Apple Supports Right to Repair Bill in California

[theorist9]

You really like to upgrade a years-old device w/ 128GB ram? For what reason?

Here's an example: You're doing scientific research, and you've switched to projects that need more RAM.

E.g., say you bought an iMac in 2020 with 32 GB RAM to do one kind of calculation, but now you've moved to new project that requires a different set of calculations that need 128 GB.

And say those calculations run perfectly well on your iMac after upgrading the RAM, plus your lab's budget doesn't currently have the spare ~$7k needed to buy a 128 GB Ultra Studio + 27" Apple Studio display (which would be the modern replacement for a 27" iMac with 128 GB RAM).

 

[DarthDon]

No they don’t, they just swap out whole boards or devices, then keep making the same hardware mistakes rather than learning how to build better.

examples? i never had a technical problem with a apple device.

 

[v3rlon]

Too bad it probably increased the base price of Apple products (or took away features so that Apple can keep their margins)

What some people completely fail to understand is that providing service and designing for right to repair isn't magically "free". There's a cost to it.

Thanks right to repair bros for forcing me to pay for something most people won't use. 🤦‍♂️

Right to repair folks are insufferable.

Only upside is youtube complainers like Louis Rossman now have to find something else to complain about.

I agree that zealots are insufferable, but there are certainly two sides to this.
Building in 'repairable' has a cost, but bad actors have certainly designed things to make it purposely difficult.
FutureMotion instantly bricking the OneWheel XR if you disconnect the battery is an excellent example of what I consider bad behavior.

Requiring places to disclose that they are using used, salvaged, or brand X parts is also fair. I can choose whether or not to take that risk. I also understand why Apple wouldn't want to warranty a device with brand X parts in it after it was opened up by a non-authorized facility. But I do want the right to do that if I am willing to sacrifice the warranty.

 

[DarthDon]

🤦‍♂️

That was just to illustrate the huge price discrepancy between what Apple charges and what you can get from an aftermarket supplier, and how much you'd save.

And just because that iMac is years-old doesn't mean it cannot meet the needs of someone today. Maybe the 8GB of RAM isn't enough anymore and someone wants to upgrade it to 64GB. A 64GB upgrade now costs $65 from Amazon.

again - it makes no sense in most cases. maybe parts for repair... ;-). and it is a free market - everybody can buy where ever they want.

 

[DarthDon]

I would much rather see California push to adopt something like the EU just passed, which states that all consumer electronics that rely on a battery must have an easily user-changeable battery. By comparison with that, Apple's "self-repair program" is frankly absurd.

maybe. but common - a battery change after years is not a big deal. do you really like some second-marked battery in your device? spend a few bucks more and get the right one.
i think it makes no sense, to pay so much money for top products and get the service later to low.

 

[redmac]

There's the loophole right there.

Apple is currently electronically serializing every component in their devices, including the battery for "anti-theft" purposes. Apple has already serialized the lid angle sensor on MacBooks, meaning you can't replace the simple magnetic switch without going through Apple or an ASP.

Who is stealing a lid switch? Who is hacking a MacBook through the lid switch?

Pretty soon, the iPhone back glass, USB-C port, and the individual keyboard key caps will be serialized for "anti-theft."

So sure, Apple supports the heck out of this bill.

Have you ever heard of something called "stealing for parts"? If a component is expensive, securing it with anti-theft measures makes it less likely for thieves to steal your device for that specific part.

 

[ikramerica]

Sounds like the bill was written by Apple, so of course they support it.

 

[Mac_tech]

No they don’t, they just swap out whole boards or devices, then keep making the same hardware mistakes rather than learning how to build better.

Exactly, that's the point. They should learn to make the device better or replace the individual component (schematics) like Louis Rossmann at Rossmann Group rather then swapping out the entire board or device with the same faulty part.

