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I've own tons of Apple products since the mac 128 but I've always been able to work on my devices I've purchased. This is making me reconsider buy any more products especially with the T2 chip. If I buy a product from Apple or anyone else (TESLA) it's mine to do with it as I choose.
 
Charging and discharging a lithium secondary is really complicated. You need to know voltage, current and temperature. We'll get this figured out shortly.
 
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If Apple discovers an issue with their battery and changes the design, they want to ensure that the latest, safest battery gets installed. If there is old stock of official Apple batteries with a small chance of a performance or safety issue, Apple would have to then ensure that all of those batteries be recalled. This is just silly, batteries can explode and Apple wants to control the most dangerous component in their device, a device usually stored next to your privates...
 
Apple’s battery health algorithm isn’t validated or even necessarily valid/accurate with replacement batteries I wouldn’t think, so I can understand battery health info not being supplied. Also, third party batteries don’t have the ability to report capacity and temperature. But replacement batteries still function. It’s not like they don’t/won’t work.

Not sure how big a problem this is.

It does this even with an Apple battery from another phone. There is no justification for that.
 
Apple would probably argue it is doing it out of safety concerns surrounding the replacement of swollen or damaged batteries.

I would suspect Apple is doing it because they can't gauge the heath of an unknown battery by looking at its characteristics. Which is honest.
 
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Apple only makes it worse when it does not offer genuine Apple batteries for third-party and users to purchase.

Even vehicle batteries can be purchased from other manufacturers, are they causing explosions and fires on-mass, seems like poor thermal design. :p
Then providers should become authorized apple service centers..
 
Its planned obsolescence to get people to buy Apple’s batteries to generate more revenue.
It’s more than that. In a few years your phone will become “obsolete” and Apple will say: oh, sorry, we don’t have batteries for your phone anymore. Buy a new phone instead.
 
Yes, because it's irrelevant speculation that doesn't belong in a news article.

The author can't decide if they want to report on actual news (Apple showing warnings that they won't make statistical estimations based on an unknown third party's component) or their personal opinion.
Ok. Fair. The software lock is pure speculation (clickbait?) but I don’t think that anyone ever expected this TI chip, which is part of the battery for ages, to get protective. To limit a nice feature/functionality. Even for original Apple batteries!

Thing is. Only original Apple batteries come with an additional circuit board with the TI chip, and thus Apple could simply check for it and let it be...but that’s not the case.
 
Thing is.. if it is a 3rd party Battery, why do people expect this feature to work. Apple won't fix that battery under warranty and the function likely won't be accurate anyways with said 3rd party battery in place, as who knows what the specs on that battery are.
Misleading for Apple or any other phone manufacturer to allow it in the past...
Because 1st and 3rd party batteries all have the same information. It's not hard to figure out a cycle count, or measure the output of a battery. Even if the specs of the battery are wrong, it's impossible to fake the output voltage.
 
Apple only makes it worse when it does not offer genuine Apple batteries for third-party and users to purchase.

Even vehicle batteries can be purchased from other manufacturers, are they causing explosions and fires on-mass, seems like poor thermal design. :p
Vehicle batteries in cars powered by a battery can be purchased from other manufacturers? Can I buy a replacement battery for my Tesla?
 



Apple has activated a "dormant software lock" on its latest iPhones to discourage battery replacements that aren't undertaken by Apple, according to iFixit.

The teardown group has discovered that an iPhone XS, iPhone XR, or iPhone XS Max that has had its battery swapped by anyone other than Apple or an Apple authorized service provider will now display a message saying their battery needs servicing.

iphone-battery-service-thirs-party-repair-message-e1565262219785.jpg
The message appears in both iOS 12 and iOS 13 beta, and prevents the user from accessing the Battery Health features. Instead they see an "Important Battery Message" which reads: "Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple battery. Health information not available for this battery."

iFixit notes that the message doesn't appear to affect the functionality of the battery, but makes it harder to know when a replacement battery installed by a third-party needs to be replaced.

YouTube channel The Art of Repair has discovered the source of the message to be a Texas Instruments microcontroller installed on the battery itself, which authenticates the battery as an Apple one and provides the iPhone with information about battery capacity and temperature.

Apple and other authorized service providers likely use Apple's own RepairCal diagnostics software to reset the "Service" status when it undertakes an iPhone battery replacement - an in-house procedure that's obviously not available to a third-party.

iFixit says the message appears designed to deter battery replacements using third-party repair kits, like the one sold by iFixit, and to discourage customers from getting a third-party repair shop to swap out their iPhone battery.

Apple would probably argue it is doing it out of safety concerns surrounding the replacement of swollen or damaged batteries. Nonetheless, it places further restrictions on the options available to iPhone users looking to get their battery replaced by anyone except Apple.


The practice harks back to a more damaging third-party iPhone repair controversy: Error 53, widely publicized in 2016, caused some iPhone 6 users who had the Home buttons on their iPhones fixed by a non-Apple technician using non-original parts to see their iPhones bricked following a software update.

When the error code first surfaced, Apple said that error 53 was a protective security feature meant to prevent "malicious" third-party components from potentially compromising a user's iPhone.

