iFixit Lauds Apple's New Self Service Repair Program, Calls It a 'Remarkable Concession'

[metapunk2077fail]

They will need to produce more parts than usual now. Those parts is going to standby in warehouse and waiting ppl to buy.

You check “Hua Qiang Bei” in China then you will get the whole idea. From your theory, China would be the less ewaste country. They should be our role model.

There is a lot of recycling in China but we know that a lot of the world's e-waste is sent to China and the rest of Asia and it is mostly poor people with no protective covering who are forced to recycle toxic materials. So many of these people are going to have health problems.

 

[Xiaojohn]

It was inevitable that repairs would get easier but first Apple would have to reduce the complexity of the internals.

That takes time. It requires the internal components to become simpler and simpler so that users don't get hurt or damage their device further.

My main concern is about e-waste. There should be strong visible reminders to take spare and old parts back to an Apple Store for safe disposal and not to throw them in the general trash.

The best way to reduce e-waste is to come out a plan for the obselete products. They cannot just sell the products without telling customers how to discard them for good. Company need to responsible to dissemble and make sure their e-waste are in well manage.

 

[ouimetnick]

He’s a businessman selling second rate repairs for a high fee.

I always ask the question: would you get surgery done by a YouTube doctor who complains loudly about the competition being expensive and unfair?

He does repairs vs component/module swaps. Apple doesn’t allow technicians to rework/repair logic boards. Apple’s tech’s simply swap them for a rebuilt/refurbished board. The bad board gets sent to China where children fix them. Rossman does board level work and rework (like the children in China do)

Another way to think of it, a car delete replaces an engine or transmission, a specialty tech actually REBUILDS that engine and transmission rather than swapping it out.

Still a step in the right direction for Apple.

 

[Xiaojohn]

There is a lot of recycling in China but we know that a lot of the world's e-waste is sent to China and the rest of Asia and it is mostly poor people with no protective covering who are forced to recycle toxic materials. So many of these people are going to have health problems.

China is much more advance now tho.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

Apple figured out they can sell more phone when people break their current one...

No ones telling you to fix your phone. Weak point.

 

[ComRadMac]

Up to this point, Apple has done a pretty good job of ensuring that stolen iPhones are basically worthless. Does this reverse that? Are stolen iPhones now just a pile of perfectly usable repair parts?

 

[Xiaojohn]

There is a lot of recycling in China but we know that a lot of the world's e-waste is sent to China and the rest of Asia and it is mostly poor people with no protective covering who are forced to recycle toxic materials. So many of these people are going to have health problems.

If you know OLED screen, probably you know there are many different grade of OLED screen out there! Some repair shop use lower grade OLED Screen and charge the Apple Original repair price

 

[Blackstick]

Exactly what I said in the other article. It got me two thumbs down. Lol 🤣

Yeah, I got a few too -- some people think they're Mr. FixIt... and maybe they are... but most folks are not, case in point: 15 Mac Genii, 250 customers per day

 

[Xiaojohn]

Up to this point, Apple has done a pretty good job of ensuring that stolen iPhones are basically worthless. Does this reverse that? Are stolen iPhones now just a pile of perfectly usable repair parts?

Agree! Now they can dissemble the stolen phone and sell the parts.

 

[slowloris615]

Going to most likely have a lot of caveats, but its cool that you can now get the manuals and parts.

 

[gene731]

Speaking as a former Mac Genius, this is awesome news, but people without electronic repair experience should be careful what they wish for. Fixing some of these mobile devices is very tricky, much more so than a Mac where the space to work is comparably "luxurious."

If you're not comfortable with nylon probe tools (spudger or what Apple calls a "black stick"), ZIF connectors, pentalobe screws and really small, fragile ribbon cables... have someone else fix your expensive Apple product for the same money. Much less headache.

Too bad you are offering legit advice and you get downvoted.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Considering the risk involved to repair such small electronics, plus having to purchase the parts, and spend time repairing an iPhone, I would rather bring it to Apple. I could make more money working than what I save by repairing it myself.

 

[reyesmac]

Good PR move for Apple. Doubt they will allow repair shops access to chips that would make repair possible and not just replacement of bigger parts when its just one chip being affected. I also hope people start to realize just how Apple devices are built these days to be as hard to take apart as possible, when it comes to things like screen, keyboard and motherboard replacements, not to mention you can't really get these parts 3rd party as Apple actively works agains that in the software. Frankly I don't hold out much hope but even if they just made sections of the internals easily removable that would be good enough. The inside of a Mac would look like very thin puzzle pieces, you can pull out the drive section or the power supply section and so on, and just replace with a new one that plugs right in. That would still force you to buy parts from Apple but the difference is that kind of repair would be easier to do, reducing the need to take it into the shop. I'd settle for that if those parts are still available many years after the computer is decommissioned. Another reason why true repairability is important.

