iFixit Says Apple's DIY Repair Program Makes MacBooks 'Seem Less Repairable'

[MacRumors]

Apple this week expanded its Self Service Repair program to MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models equipped with the M1 series of chips, providing customers in the U.S. with access to select parts, manuals, and tools to repair the notebooks.

While the program's expansion is good news for the right-to-repair movement, repair guide website iFixit is not entirely pleased with the implementation. (It's worth noting that Apple is now a competitor to iFixit in this area of business.)

In a blog post, iFixit's Sam Goldheart said Apple's program manages to make the MacBook Pro seem "less repairable," primarily because Apple's current procedure for replacing a MacBook Pro's battery is prohibitively expensive and time consuming.

The issue is that Apple's program does not yet allow a customer to order a standalone replacement battery for the MacBook Pro. Instead, a customer must order a part known as the "top case," which includes a glued-in battery. Then, the customer must follow Apple's exhaustive 162-page repair manual to replace the "top case" in their MacBook Pro, as the procedure involves removing every other component from the case.

Top cases are an expensive part given that they include the keyboard, battery, speakers, and more. For example, Apple's self-service parts store charges $527 for a top case for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, making it significantly more expensive to replace a MacBook Pro's battery through the program in comparison to having an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider complete the job for $199.

"Apple is presenting DIY repairers with a excruciating gauntlet of hurdles: read 162 pages of documentation without getting intimidated and decide to do the repair anyway, pay an exorbitant amount of money for an overkill replacement part, decide whether you want to drop another 50 bucks on the tools they recommend, and do the repair yourself within 14 days, including completing the System Configuration to pair your part with your device," wrote iFixit. "Which makes us wonder, does Apple even want better repairability?"

Apple says a "battery replacement part" will be available for the MacBook Pro at some point "in the future," which could make the replacement procedure easier, although details remain slim. But even if Apple releases a standalone replacement battery, it will likely remain cheaper and easier to have Apple handle the task.

Article Link: iFixit Says Apple's DIY Repair Program Makes MacBooks 'Seem Less Repairable'

 

[dantracht]

Like my ex, apple clearly does not want us to do this on our own. 162 pages????

 

[Unami]

They are dragging their feet on repairability (as well as on workers rights) - but at least there's some progress.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

I still don't understand why Apple would expect its customers to go with the DIY Repair Program. For some that 162 pages of documentation can be a total nightmare. It's a different story when you actually get to hold the screw and pry open the tabs.

It's like a car dealership is asking you to repair your own car and we can provide you with the auto tools and manuals.

 

[George Dawes]

I wouldn’t dream of opening up any Mac to repair it , I wouldn’t service a car why on earth would I do the same for a computer ?

Somethings are best left to the experts

( I'm referring to the date / time backup battery btw not the actual internal battery or replaceable in old powerbooks etc , thx for the neg reps )

 

[DaPizzaMan]

I wouldn’t dream of opening up any Mac to repair it , I wouldn’t service a car why on earth would I do the same for a computer ?

Somethings are best left to the experts

You wouldn't, but someone else might. That's the beauty of having a choice.

 

[WWPD]

At least we know Johnny 5 is alive...in a macbook.

 

[contacos]

Apple is so environmental, until it harms their business. All this to replace a battery, still? I already couldn’t believe it when they had to replace the keyboard and the housing to replace the battery on my mbp in 2012. ridiculous

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

Like with cars, 99% of consumers won't care about any of this at all. If their thing needs fixed they'll take it to a third party repairer (authorised or not), or the OEM's service centre.

We've got the best MacBooks that Apple have ever made, and if the "cost" of that is less end-user repairability then I'm okay with that. And just to be clear, I'm one of those 1% that will try and fix my own stuff where I can.

Perhaps iFixIt are just annoyed that they can't whine about Apple doing nothing anymore. They'll just need to whine about how Apple can "do more", without actually proposing how Apple would do that.

 

[Expos of 1969]

I wouldn’t dream of opening up any Mac to repair it , I wouldn’t service a car why on earth would I do the same for a computer ?