However, after public outcry, Apple released a software update restoring functionality to bricked iPhones. Following the software update to unbrick iPhones, Apple claimed that the error 53 issue was meant to be a factory test and never should have impacted consumer devices.

Update: According to an Apple service document obtained by MacRumors, Battery Health info is unavailable for any iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR that has a non-genuine battery and is running iOS 12.1 or later.

Article Link: iFixit: Apple 'Locking' iPhone Batteries to Discourage Third-Party Replacements [Updated]
I have a 6s that has the same message after putting in an aftermarket battery. Normally i’d take it to Apple...but it’s in horrible condition and has an aftermarket screen so I didn’t think they’d touch it. Got the cheapest battery I could though. I would only take my XR to Apple, however
 
Yeah, so a 3rd party battery doesn't contain a hardware feature that Apple's original batteries have, and that's Apple's fault? :D I agree on the tone of the article, you'd think a 3rd party battery was limited to 15 minutes runtime then the phone automatically shuts off or something.

Also as usual, the tone of the comments will be as if people read the headline but didn't read the actual description.
Yup, just like not reading their user agreement for Siri prior to clicking “agree.” :rolleyes:
 
More revenue-boosting tricks. What will Tim “cook” up next? Too funny! Just design a decent phone and iPhone sales will pick up again - no need for these workaround ways to increase profits. So crazy.
 
Measuring battery health is almost certainly going to require proprietary instrumentation that a third-party battery simply can't replicate.
 
What a horrible look for the PR of the company, again. Another unnecessary self-inflicted wound on brand image. Just so crazy. This will change resale value, buyers will be confused, online mail-in services will reduce the amounts offered - right up the chain. Nothing positive from this and EVERYTHING negative. Gee, I wonder why iPhone sales are in a freefall.

Actually, I don’t. Fire Tim Cook.
 
It’s more than that. In a few years your phone will become “obsolete” and Apple will say: oh, sorry, we don’t have batteries for your phone anymore. Buy a new phone instead.
In which case you simply replace the party third party and have a FULLY FUNCTIONAL phone. Can’t see the stats? We’ll use the damn phone until it’s evident the battery doesn’t last as long as it did before.

There is no problem here.
 
BMW doesn't have any software locks on batteries... which is more closely related to the topic. You can go to any auto parts store and buy a battery and the car will still monitor it's heath and activity. Batteries, like tires, spark plugs/coil packs, and oil/filters, are wear items that are easily user replaceable. They don't require OEM/BMW authorized parts or service and they don't stop the car from monitoring associated processes.

Imagine a BMW customer buying a set of tires from a shop and the car throwing a code that said Tire's not BMW approved or installed by BMW approved technician. Car will no longer monitor TPM senor. Or customer buys replacement TPM sensors and the car coded: Non-BMW approved sensor detected car wil no longer monitor. People would rightfully raise all kinds of hell.

The battery on an iPhone is analogous to the battery, tires, or TMP sensor on a BMW. It is not analogous to an ECU.

Newer BMW lithium batteries have internal micro controllers that monitor battery conditions, and you will get a warning on the dash if there’s a functional issue with the battery. The battery can also be programmed using a proprietary hand held device. If the battery software version doesn’t match what the vehicle expects you also get a warning on your dash (permanent warning every time the vehicle starts).

On older BMWs the micro controller to monitor battery health was built into the negative battery cable (also known as an IBS cable) so you could change a battery yourself.

However, BMW has a service function called “Register Battery” that their test tools (scanners) perform. You can change the battery yourself, and the vehicle will work fine, but your new battery will have a shortened lifespan or other potential issues. This is because the engine computer (DME) monitors battery health over the years and alters the charging voltage/current of your alternator as your battery gets old. When you replace the battery you’re supposed to perform the “Register Battery” service function to reset this and tell the DME there’s a new battery. Otherwise your new battery will get treated like an old battery by the vehicle.

Worse yet, people try to skimp out and put in a normal lead acid battery instead of an AGM battery (absorbent glass mat) that’s required in IBS equipped BMW’s. This is even worse as the DME is charging/discharging your battery based on the assumption it’s an AGM which can adversely affect a regular lead acid battery.

On a modern smartphone (with numerous seals/o-rings to maintain water resistance) it can be tricky to replace the battery and re-assemble without introducing any new problems. For cars, a battery change doesn’t require major dis-assembly of the entire vehicle.

Your analogy that a battery is a simple wear item like oil, battery or brakes is completely false.
 
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This isn't a mistake by Apple or their final goal, it's just one of many steps they're deliberately taking as part of a larger strategy to eventually have third party repairs made illegal or impossible.

First they come for the non-critical features. Next they'd probably deactivate "optional" features like fast charging or wireless charging if an "unauthorised" battery was found. Then they'd refuse to charge at all beyond showing a warning screen to contact your local Apple store.
just one of many steps they're deliberately taking as part of a larger strategy to eventually have unauthorized third party repairs made illegal or impossible
The bolded is my take on it.
 
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For all those saying “Apple can’t make sure 3rd party batteries work with the software”- they have until this update!
Now they don’t, even Apple ones, unless installed by Apple or an authorized third party provider.

After SiriGate I said Apple was going to change their policy (which they have) and then do some sort of shady **** again (now they have) but I sure didn’t think it would be this fast. This is really sad.
 
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