Apple Pulls Ability to Restore iPhone 5c, iPad Mini, and More [Updated]

[Charlie Bonesx]

you can still reset the devices on-device; you can't do it anymore in very, very specific circumstances from a Mac or pc. You can restore those devices when you're planning on giving them to parents or children.

the article makes it sound like they can no longer be restored. can you more fully
explain what the difference is between what the article seems to be saying and what you are saying? or how it is that I'm misunderstanding the article?

 

[thebellnd]

the article makes it sound like they can no longer be restored. can you more fully
explain what the difference is between what the article seems to be saying and what you are saying? or how it is that I'm misunderstanding the article?

I think for firmware already loaded on the device, there is no signing involved when you factory reset on-device.

If you're not updated to the latest version of whatever version of iOS you're on, you can no longer upgrade because the updates are no longer signed and fail.

If you want to restore a bricked iPhone, you won't be able to do that anymore. If an old iPhone fails to boot, it's dead dead.

 

[platinumaqua]

Why though?

I’ve never understood what’s so hard for Apple to just keep the latest version of each major release signed so people can choose which version to stay on.

 

[xpxp2002]

My guess is Qualcomm got ahold of Mythos and finally scanned their older code bases for problems, and Apple is probably contractually obligated to stop signing a vulnerable baseband firmware after so many days - so no either Apple ponies up for a team to fix the issues, or turns the devices into e-waste.

A few years ago, I'm willing to bet Apple would have gotten the problem fixed but this new Apple seems to be about extracting as much money as possible with as little expenditure as possible, so I'm not going to hold my breath.

This is exactly what I was thinking.

To only stop signing old baseband firmwares and leaving Wi-Fi-only devices unchanged suggests that this is an effort to mitigate the continued distribution of what is probably a serious vulnerability in the baseband code.

 

[turbineseaplane]

either Apple ponies up for a team to fix the issues, or turns the devices into e-waste.

It really should be the former and not the latter.

How we are doing tech these days is really bad.

 

[rjp1]

Apple always putting the environment over profits

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Apple always putting the environment over profits

Poor Mother Nature.

 

[MilaM]

Another reminder that you never really own an iPhone (or any iOS based device).

 

[Pezimak]

Well that's a LOVELY way to create landfill tech crap Apple...!!! What a joke, so now Apple dictate how long you can use your device AFTER they stop updating it..

Pure Unadulterated Planned Obsolescence... pretty disgusting.

You better be careful if they sell a MacBook Ultra try with cellular and you buy it, you may find it going in the bin after a few years for that 6 grand you spend on it.... and an FYI I have a MacBook Pro from 2010 that STILL works... People don't spend thousands on a B&O speaker for example expecting B&O to kill it after 10 years..

 

[yabeweb]

These devices became useless due to software updates long ago this is just the final nail from Apple. Aka go buy another one

Maybe you use it as an mp3 player....just saying just cause it's old doesn't make it useless.

 

[tonmischa]

There is a difference between RESET und RESTORE.

RESET:
Use the setting from the iPhone Menu to delete all settings and contents. This will only delete user data, but will not delete the OS or wipe the iPhone's drive.
The iPhone will be in a factory-reset state.

RESTORE:
Can only be done by a Mac/PC with iTunes/Finder.
The iPhone is wiped completely. A new system image (.ipsw) is cloned to the iPhone.
The iPhone will also present in a factory-reset state.

The article says, that RESTORING is no longer possible.
What it doesn't say is, if a RESET is still possible.

@Hartley Maybe you can clarify for us, please?

 

[Pezimak]

Why though?

I’ve never understood what’s so hard for Apple to just keep the latest version of each major release signed so people can choose which version to stay on.

MONEY plain and simple. Despite the HUGE amount in profits they make, due to obscene mark ups on their products, Apple refuses to ensure they can be used for years after purchase now to save costs.

 

[Rychiar]

You realize that "functional" is solely due to software and what the network providers offer, right? A battery or worn port can be replaced. I have an iPod from 20+ years ago that still works—yes, I've increased the storage and replaced the battery, and the click wheel eventually wore out and needed replacement, but the device still functions, and I use it daily. An OG iPhone will function just fine—we consider it non-functional because we have been trained to think that way when Apple and the network providers plan obsolescence.

of course but I can't see the logic in running any of these devices in 2026. they'd run slow as molasses even with replaced parts and they'd also be a security hazard I'd think. the iPhone 7 was the first iPhone I ever used that never felt sluggish to me by the time I upgraded and I've had them since the launch.

 

[call-141]

We need litigation and legislation to stand up to the waste that is occurring, not only by Apple but other manufacturers as well. This idea that products can be locked up and then the keys taken away at the whim of the manufacturer is ridiculous. There are common law, statutory, and policy considerations that need to be taken into account by our judicial system. And legislatures (starting at the state level, where it is more likely to happen) need to consider the WASTE of all this hardware.

In a time where there is processor and memory scarcity, we have somehow accepted that perfectly functioning hardware should be discardable at the whims of companies who have a vested interest in selling you something new. No, that's not ok. Every one of these pieces of hardware would have a future of some sort with open source support. They don't belong in a landfill. And not having the ability to restore a phone down to the firmware is effectively discarding it from resale and reuse.

