Sixth-Generation iPad Teardown Details 'Repair Nightmare' for Education-Focused Tablet

[Guy Clark]

Apple under Steve Jobs never intended those to be user repairable. The only thing that Apple allowed was the accessible RAM slot on the early aluminum iMacs. The trend was already there with Jobs. Compare those to the plastic or non unibody MacBooks which have easily accessible drives, RAM, and battery. Heck, Jobs brought us the MacBook Air, and literally said that is the notebook of the future, slim, unibody, almost no ports, and no user accessible parts. Don’t be in denial.

Look it's all about the 'right to repair' which Apple have completely locked down
https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/sales-support/terms/repair/generalservice/servicetermsen/

Go to an Apple Genius Bar with a faulty MacBook Pro and you will almost certainly be told it needs a new logic board even if it doesn't and if it does only Apple can fit it.

You can only use Apple parts which is extortion given what they cost when quality third party parts are available at a fraction of the cost.

Apple RAM is extortion and on a Late 2015 21.5" 4k iMac the RAM is not only soldered in but it has a 5400rpm HDD which is just unacceptable.

 

[Bonte]

Oh, there are plenty of stories believe me. I've dealt with enough.

Better or worse than laptops, tablets and chromebooks?

At home iPad's easily outlast all my other stuff but I can't find any study about school use, I guess that the biggest iPad problem is a damaged port and Logitech’s new rugged case should take care of this and other problems.

 

[pika2000]

Look it's all about the 'right to repair' which Apple have completely locked down
https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/sales-support/terms/repair/generalservice/servicetermsen/

Go to an Apple Genius Bar with a faulty MacBook Pro and you will almost certainly be told it needs a new logic board even if it doesn't and if it does only Apple can fit it.

You can only use Apple parts which is extortion given what they cost when quality third party parts are available at a fraction of the cost.

Apple RAM is extortion and on a Late 2015 21.5" 4k iMac the RAM is not only soldered in but it has a 5400rpm HDD which is just unacceptable.

And? The argument was about Apple being greedy under Tim Cook, while I pointed out the same trend had already happened when Steve Jobs was still on the helm. Your statement has nothing to do with the conversation at hand.

 

[Wanted797]

Since iPad came out it hasn’t really ever been repairable.

Unlike the iPhone with screws to remove the display or Macs.

iPad is probably the least repairable Apple device. Second only to the Apple Watch.

 

[EvilEvil]

But guys Cook just said they really care about customers, also keep in mind this is the best "low end" ipad ever created!

Just their wallets. He's a supply chain guy after all.

 

[conceptvbs123]

Apple is laughing all the way to the bank. Repairs are for posers. Leave all your base to me says Apple.

 

[Guy Clark]

And? The argument was about Apple being greedy under Tim Cook, while I pointed out the same trend had already happened when Steve Jobs was still on the helm. Your statement has nothing to do with the conversation at hand.

They are very much connected. Under Steve Jobs Macs were much more user serviceable (with the exception of the MacBook Air) as you correctly point out. Apple after sales support were a lot more helpful even if you had not taken out Apple Care and would go out of their way to assist the consumer. I had such an experience with an iMac G5 when it was two years old. Consumer satisfaction was high on the list whilst Apple was under Steve Jobs and Apple products were not throw away as they are today under Tim Cook which inevitably leads to more eWaste.
How can Apple explain the reason for soldering in the RAM. Just look at what happened upon the release of the 2014 Mac mini which is almost completely locked down.
The Late 2012 Mac mini received a iFixit repairability rating of 8/10 and the RAM could easily be upgraded as it was not soldered in like it is on the Late 2014 model
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac_Mini_Late_2012

It should be of great concern to all of us where all this Tim Cook throw away equipment ends up. A significant amount of eWaste finishes up in developing countries having been illegally dumped exposing Harmful Toxins to young children who can only dream of owning an iPad
http://uk.businessinsider.com/greenpeace-ifixit-report-apple-environmental-problem-eco-waste-2017-6

The World's largest eWaste Dump in Ghana

So yes they are very much connected.

 

[I7guy]

They are very much connected. Under Steve Jobs Macs were much more user serviceable (with the exception of the MacBook Air) as you correctly point out. Apple after sales support were a lot more helpful even if you had not taken out Apple Care and would go out of their way to assist the consumer. I had such an experience with an iMac G5 when it was two years old. Consumer satisfaction was high on the list whilst Apple was under Steve Jobs and Apple products were not throw away as they are today under Tim Cook which inevitably leads to more eWaste.
How can Apple explain the reason for soldering in the RAM. Just look at what happened upon the release of the 2014 Mac mini which is almost completely locked down.
The Late 2012 Mac mini received a iFixit repairability rating of 8/10 and the RAM could easily be upgraded as it was not soldered in like it is on the Late 2014 model
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac_Mini_Late_2012

It should be of great concern to all of us where all this Tim Cook throw away equipment ends up. A significant amount of eWaste finishes up in developing countries having been illegally dumped exposing Harmful Toxins to young children who can only dream of owning an iPad
http://uk.businessinsider.com/greenpeace-ifixit-report-apple-environmental-problem-eco-waste-2017-6

So yes they are very much connected.

