who knows what will happen? The battery might even explode and kill you, that's not Apples problem. You did it.

 

[Serr76]

Well, seems like the why might be material--not because you use OEM parts, no, but if there is some sort of an issue with those parts that rises to some sort of safety level perhaps, then there might be additional avenues that the manufacturer has. (That's not even factoring in leased or financed vehicles and additional conditions that might be in play there in relation to ownership and all that.)

Or something along the lines of what's mentioned below:And they can certainly tell you there's a new update to the software in the car to patch some security issues--perhaps even attached to a recall of some sort--which pretty much anyone will agree to do.

Exactly, if there is a firmware update for my car and I have a out of warranty non oem parts installed over the years, (alternator, stereo deck, power steering pump and a collision repair which used recycled parts). I get a notification from the manufacturer that part of a recall related to the transmission / speed sensor is required to correct a known issue / improve performance. Before they are permitted to perform the update (I haven't touched the transmission etc) they are required to advise me that they do not know how this update will interact with the after market parts after performing a system check before installing the update. If I accepted the risk that is my choice. If I was not advised of the risk prior to the update and I come to get my car to find out the computer will not allow the car to start because of one of the non oem parts. Then the dealership is at fault for not advising me of the potential for an incompatibility and not checking with the manufacturer who released the update to confirm whether this required update will work in the configuration the vehicle is in. If they did contact the manufacturer and they gave the go ahead and it bricked my computers car. The dealership isn't at fault but the manufacturer should hold some responsibility as they provided the information to update a working product and their modification resulted in it not working. In short if the user is advised a hardware mismatch detected may result in having an unintended impact on their device to not perform this update. If the user accepts or ignores the warning then they did so at their own peril. The issue is no warning was given before the update was installed so the user had no way to know there was a detected problem that could result in a problem.

 

[MH01]

Really, stop lying. Ignorant people might believe your nonsense.

See that, no warranty on unauthorized modifications. Every company on the whole wide world excludes unauthorized modifications, because who knows what will happen? The battery might even explode and kill you, that's not Apples problem. You did it.

Ummm. You dont understand what warranty is.

A warranty becoming void on a device does not mean the manafacture has the right to deactivate that device.

Apple gave no warning about bricking, you are lying .

 

[dilbert99]

It amazes me how little people actually care about their security (and do not confuse security with privacy here). Apple is trying to protect its users, but they are too stupid to realise.

They are doing this to protect you, not as a "screw you for trying to fix your own phone." People will always see what they want to see though, I suppose.

Apple did not know this was going to happen. If they did they would have user friendly message, not error 53. They also would not have bricked the phone but just disabled the sensor.

 

[Eadfrith]

How many people had this error 53?

 

[MH01]

How many people had this error 53?

Potentially only Apple would have those stats.

The number is a combination of replaced Touch ID from 3rd party repairs, and malfunctioned Touch ID sensors.

I'd expect the homebutton to be most prone to failure over time due to its frequency of use.

It will be significant due to the success of the 6

 

[Gudi]

Customers have consumer rights. Customers do not have a responsibility to be forced to do repairs at only authorised locations. Their choice.

You also have the right to shoot yourself in your own foot, doesn't mean you have a right it won't bleed. EU consumer right says, if it breaks within the first two years, you can bring it directly to the manufacturer or back the place where you've bought it and they must repair it for free or give you a new one. Nowhere in the law it says, you have a right that a repair by somebody else will work or not destroy your device. Unauthorized repair is completely at your own risk.

You are confusing authorised repairs that keep the device under warranty, and out of warranty repairs.

You are confusing unauthorized repair with something that is Apples problem.

I bought by £800 phone outright, if I choose to repair it down the road, voiding my warranty, it's my choice, I own it, apple does not get to brick my device, as a consumer I made the decision.

And you got to live with the decision. Be a man!

 

[lmjabreu]

Would the mods update the article with a bit more info?

Clarify the reason the phone doesn't boot is because ALL data is encrypted, including the one required to boot, and for it to be decrypted ALL of the hardware responsible for encryption must not have been tampered with.

The reason this isn't equivalent to replacing original car parts with oem parts is because say a company like Ford isn't liable for any accidents caused by 3rd party parts, not does it care about it, nor it is a problem for them as it is for Apple, a company that has engineered and requires its hardware to work as designed in order to make features like Apple Pay viable for banks, full device encryption trustworthy for enterprises, and offer protection against hostile governments, and I'm talking about the likes of UK that have demonstrated they'd break into your personal phone if they could, perhaps by replacing your Touch ID even before it reaches your home, right now this is targeted at specific individuals but if this were possible of being done in a casual manner it could be abused. Not an everyday concern and thus the rage that personal devices are being protected in this manner.