Somethings are best left to the experts

Surely you are capable of replacing a car battery. The main point is that a phone battery should be mandated that it is easily replaced like a few years back. Likely a laptop battery could be similarly done if Apple was foreced to make it so.

 

[nvmls]

Of course, this was on the wall, as with anything Apple these days.

 

[Madhatter32]

My PowerBook 540c and PowerBook G3 both had hot swappable compartment bays for batteries. It is sad that these days people can only dream about such a great high-tech feature. It is borderline obscene that swapping a battery is considered to be a "repair".

 

[rorschach]

"Apple is presenting DIY repairers with a excruciating gauntlet of hurdles: read 162 pages of documentation without getting intimidated and decide to do the repair anyway, pay an exorbitant amount of money for an overkill replacement part, decide whether you want to drop another 50 bucks on the tools they recommend, and do the repair yourself within 14 days, including completing the System Configuration to pair your part with your device,

Oh no! I have to do some reading before I repair a complex electronic device!

Apple is giving people exactly what they wanted. These are the same tools, same parts, same procedures that Apple themselves use.

Remember that iFixit it is competing with Apple here. They sell their own tools and provide their own manuals. So when they come out with stuff like this, that's the context.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Imagine if Telsa sends you a DIY Repair kit and instructs you to change the lithium battery of your car.

 

[Ashbash75]

Apple products are expensive e-waste. They are not alone but the worse of the bunch. When you resort to using glue it's designed to be assembled and not repairable.

 

[kieguru]

I wouldn’t dream of opening up any Mac to repair it , I wouldn’t service a car why on earth would I do the same for a computer ?

Somethings are best left to the experts

Then send your product back to them for repair and pay more for it. Personally, I'd want to repair the things I own myself and take full responsibility if anything goes wrong. That's the power of choice.

 

[Canubis]

Guess this just underlines that Apple's initiative to repairability stems from them being forced into it by legislation rather than repairability being a new found inner value. On paper they comply with whatever they'll have to while giving everyone the finger…

 

[Nicole1980]

Oh no! I have to do some reading before I repair a complex electronic device!

Apple is giving people exactly what they wanted. These are the same tools, same parts, same procedures that Apple themselves use.

Remember that iFixit it is competing with Apple here. They sell their own tools and provide their own manuals. So when they come out with stuff like this, that's the context.

You must have skimmed over the details. But yea, thats the way to keep defending apple: by ignoring the nuances of the situation.

 

[Bokito]

Like with cars, 99% of consumers won't care about any of this at all. If their thing needs fixed they'll take it to a third party repairer (authorised or not), or the OEM's service centre.

Is it true that we don’t care about the repairability or upgradeability if our products? I think a lot of people don’t care because Apple tells them not to care. People should be able to make their own decisions, not let businesses tell them what to do. You’re Apple’s spin doctor without knowing.

 

[kieguru]

Imagine if Telsa sends you a DIY Repair kit and instructs you to change the lithium battery of your car.

Imagine if Apple just sold the replacement parts without the DIY kit and left me to follow an already established step-by-step guide made by professionals.

 

[rpmurray]

While the program's expansion is good news for the right-to-repair movement, repair guide website iFixit is not entirely pleased with the implementation.

Shocker!

 

[MallardDuck]

And the first time somebody tries to pry the battery off the case with a butter knife, shorts it out, burns their house down, and sues Apple, will ifixit pay the bills?

Batteries in a Mac have substantially more energy than an iPhone. No thank you, with the current design, replace the case if you don't know what you're doing. Now changing the design is a different matter. Using pulltabs instead of glue would be a good idea.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

At least we know Johnny 5 is alive...in a macbook.

The first time I opened mine, I loudly exclaimed “It’s got a face!”

 

[Expos of 1969]

Guess this just underlines that Apple's initiative to repairability stems from them being forced into it by legislation rather than repairability being a new found inner value. On paper they comply with whatever they'll have to while giving everyone the finger…

"Inner value? I don't understand.
Increase profits at the expense of our customers, that I get"

T. Cook

 

[chr1s60]

This would be like Toyota selling a DIY oil change kit that requires you to swap out the engine. Ridiculous.