It’s a great Concern where the world large manufacturing corporations throw their waste. Let’s not make it a Tim Cook issue as there is no solid metrics of the ratio of manufactures goods to what ultimately endanger up in landfills either by consumers or Apple. So like other hot button topics of the time, this is not a one company issue...and that company is committed to recycle as much as practical. Can’t help it if consumers throw their keyboards, computers, smartphones directly in the trash.

 

[Guy Clark]

It’s a great Concern where the world large manufacturing corporations throw their waste. Let’s not make it a Tim Cook issue as there is no solid metrics of the ratio of manufactures goods to what ultimately endanger up in landfills either by consumers or Apple. So like other hot button topics of the time, this is not a one company issue...and that company is committed to recycle as much as practical. Can’t help it if consumers throw their keyboards, computers, smartphones directly in the trash.

Agreed there are some that cannot be avoided and I am well aware it is not Apple alone that are contributing to the eWaste crisis. Though it is fair to say Apple products under Tim Cook have become largely throw away. Purchase a modern MacBook and there is nothing that can be done by the user when it packs up other than purchase another one therefore leading to additional eWaste. In the case of an old white MacBook or Unibody MacBook Pro there was a good chance the user could source replacement parts and carry out the repair themselves.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

No. Apple is doing this exactly because it is parts that they can reuse from their inventory. That make this iPad cheaper. This is still not cheap iPad.

And yes, Apple can take 7MP camera on the iPad 2018 and it does not cost Apple any significant money. Apple can make a decent product by upgrading parts to at least 2018 standard. And I don't think it will make the profit margin from 30% to 20%. Apple just does not want lower their profit margins by tiny amount.

By the way, If this is not iPad, it will be dirty cheap. You are talking about a product with 5 years old design, 6 years old front camera, 2 years old CPU... All recycled parts... Apple can just recycle parts from iPad Pros... cost them absolutely minimum

Apple is FAR too smart to have tons of excess inventory. Like most of the tech-industry, they subscribe to the "Lean Manufacturing" and "Just In Time" Kanban supply principles.

Sorry, it just doesn't work the way you describe. Not at Apple's level of manufacturing.

 

[UniquelyUnique]

An education market iPad should be built like an etch a sketch. Flip it over, unscrew rear panel, replace bad component, reassemble, test..

Thick, durable, serviceable; no glue.

I wonder if someone could spin up a company that takes new iPad components and make such an item.
I'd buy four of them.

 

[Rockatansky]

WHERE IS MY F%$#NG EMATE!!!!????
Come on Apple: A computer that BOUNCES from 1.6 meters for childs!
If you could do that 20 years ago I assume you can plaster an iPad to a mega cool bouncing case with an special slot for the "pencil" and a touch screen?!?!?!?!

https://www.macworld.com/article/2020270/the-forgotten-emate-300-15-years-later.html

 

[Rockatansky]

Kid-Friendly Design
Despite its Newtonian soul, the eMate 300 has a clamshell design with a keyboard on the lower half and a display on the upper, like a traditional laptop. PowerBook veterans can rest easy, though--Apple's Information Appliance division uses a different source for its keyboards than the one that produced the delicate, defect-prone keyboards that are standard equipment on PowerBooks.

The hands of children might be the hands of the future, but they can also be the hands of destruction. Apple built the eMate 300 with an abusive environment in mind, with steel-reinforced innards, a shock-mounted display, and an ABS-plastic housing with rounded corners. The eMate 300 is designed to appeal to kids, not just survive them; your first thought when you see the eMate 300 will probably be, "Batman is back," followed quickly by, "Cool. Let me play with it."

 

[AbSoluTc]

I work at a K-12 school that is 90% Apple and the rest, Windows and Chromebooks. We have over 500 Chromebooks. At least 20% of them have been broken by students. We have over 250 iPads. None of them have been broken by students.

The reason this is so great for EDU is the price point. Apple's iPad/features are great but a Chromebook is cheaper. Apple is getting slammed by Google because of it and this was a move in the right direction. They need to do more in order to compete unfortunately. With Apple School Manager, DEP, VPP and giving EDU managed Apple ID's 200gig of iCloud, it's a great start. They need to keep it going.

Apple is more costly for student use than anything else. However, Apple devices for Fac/Staff is perfect. Less hassle, problems and easier deployment/control. Windows can't hold a candle to that.

 

[lec0rsaire]

iPads really don't have to be repaired. It's pretty rare that there's some hardware failure. Damage is going to come from dropping them. I know that it's hard for children to be as careful as adults but that's just the way it is. I wonder if K-12 gets a wholesale AppleCare discount to repair broken screens or if they can even afford to buy warranty on tight school budgets that are just getting worse under Betsy DeVos and this administration.

 

[Tech198]

Apple is laughing all the way to the bank. Repairs are for posers. Leave all your base to me says Apple.

if you wanna cram that technology in yes.