Second, the reason there's no warning when updating and why Apple probably won't loose this case is because A) this was a security fix, should've been there the whole time, B) The update does (probably) mention it, albeit in a cryptic, hidden way, in the form of security fixes included in the update; C) "Hey, your device security is broken, but we're gonna leave it as is alright?" Is probably not something Apple want to do. They could have, but then no one would fix it and we're back to having a device that's unsuitable for Apple Pay and news articles about how Apple should've been more strict about security, and so on, and so on.

That's my perspective on what this company has to consider before taking an action. Cook's probably not laughing maniacally at his desk, but probably thinking 'ugh'.

 

[MH01]

You also have the right to shoot yourself in your own foot, doesn't mean you have a right it won't bleed. EU consumer right says, if it breaks within the first two years, you can bring it directly to the manufacturer or back the place where you've bought it and they must repair it for free or give you a new one. Nowhere in the law it says, you have a right that a repair by somebody else will work or not destroy your device. Unauthorized repair is completely at your own risk.
You are confusing unauthorized repair with something that is Apples problem.
And you got to live with the decision. Be a man!

First 2 days? Mate you have no understanding of EU consumer laws . Are you serious?

Let me make this simple for you. Do you understand that YOU can get an error 53 today! Lets start here.... And you have not repaired your phone correct ?

 

[gijoeinla]

While many are literally biyotching that this drama is all Apples doing or their "fault"...

One point that's sorely being missed is that I'm sure the "authorized" Apple service businesses too are demanding a crackdown and enforcement of sorts to protect their market position.

Here in Los Angeles there a ton of "authorized service centers". But for every one of them that's legit there's 50 more illegitimate shops operating like parasites. Nearly all of those so called fix it stores are skanky, dirty, and seem shady.

Forget Apple for a second and grab a sense of reality for the guys that make a real living I'm sure paying Apple a fee to be "authorized" only to be increasing undercut by this underground international repair shops.

Personally I'm fine with Apple wanting to do what it takes to discourage this scourge and better insure OUR stuff is better protected.

The answers to avoid are quite simple. Protect your phone. Care about your $1000 device. Get Apple Care if you really care about it -- I do. Kind of like no excuses since even every phone carrier now offers replacement insurance of many kinds.

Btw I highly doubt only Apple is at threat here. Let's see a thread on what happens in this case to Samesong owners in a similar situation. Oh I forgot - they have no retail stores whatsoever. Why? Because they too want you to turn I. Your phone for a new model. Duh.

 

[MH01]

Would the mods update the article with a bit more info?

Clarify the reason the phone doesn't boot is because ALL data is encrypted, including the one required to boot, and for it to be decrypted ALL of the hardware responsible for encryption must not have been tampered with.

The reason this isn't equivalent to replacing original car parts with oem parts is because say a company like Ford isn't liable for any accidents caused by 3rd party parts, not does it care about it, nor it is a problem for them as it is for Apple, a company that has engineered and requires its hardware to work as designed in order to make features like Apple Pay viable for banks, full device encryption trustworthy for enterprises, and offer protection against hostile governments, and I'm talking about the likes of UK that have demonstrated they'd break into your personal phone if they could, perhaps by replacing your Touch ID even before it reaches your home, right now this is targeted at specific individuals but if this were possible of being done in a casual manner it could be abused. Not an everyday concern and thus the rage that personal devices are being protected in this manner.

Second, the reason there's no warning when updating and why Apple probably won't loose this case is because A) this was a security fix, should've been there the whole time, B) The update does (probably) mention it, albeit in a cryptic, hidden way, in the form of security fixes included in the update; C) "Hey, your device security is broken, but we're gonna leave it as is alright?" Is probably not something Apple want to do. They could have, but then no one would fix it and we're back to having a device that's unsuitable for Apple Pay and news articles about how Apple should've been more strict about security, and so on, and so on.

That's my perspective on what this company has to consider before taking an action. Cook's probably not laughing maniacally at his desk, but probably thinking 'ugh'.

The problem with this whole thread is that people are focused on tampered parts.

the fundamental issue here is that a "part" can no longer sync with the iPhone hardware, this could be due to a repair OR a malfunction.

 

[Gudi]

Are you saying that in all the Apple products you have owned you have never replaced the HDD, RAM etc?

Sure I have, as hard drive and memory replacements are explicitly described as user-serviceable for my MacBook, but newer MacBooks are different.

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010) - User Guide

Your MacBook does not have any user-serviceable parts, except the hard drive and the memory. If you need service, contact Apple or take your MacBook to an Apple Authorized Service Provider.