 

[Xiaojohn]

Good PR move for Apple. Doubt they will allow repair shops access to chips that would make repair possible and not just replacement of bigger parts when its just one chip being affected. I also hope people start to realize just how Apple devices are built these days to be as hard to take apart as possible, when it comes to things like screen, keyboard and motherboard replacements, not to mention you can't really get these parts 3rd party as Apple actively works agains that in the software. Frankly I don't hold out much hope but even if they just made sections of the internals easily removable that would be good enough. The inside of a Mac would look like very thin puzzle pieces, you can pull out the drive section or the power supply section and so on, and just replace with a new one that plugs right in. That would still force you to buy parts from Apple but the difference is that kind of repair would be easier to do, reducing the need to take it into the shop. I'd settle for that if those parts are still available many years after the computer is decommissioned. Another reason why true repairability is important.

Americans is forcing Apple to allow 3rd party parts!

 

[Jim Lahey]

T8 Torx driver only $29.99

 

[Blackstick]

Too bad you are offering legit advice and you get downvoted.

It happens. Funnily enough, one of the downvoters evidently does demolition for a living... he might be breaking a lot of devices

 

[macOS Lynx]

It’s a major victory for Right to Repair, but the war isn’t over yet. I hope we see more initiatives by Apple and other OEMs (across ALL industries) follow Apple’s footsteps.

 

[axantas]

Speaking as a former Mac Genius, this is awesome news, but people without electronic repair experience should be careful what they wish for. Fixing some of these mobile devices is very tricky, much more so than a Mac where the space to work is comparably "luxurious."

If you're not comfortable with nylon probe tools (spudger or what Apple calls a "black stick"), ZIF connectors, pentalobe screws and really small, fragile ribbon cables... have someone else fix your expensive Apple product for the same money. Much less headache.

You are absolutely right, but I do agree with you about the "awsome news". You always have to know, what you are doing and to know how to do that. If I do get that opportunity, I can decide myself.

Anyone thinking, being able to.... but not knowing his own capabilities is no reason not to get that opportunity. Just tightnen terms and conditions. Some will try it once and never again.

 

[Xiaojohn]

You are absolutely right, but I do agree with you about the "awsome news". You always have to know, what you are doing and to know how to do that. If I do get that opportunity, I can decide myself.

Anyone thinking, being able to.... but not knowing his own capabilities is no reason not to get that opportunity. Just tightnen terms and conditions. Some will try it once and never again.

Some will try it once and never again. —-> actually many ppl buy parts from ship from China, so that they can give it a try. It has been many years

 

[Xiaojohn]

You are absolutely right, but I do agree with you about the "awsome news". You always have to know, what you are doing and to know how to do that. If I do get that opportunity, I can decide myself.

Anyone thinking, being able to.... but not knowing his own capabilities is no reason not to get that opportunity. Just tightnen terms and conditions. Some will try it once and never again.

Some will try it once and never again. —-> acutally many ppl buy parts from ship from China, so that they can give it a try.

There is a lot of recycling in China but we know that a lot of the world's e-waste is sent to China and the rest of Asia and it is mostly poor people with no protective covering who are forced to recycle toxic materials. So many of these people are going to have health problems.

oh yea, dun forget who produce the parts for Apple products.

 

[sdf]

It’s progress. Maybe this brilliant student has inspired Apple. He racked up almost 90K by selling the Worlds first USB-C iPhone.

You really think Apple did this since late October because a student added a USB-C port?

 

[citysnaps]

I'm good with right to repair and generally in favour of it; but is there an expectation that things will work after a person has tried to repair on their own, and meets failure and then takes the device to apple. Will Apple then agree to fix it? Expectation for Apple to take the repair part back if one fails to fix the issue?

I would think and hope not.

 

[bn-7bc]

Apple is just trying to get ahead, that is what they don't want to get ahead of, having to give in to RTR. The solution? Provide consumers with parts. Those parts will be tied to the device, you ask for a screen or a battery it will probably only work in a specific iPhone (yours), not any iPhone.

Pricing is where it's going to be at, Apple won't give in much on profits. If a battery replacement at the genius bar costs $69 I can imagine that buying the battery from this new store will be something like $59. Slightly cheaper but probably still less hassle and safer to get Apple to do it for all you will save.

Well if this program is global it will be a boon to Contries like nirway, we have I think 2 apple stores, so the Genious Bar repair is not an option for most of the country

 

[Xiaojohn]

Well if this program is global it will be a boon to Contries like nirway, we have I think 2 apple stores, so the Genious Bar repair is not an option for most of the country

Now you can let China to repair your iPhone, officially. They charge cheap price.

 

[dlopan]

Don't celebrate yet. Wait until the pricing for parts and tools comes out. I can hardly wait for the
screams to start.