 

[expiredyogurt]

man I cant tell if the people here complaining about the lack of ability to self repair the ipad is trolling or just dumb.

the reason and mainly the reason why people, not just apple, would want to lock down the repair-ability is because people are dumb. period.

people are so dumb that they dont know lots of things and those lack of knowledge will blow up (literally) in their face when they do something wrong like forcefully pull out a battery or remove a the screen wrongly. It requires close to delicate hands to perform this surgery and most of the people who cracks their screens and stuff tend to have the worst kind of precise hand movements. the best way to test this is to try threading a needle with both hands and elbow on the air and thread it. if you cant do it within 30 sec you're a terrible handler.

because people are dumb and cant follow instructions, why should apple open up the repair ability to the public at all? what if you decide to do it yourself because you want to try it out or it's cheaper? you tried to repair it yourself and you ****ed up, what now? you gonna toss it away and call it a day or are you going to assemble it back and pretend nothing happened and bring it to apple to service it for you? lets not lie and pretend it's the former, its almost always going to be the latter. You're gonna lie through your teeth and tell the genius that you don't know what happened and to get service that way. when they open the device up they can tell someone have tempered it with it.

then there are the really dumb ones that cant even unscrew the screws and not loose it and decides to just blame apple for it. most of this, you need to have personally open a business and actually deal with all these BS to understand where apple is coming from.

Just imagine you made something and you let someone play with it and they are the worse and roughest person in the world and basically tries to destroy the toy you build. once they succeed in destroying it or disassemble it and tried to fix it but fails and he brings it back to you, what is your reaction going to be? just laugh it off and fix it then let other people play? sure, I'll give you that bone. multiply it by a hundred, thousands, millions and see if you still have the patience / budget to be kind and generous. people will start being malicious and break it on purpose just so they can get a new one, if there is a small flaw like the surface of the toy is not 100% even to their liking, they'll bring it in to exchange for another one and you'll just give it to them? what do you do with the one they returned then? just trash it and build a new one? just browsing through the apple subreddit and you can see lots of people bragging that the act of kindness one stranger received from apple like replacing their device instead of servicing it and all the comments in there are asking how to reproduce that step so they get a replacement device and how to scam the geniuses.

with that kind of view towards the general public, can you still say you want them to allow this kind of practice? you are unable to put people's position in your shoe and can still say this kind of sheet, that right there shows ignorance. the 14 day return policy is already ridiculous, people would just spend the $$ to get the device and in 14 days realize he doesnt like it then return it. what should apple do with those devices then? just trash it? they had to repurpose it as a refurbished items and yet no one wants to get refurbished item because its basically preowned even though it was probably owned by someone for 24 hours. those who take advantage of the full 14 days then return it on the 14th day are the worse. technically it is not wrong nor was it illegal to return it on the absolute last day but most if not all returns on the last day are usually people who just want the device to show off then return it cause they got all the 'likes' on their social media.

i'm actually supportive of what apple is doing, it is not greedy for them to do so because the amount of people who take advantage of their kindness far outweights the amount of people who are actually appreciative of the offers apple offered. take the battery replacement for example, some said apple replaced their device instead of swapping out their battery and everyone else basically asked what did they say / do to make the genius replace their device instead of servicing it. absolutely disgusting

 

[charlituna]

It is a shame, especially given they're aimed at education.

Apple can repair them really really easily cause they replace them. And most schools that do iPads get Apple Care so if someone drops the dang thing they just call up phone support and do an express replacement and the new one is sent within a couple of days and it's all good

the reason why iFixit is giving such a low score is that the harder something is to fix the less sales they get on the parts and tools to do it.
[doublepost=1522985694][/doublepost]

are you going to assemble it back and pretend nothing happened and bring it to apple to service it for you? lets not lie and pretend it's the former, its almost always going to be the latter. You're gonna lie through your teeth and tell the genius that you don't know what happened and to get service that way. when they open the device up they can tell someone have tempered it with it.

my Ex was an Apple Genius. they could almost always tells when someone tried to do it themselves. especially on iPads.

 

[oldmacs]

Apple can repair them really really easily cause they replace them. And most schools that do iPads get Apple Care so if someone drops the dang thing they just call up phone support and do an express replacement and the new one is sent within a couple of days and it's all good

Which is expensive, annoying and inconvenient.

 

[0924487]

If you need to service an iPad, just get a new one from Apple. They have replacement pricing and your insurance company will pay for that anyway. Why bother fixing it?
[doublepost=1523036042][/doublepost]

I can see a day when Apple start making iPads as a single component. Just to annoy ifixit.

I have been thinking about one universal chip that rules it all. No more front and back plates. Just a chip with resin filling, no more assembling, no more labor. Just all automatic from start to finish.

 

[Skeptical.me]

Perhaps lower durability but typically better longevity.

Yeah, absolutely. I still have an iPad 4 that works perfectly well. Although, compared to my new Pro iPads the 4 can’t compare in speed of processing, of course. And btw the new iPad Pro 12.9 I just got, beautiful. It’s a work of art. Stunning screen and fantastic for reading e-text books in my uni course. I thought 12.9 might be a bit too big but it’s absolutely fantastic, as a laptop alternative and touch screen tablet.