iFixit Lowers iPhone 14's Repairability Score Due to Apple's Parts Pairing Requirement

[spaxxedout]

This would seem to prevent thieves from selling parts of locked iPhones.

I hope iFixit tears down usb-c AirPods. Unrepairable, but I have to know the internal hardware changes for Apple Vision Pro.

 

[IG88]

Yeah, its a delicate balance. You want people to be able to freely fix their stuff, but you don't want there to be any market for iPhones to be stolen and then parted out like an auto chop shop.

This is a solid point.

 

[eicca]

If Apple really wants to prevent stolen iPhones from being parted out, all they have to do is extend the activation lock to the component level. I.e. if the phone wasn't deactivated then the parts inside can't be used in any other device.

If it was deactivated consentually, part away.

Preventing me from putting whatever parts I want INTO my phone or other device solves nothing.

Recycling good OEM components is a great way to reduce e-waste and keep a product out of the landfill.

But no, because of one tiny sensor that would otherwise be very cheap and easy to replace, Apple would rather scrap the entire otherwise-functional device and charge me for the privilege of a new expensive device and all the environmental requirements for manufacturing it.

Their stupid virtue-signalling "we're so good for the planet" crap is insultingly hypocritical when they keep locking down their devices for no reason other than to screw consumers.

And no, there is not one single good argument against letting people fix their stuff, so don't even try.

 

[jarcob]

When you repair a car, you can decide to buy a genuine OEM part, or you can buy a 3rd party replacement part. 3rd party parts have to be certified just like OEM parts, so it is perfectly safe to install a 3rd party part.

We really need the same for phones. Apple parts are so expensive that repairing a 3 year old phone is often not worth it.

They made a huge deal about sustainability, but their policies make it so that repairing a phone with a cracked display becomes unsustainable.


If this was genuinely about reducing theft of phones, and if they actually cared about the environment, then they would allow using parts from phones when the owner removes activation lock. But they don't.

 

[1129846]

There is just no way to please iFixit. I genuinely don’t understand what the problem is. Independent shops can become official repair shops quite easily - then they just can’t use third party parts or parts whose origin is “unknown”. And that’s a good thing. The less incentive there is to steal an iPhone, the better.

Also, as a customer, I do want to know if my device (or one that I’m planning to buy second hand) has been repaired using third party components.

iFixit just wants to make money by selling parts themselves.

p.s. iFixit has stopped giving repairability scores for devices made by companies whose partners they are.

WTF are you smoking to say that it is easy to become an official repair shop because you sure as hell need to share it. It is pretty hard to become an offical apple repair shop along with Apple demanding a pretty good cut of everything out of line with other things.

It is not that hard to require a place to admit if they are using OEM parts or not. They just have to tell you are they using 3rd party parts or OEM. Boom done. Apple requirements are a different matters.

 

[1129846]

When you repair a car, you can decide to buy a genuine OEM part, or you can buy a 3rd party replacement part. 3rd party parts have to be certified just like OEM parts, so it is perfectly safe to install a 3rd party part.

We really need the same for phones. Apple parts are so expensive that repairing a 3 year old phone is often not worth it.

They made a huge deal about sustainability, but their policies make it so that repairing a phone with a cracked display becomes unsustainable.


If this was genuinely about reducing theft of phones, and if they actually cared about the environment, then they would allow using parts from phones when the owner removes activation lock. But they don't.

Tell ou the truth 3rd party parts do not have to be certified in car repairs and often times do not contain any certifications from the OEM. They can say OEM equivalent but that does not mean OEM. It can say made to OEM standards but that does not any certfication. Now failing to meet what they claim on is false advertisement. I have put plenty of 3rd party parts in older cars of mine. They were not nearly as good as OEM but were good enough for what I needed at the time.

 

[Johnny907]

Yeah, its a delicate balance. You want people to be able to freely fix their stuff, but you don't want there to be any market for iPhones to be stolen and then parted out like an auto chop shop.

And yet iPhone theft hasn't decreased one bit since Apple instituted this new scheme. Furthermore it's only iDevices that have this issue. Swap a port, or a battery or the entire screen on even the latest M2 Mac, and you aren't faced with any of this BS.

 

[spaxxedout]

If Apple really wants to prevent stolen iPhones from being parted out, all they have to do is extend the activation lock to the component level. I.e. if the phone wasn't deactivated then the parts inside can't be used in any other device.

If it was deactivated consentually, part away.

Preventing me from putting whatever parts I want INTO my phone or other device solves nothing.

Recycling good OEM components is a great way to reduce e-waste and keep a product out of the landfill.

But no, because of one tiny sensor that would otherwise be very cheap and easy to replace, Apple would rather scrap the entire otherwise-functional device and charge me for the privilege of a new expensive device and all the environmental requirements for manufacturing it.

Their stupid virtue-signalling "we're so good for the planet" crap is insultingly hypocritical when they keep locking down their devices for no reason other than to screw consumers.

And no, there is not one single good argument against letting people fix their stuff, so don't even try.

This is a much better solution. Do you think it would be appropriate to have a part of settings that flags if a component is non-Apple? Device would still work, but would give users confidence in repair if they specifically asked and paid for OEM.

 

[eicca]

This is a much better solution. Do you think it would be appropriate to have a part of settings that flags if a component is non-Apple? Device would still work, but would give users confidence in repair if they specifically asked and paid for OEM.

Certainly. Inform me if I've potentially wound up with a counterfeit, but don't freaking lock me out of my stuff because I'm not paying you enough.

The fact that somebody as average as me can come up with a solution to this issue and Apple won't is proof that they are intentionally screwing us over.

 

[Johnny907]

This would seem to prevent thieves from selling parts of locked iPhones.