 

[Mac_tech]

So is it not possible to get iPad parts? My 12.9" iPad screen broke mysteriously one day inside a case inside a padding insert inside of a computer bag and I would like to replace it myself but I'm unsure where to get the mini LED display component that isn't some cheap knockoff? It seems like the glass is laminated so I don't have the gear to do that. I used to build computers back in the day and I'm skilled with tools and have a workshop so I was wanting to attempt it but I'm not sure how to source things? It's an M1 with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD so I don't just want to throw it out! It is still very capable and would've lasted me many years into the future.


This is an insanely bad take. I can't express how bad this take is. Right to repair is better for the environment, and it's better for consumers. Having more options for repair lowers repair costs and companies are required to build things in a more sustainable way. We're destroying the planet with all of this e-waste and manufacturing and it's time we move away from the boomer philosophy of building things as cheaply as possible at the expense of our home planet.

You can check out iFixit as they sell parts for iPads as well has have guide to show you how to do the repair.

Hope this helps.

 

[JPack]

Looking at this bill carefully, you can see exactly when the loophole was added. It was introduced with the red text in January 2023, then amended with the blue in March 2023.

Would be interesting see which legislators visited golf clubs and ate steak dinners during that period.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

California's bill also says that service and repair facilities that are not authorized repair providers for a company must disclose if they're using replacement parts that are used or not from the manufacturer. That means an independent iPhone repair shop in California would be required to source parts from Apple or to inform customers that device repairs are done with counterfeit components or used parts.

Eh, this is fair. If someone wants to put different parts into their own device, fine. Anyone doing work for others really shouldn’t HAVE to do this, but RTR does include an unscrupulous contingent that want to be free to continue to charge high fees for low quality work or poorly sourced parts.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Transistors was when things went off the rails, and IC’s went further off the rails. No one can hope to be able to repair something that tiny without specialized equipment. Now vacuum tubes… we just need the EU to indicate that all new tech used in the region be made with vacuum tubes. That makes it repairable at the smallest units.

Folks are talking about wanting to swap out an ENTIRE RAM chip when it’s usually just a small error in one section. Why wastefully replace the entire thing when, with vacuum tubes, you just get rid of the erroneous ones?

or zeroes?

 

[Mac_tech]

examples? i never had a technical problem with a apple device.

The MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard replacement program. First, Apple designed one of the worst keyboards ever and kept selling it even when it was bad. Typing on this keyboard is like typing on concrete, almost no key travel and if a spec of dust got under a key, it would render the key or keyboard useless.

Apple just replaced it with the same faulty keyboard. It was a joke and thank got they finally got around to changing the keyboard back.

The other is the flexgate issue where when the screen of a MacBook is opened and closed it put strain on the flex cable and over time it would cause the screen backlight to partially fail, causing a “stage lighting” effect; over time, the screen would usually die entirely. Apple quietly made the change to a longer flex cable over time but the service program only covered the 13" model but it also was present on the 15" model in 2016 but Apple didn't cover it under the program.

I guess you missed the butterfly keyboard fiasco and the flexgate issue. These are two examples of many.

 

[DaneLA]

Step 1. Lobby against the government forcing Apple to do something for years.
Step 2. Finally sort-of do the thing but not in the way everyone wanted.
Step 3. Tell the government to force their smaller, less financially equipped competitors to do the thing, but required to do it in the exact way Apple is doing it.
Step 4. Enjoy being evil while taking credit for doing good.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

Anyone who thinks Apple is altruistically on board with this is probably a shareholder or blind follower. They've lobbied hard to get some sneaky caveats in there that protect their future interests in forcing customers to give them post-sale money for hardware issues.

 

[mactactic]

Good then let me upgrade ram and ssd’s again!

 

[gleepskip]

examples? i never had a technical problem with a apple device.

I don't have your luck.

I've had a GPU go bad in an iMac, rendering it useless. The power delivery system went bad in an iPad Pro, rendered useless. The iPad died the SAME WEEK I paid off its zero-interest loan. I had the crackling issue in my 1st Gen Airpods Pro. My OG HomePod died.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Anyone who thinks Apple is altruistically on board with this is probably a shareholder or blind follower. They've lobbied hard to get some sneaky caveats in there that protect their future interests in forcing customers to give them post-sale money for hardware issues.