Horrible decision by Apple. Not surprised though, because they did just discard my Apple Watch after 4 years of use from getting new updates based on a feature set that could have been adjusted based on the model. Now we have a hardware VP moving into the CEO space, so -- for the love of all that is the environment & common sense -- let's start remembering that it is a CHOICE to make this hardware obsolete. Trillion dollar companies can spend a small amount of money after their product becomes "obsolete" to them to open it up in a way that gives it ongoing usage. These aren't analog TVs from the 1990s and they don't belong in landfills.

 

[jtptus]

The common thread in these devices is the cellular function. I am reminded immediately of the time when my Motorola Razr/ATT Wireless ceased being functional in the GSM/CDMA/LTE technology evolution, circa 2008. I really liked that handset. Then migrated to Blackberry and finally to the Apple universe where I remain today. It may be that these legacy Apple devices are not supportable with their outdated cellular architecture. The cost of a fix (if there is one) coupled with the number of these devices still in use make this a nonstarter.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy52]

they'd run slow as molasses even with replaced parts and they'd also be a security hazard I'd think.

The security hazard is smoke and mirrors; almost any OS could be patched to address security flaws.

But how do you define "slow"? I mean, I write on a Mac SE. Granted, it runs System 6.0.8 (without Multifinder) and has a BlueSCSI with an 8GB SSD in it, an accelerator card, and a full(!) 4MB of RAM. Further, I use Write Now as my word processor (it was written in 68k assembly code, so its RAM footprint is small, and RTF works just fine to get documents back from it).

My SE is faster than it was stock, but it's not "fast" compared to my M4 MBA… but do I need it to be? Nope. Do you really need your phone to be "fast"? It's a phone. Calls, email, and texting don't need to be "fast."

Maybe we've let these corporations convince us we require things that we really don't.

 

[Pezimak]

We need litigation and legislation to stand up to the waste that is occurring, not only by Apple but other manufacturers as well. This idea that products can be locked up and then the keys taken away at the whim of the manufacturer is ridiculous. There are common law, statutory, and policy considerations that need to be taken into account by our judicial system. And legislatures (starting at the state level, where it is more likely to happen) need to consider the WASTE of all this hardware.

In a time where there is processor and memory scarcity, we have somehow accepted that perfectly functioning hardware should be discardable at the whims of companies who have a vested interest in selling you something new. No, that's not ok. Every one of these pieces of hardware would have a future of some sort with open source support. They don't belong in a landfill. And not having the ability to restore a phone down to the firmware is effectively discarding it from resale and reuse.

Horrible decision by Apple. Not surprised though, because they did just discard my Apple Watch after 4 years of use from getting new updates based on a feature set that could have been adjusted based on the model. Now we have a hardware VP moving into the CEO space, so -- for the love of all that is the environment & common sense -- let's start remembering that it is a CHOICE to make this hardware obsolete. Trillion dollar companies can spend a small amount of money after their product becomes "obsolete" to them to open it up in a way that gives it ongoing usage. These aren't analog TVs from the 1990s and they don't belong in landfills.

Glass and metal are the ONLY things really that are recycled, no matter what Apple 'claims' the rest is binned, including batteries.. that will just slowly seep poison into the ground over the years.

 

[maxoakland]

There's absolutely NO justification for this at all. This is just a way for them to basically brick the devices we paid for and doesn't benefit them in any way other than making it more likely people will buy a newer product to replace the ones Apple themselves ruined

 

[JulianStaples]

RIP to yet more of my pointless collection of silly old things, I guess. 🥲 Never did get around to finding a box for the 1st gen.

 

[ASentientBot]

no matter how old or irrelevant these devices may be, it's a preview of the eventual fate of every current and future A- or M-series product as well.

don't buy from apple if you care about the device still working in 10 or 20 years.

 

[gank41]

Another example of Apple being a dictatorship.

I didn't realize Apple had the ability to issue Carrier updates? Weird! I wonder how you found this out?

 

[Marx55]

That should be illegal. Apple, do not be evil!

 

[gank41]

People seem to keep failing to notice that only the Cellular versions are impacted due to the Cell Carriers not supporting the Baseband Modems in these older devices. If a "Phone" can no longer be used as a Phone due to the Carrier not supporting it, what is Apple supposed to do???

 

[turbineseaplane]

People seem to keep failing to notice that only the Cellular versions are impacted due to the Cell Carriers not supporting the Baseband Modems in these older devices. If a "Phone" can no longer be used as a Phone due to the Carrier not supporting it, what is Apple supposed to do???

Allow and enable people to keep using it WiFi only.

 

[Rychiar]

The security hazard is smoke and mirrors; almost any OS could be patched to address security flaws.

But how do you define "slow"? I mean, I write on a Mac SE. Granted, it runs System 6.0.8 (without Multifinder) and has a BlueSCSI with an 8GB SSD in it, an accelerator card, and a full(!) 4MB of RAM. Further, I use Write Now as my word processor (it was written in 68k assembly code, so its RAM footprint is small, and RTF works just fine to get documents back from it).

My SE is faster than it was stock, but it's not "fast" compared to my M4 MBA… but do I need it to be? Nope. Do you really need your phone to be "fast"? It's a phone. Calls, email, and texting don't need to be "fast."

Maybe we've let these corporations convince us we require things that we really don't.

you have an m4 air... so why would you own anything else aside from as a museum piece? I sell and upgrade all my old stuff on a regular basis in the most profitable way I can. I mean the $499 Mac mini we had access to up until recently buries most Macs of the past.