I hope iFixit tears down usb-c AirPods. Unrepairable, but I have to know the internal hardware changes for Apple Vision Pro.

It doesn't. Theft of iDevices hasn't gone down one bit. Shops that buy these parts have devices that allow them to read the serial info from the broken part and then dump it into the replacement part so it reads the same. They aren't feasible for the average person but for the sort of back alley shop that buys broken phones and "refurbishes" them it's barely an extra step.

 

[rezenclowd3]

I agree with iFixit, that ANY genuine parts should work, no software pairing necessary. Calibration sure, but that should not disable features if calibration has not been done.

On top of that, any software used to repair devices should be accessible. The tools used to be bootable for the computers, now they need to phone home to GSX. Ugh

 

[SFjohn]

It doesn't. Theft of iDevices hasn't gone down one bit. Shops that buy these parts have devices that allow them to read the serial info from the broken part and then dump it into the replacement part so it reads the same. They aren't feasible for the average person but for the sort of back alley shop that buys broken phones and "refurbishes" them it's barely an extra step.

“Refurbishes” meaning stolen… 💩

 

[MilaM]

Here is what's going to happen. Thiefs will learn quickly to ask the victim "politely" for the passcode of the device. This way they can turn off Find My and lock you out of your account [1]. No need to disassemble the phone for parts, just sell it.

Losing the device to theft is bad. But what's much worse is to be forced to give up my passcode, data and access to my iCloud account.

I don't believe that serializing parts has any deterring effect on theft.

[1] https://www.macrumors.com/2023/04/19/apple-responds-to-iphone-theft-recovery-key-report/

 

[IIGS User]

Well, at this point every thread has to mention "greenwashing" in some form. It's the word of the quarter.

I'm currently greenwashing my sportswashing. Then I'm doing my "regular" washing because when I was in the Loo, I did some unexpected brownwashing which lead to my bleachwashing the floor.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Always repeat.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I’m sure Apple is not losing sleep over this.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

These measures keep 3rd parties from trying to add custom parts to the phone, preventing tampering or modifying the phone on more fundamental levels. It may be an inconvenience to repairers but when seen through the proper light, it's a welcome extra layer of security that adds to the long term integrity of the product.

That’s something I hadn’t considered. This makes it more difficult for a group to “fix” a phone and then have their operative hand it off to a target for surveillance.

 

[iBluetooth]

Because like it does so often, Apple seriously overstates that risk. Security really isn't a problem that cannot be solved some other way here. That's just Apple's marketing.

The security risk is not overstated. If you can swap memory chips or security chips between phones, then you have a way of reading other phone users data, with out their consent. This is more than just preventing using recycled parts from stolen phones.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Lol no. It isn't "easy" for a third party to become an official repair shop for Apple's products. Never has been, either. And even when you do get that certification, Apple will still keep you on a leach and you'll always be disadvantaged to Apple's own shops.

Regardless, all of the things Apple requires really isn't needed to validate that your phone consists out our genuine Apple parts. Again, that's just Apple's marketing speaking...

Why would any third party even WANT to repair Apple’s products? Doesn’t sound like it’s easy, doesn’t sound like it’s particularly profitable… Seems to me like the only folks that would want to, are folks that can’t possibly make a profit by following Apple’s rules and will figure out how to cut corners to fleece Apple device owners of “certified repair” money while not performing a certified repair.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

And no, there is not one single good argument against letting people fix their stuff, so don't even try.

People fixing their OWN stuff? Their own property? NOT a problem, they can have at it and they can knock their socks off with that. Apple will even help them with parts and tools for it!

People fixing things for OTHER people? Businesses already have requirements on them even before they can start taking their first dollar, there will always be more requirements on them doing work for other people.

 

[akb]

Yeah, its a delicate balance. You want people to be able to freely fix their stuff, but you don't want there to be any market for iPhones to be stolen and then parted out like an auto chop shop.

Associate every system-discernable part with an Apple ID, and if any one of those parts shows up reconfigured with other parts, require authorisation via the Apple ID before full functionality of the phone is permitted.

Apple could fix this. It's more profitable for them not to.

 

[MilaM]

The security risk is not overstated. If you can swap memory chips or security chips between phones, then you have a way of reading other phone users data, with out their consent. This is more than just preventing using recycled parts from stolen phones.

Changing a screen, camera or a back cover has nothing to do with the way how data is encrypted on your iPhone.

 

[rumorphobe]

IFixit is a racket. Mac rumors shouldn’t be reporting on their nonsense, which pretends to help customers but is actually a money making scheme for them.

 

[eicca]

Apple will even help them with parts and tools for it!

...They will also make the process so expensive, time-consuming and convoluted that you'd opt to just take it to an Apple store to be fixed anyway.

Malicious Compliance 101.

Apple does not want you to fix your own stuff even if they act like it.

 

[akb]

IFixit is a racket. Mac rumors shouldn’t be reporting on their nonsense, which pretends to help customers but is actually a money making scheme for them.

Yeah, because Apple is famously not interested in nickel and diming their customers.

FWIW, I've been using iFixit guides to repair Apple devices since my G4 PowerBook, and I've only ever bought one pentalobe screwdriver from them.

They unquestionably provide a valuable service - for free. Why anyone would begrudge them making a few dollars round the edges is beyond me.

 

[eicca]

They unquestionably provide a valuable service - for free. Why anyone would begrudge them making few dollars round the edges is beyond me.

This.

Despite the lousy quality of their MacBook batteries (went through three of them, but they at least warrantied them), the free guides were invaluable in refreshing my old 2011 MacBook Pro, or replacing the keyboard on my dad's old 2009 MacBook Pro, keeping those devices in service for many years beyond what Apple would want.