What’s the sneaky caveat? Anyone doing repairs have to declare if they’re using parts from Apple or not? I think it’s MORE sneaky to not want to tell customers that.

 

[DarthDon]

I don't have your luck.

I've had a GPU go bad in an iMac, rendering it useless. The power delivery system went bad in an iPad Pro, rendered useless. The iPad died the SAME WEEK I paid off its zero-interest loan. I had the crackling issue in my 1st Gen Airpods Pro. My OG HomePod died.

What the **** are you doing with your stuff?

 

[jlc1978]

What the anti-right to repair bros fail to realize is that by making something easier to repair, it can also mean easier to upgrade. That can save you money since you won't have to pay Apple's ridiculous memory and storage upgrade prices... back when you could upgrade the RAM and storage. Instead of Apple forcing you to buy upgrades from them, you would be able to get aftermarket upgrades at a significant discount.

That’s only true if Apple or other manufacturers use discreet components, something Apple with AS is moving away from. Repair is likely to involve replacing an entire motherboard, with no upgrade possible unless you buy an entire new board. Even so new models will likely not he backward compatible.

 

[DarthDon]

The MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard replacement program. First, Apple designed one of the worst keyboards ever and kept selling it even when it was bad. Typing on this keyboard is like typing on concrete, almost no key travel and if a spec of dust got under a key, it would render the key or keyboard useless.

Apple just replaced it with the same faulty keyboard. It was a joke and thank got they finally got around to changing the keyboard back.

The other is the flexgate issue where when the screen of a MacBook is opened and closed it put strain on the flex cable and over time it would cause the screen backlight to partially fail, causing a “stage lighting” effect; over time, the screen would usually die entirely. Apple quietly made the change to a longer flex cable over time but the service program only covered the 13" model but it also was present on the 15" model in 2016 but Apple didn't cover it under the program.

I guess you missed the butterfly keyboard fiasco and the flexgate issue. These are two examples of many.

everything covered by apple care.

 

[tripsync]

You realize that companies that make their products easier to repair reap the benefits of that situation too right?

You're not understanding this. Easier repairs do not mean overall net cost benefits for the device's lifetime.

Example: switching from screws to glue/adhesives streamlines production and reduces parts == lower cost of production. It also makes it *easier* to make the iPhone water resistant.

 

[ikramerica]

Transistors was when things went off the rails, and IC’s went further off the rails. No one can hope to be able to repair something that tiny without specialized equipment. Now vacuum tubes… we just need the EU to indicate that all new tech used in the region be made with vacuum tubes. That makes it repairable at the smallest units.

Folks are talking about wanting to swap out an ENTIRE RAM chip when it’s usually just a small error in one section. Why wastefully replace the entire thing when, with vacuum tubes, you just get rid of the erroneous ones?

or zeroes?

The phone calls sound warmer and more natural with vacuum tubes. Any audiophile snob will confirm this.

 

[avz]

Enjoy being evil while taking credit for doing good.

Liberal rules based order.

 

[tripsync]

You're very welcome. I will gladly pay more taxes or a premium for products if that means better services and products that do less to harm the environment. I'm glad you feel the same.

So...setting up additional warehouses for inventory, ordering more parts than they need to serve "right to repair" folks, and shipping individual parts in gas guzzling UPS trucks to each individual customer instead of bulk shipping it to repair shops is some how "less harm to the environment"? Hilarious. 😉

Although Right to Repair might increase the cost of doing business (or it might not), there's no evidence that Apple has passed that cost onto their customers. They can, but before you going swinging for the bleachers, I'd like to see at least an attempt to cite a source and not just blow smoke.

What evidence do you have where the majority of iPhone customers since iPhone 12 took advantage of right to repair programs like Self Service Repair program? Or are you saying you have no idea if most of those customers care about right to repair to which I agree to that statement.

Talk about blowing smoke.