Testing Out Apple's Self Repair Program With an iPhone 12 Mini Battery Fix

[hugodrax]

it costs 70 bucks to just have apple do all the work, replace battery with labor included. People spend 1000+ on an iPhone and are crying that years later they have to spend 70 bucks to just go to the Apple store and get it swapped out? I don’t get it.

 

[adb1973]

Unpopular opinion: Apple’s price for battery service is totally reasonable and 100% worth it. Now, some of their other repair prices less so, but battery service… yeah just pay the $70 and get multiple years more life out of your phone.

Well that might be true given the hour rate. A good battery (with profit+tax) costs $15 or so... the sticky tape $1,50 and it can be done in less than half an hour.
DIY is not (half) as hard as this MR-video/Apple makes it look.

 

[saber32au]

Well that might be true given the hour rate. A good battery (with profit+tax) costs $15 or so... the sticky tape $1,50 and it can be done in less than half an hour.
DIY is not (half) as hard as this MR-video/Apple makes it look.

Spot on.

Not sure why the MR article only covers 1 person's experience (ie "the opposite of a handyman") who to be frank wouldn't be inclined to complete such a task in the first place (or any handyman/DIY task for that matter) despite MR claims "Dan" represent the "average consumer who just wants to save some money by doing DIY repairs". I suspect "Dan" (in an effort to save money) would have done many DIY repairs years before trying to swap the battery...

I wonder what the conclusion of the article would be if you got a handyman or someone who is DIY inclined to complete the repair...

 

[crisss1205]

And yes you can make the phone waterproof and still have a removable battery. I had the Samsung S5 and it had removable back with easy battery replacement and was also water "proof"... It was after the S6 they started to bake the battery into the phones.

The phones have different ratings. The S5 had an IP67 rating which was 1m of water for 30 min.
The iPhone 13 Pro has an IP68 rating which is rated for 6m of water for 30 min.

That is a big difference. Not sure if you can pull that off without a cumbersome battery door.

 

[katbel]

Looking at the boxes, you know someone at Apple has a good sense of humor

 

[citysnaps]

My point has always been that Apple (and any others guilty of it) should stop making devices that are deliberately difficult to repair.

There's nothing deliberate about it. When Apple sets out to develop and bring to market a new iPhone, "Difficult to Repair" is not listed as a bullet point in internal design presentations.

 

[.Kevin.]

I wouldn't mind this being somewhat challenging. I enjoy repairs. But having 75 pounds worth of kit being shipped to me and then finding that the g-d thing is missing some necessary components?! Do better, Apple.

It’s missing gloves and tweezers? I would hope that anyone thinking of replacing their battery would have both already.

I’m sure they will add the suggested consumables soon. They don’t provide apple approved workbench or soft cloths either.

 

[.Kevin.]

There's nothing deliberate about it. When Apple sets out to develop and bring to market a new iPhone, "Difficult to Repair" is not listed as a bullet point in internal design presentations.

We know they’ve done things over the years to improve serviceability. Like using Command Strips to hold down the battery instead of hot melt. The easier it is without reducing strength of the phone is good for their internal repair teams.

 

[hasanahmad]

Now we know why it took so long to launch this program.

Apple has designed this program to be so cumbersome, hardly anyone would want to do it themselves. The message is clear, pay the Apple Store to do it. The program seems to be a way to get regulators off Apple's backs.

The risk of losing $1,300 because Apple forces you to order 79 lbs of tools for a battery change is ridiculous. You do not need a display press to replace the battery.

tell me genius. how will you competently reseal the iphone back to IP68 once the seal is broken?

 

[turbineseaplane]

Wish they’d sell me an OEM screen for an SE1

One of my SE fleet members needs a new screen

 

[44267547]

Looking at the boxes, you know someone at Apple has a good sense of humor

Nah.

I think Apple truly wants to invest in taking care of these tools, because they know that if they send them in ‘cheap packaging’ or basic shrink wrap, consumers will just throw these tools back into a cardboard container with little to no care.

Also, part of the reason for the packaging, is each tool is separated by foam, so you know where each tool goes and it’s easy to determine if one is missing. I imagine these tools are rather pricey.

 

[adb1973]

tell me genius. how will you competently reseal the iphone back to IP68 once the seal is broken?

Afaik Apple Genius bar specifically do NOT guarantee Waterproof after they do a repair themselves.

 

[JPack]

tell me genius. how will you competently reseal the iphone back to IP68 once the seal is broken?

There's really a lot posters with simple minds on this forum. They seem to think, there's one one tool in the world to do the job.

 

[jasoncarle]

What law? What does this even mean?

LOL

1) it's a saying, hvae you never heard it before?

2) Right To Repair laws. Look them up.

 

[DJM1740]

The phrase “be careful what you ask for, you might get it” comes to mind.

 

[ismalei]

To be able to deliver the best possible quality both before, during and after repair has always been a process and included several procedures. From experience, I have 10 years as a Nokia workshop and 1 year Apple IRP.

Before repair, tests must be performed so that there are no other faults that the customer does not know about or does not inform about. This was how we did in the early 2000s and still do, but now the procedure is simpler and does not require manual connections of adapters to flash point, time-consuming tests for battery (with adapters for all the different batteries, speaker/vibrator/microphone (the same as before), special sim card to connected to base to check and identify issues.

After repair, the units had to be upgraded, at that time there was no fiber and took winter and mittens, larger screws than what is today, clip locking instead of glue, calibrating (the difference now is only the serial#), post repair procedures again to ensure the quality of the repair so that everything works properly before customer gets it. Now it is not as time consuming with regard to much of what we did before. But still it is and in my opinion absolutely crucial for the customer that they get back a device from repair that is in full working condition that I feel a pride in having performed and can vouch for. For that reason do we not perform repair on Samsung devices, have the skills and access to all original parts. But without diagnostic, proprietary tools, calibration and post repair diagnostics is it impossible to vouch for the repair.

 

[ATMB]

I'm just thinking about the carbon footprint of moving those great cases with tools around the country and it makes me sick.
this is such an useless program!

 

[GMarx66]

Now we know why it took so long to launch this program.

Apple has designed this program to be so cumbersome, hardly anyone would want to do it themselves. The message is clear, pay the Apple Store to do it. The program seems to be a way to get regulators off Apple's backs.

The risk of losing $1,300 because Apple forces you to order 79 lbs of tools for a battery change is ridiculous. You do not need a display press to replace the battery.

These are the same tools that certified repair technicians are required to use - so it is not "cumbersome."

It may be true this program is simply a way for Apple to say, "See - you can fix it yourself" but if you do, you'll sleep better knowing you fixed your phone the right way.

 

[adb1973]

There's a way of thinking revealed in this thread that I find endemic in the world over. It's the idea that there's no such thing as an expert: that anyone anywhere can do anything, and that anyone who claims to be an expert is just an elite trying to oppress the people.

I WANT Apple to design devices so complex that I can't fix them. By analogy, if you want a simple car you can fix and maintain all on your own, go buy a 70's Volkswagen Beetle. But most people understand that the performance and safety features of modern cars create a value beyond easy repair and self-maintenance.

I want a phone that packs as much technology into as small a space as possible. That makes it as waterproof as possible. You want a lego-style phone that is easy to repair? It's going to come at the sacrifice of tech and size.

The Internet and Democracy have sped up this notion that everyone is an expert on everything: complex economic issues? Nonsense! Complex diplomatic issues? Nonsense! It's just the elites trying to exploit the people!

No, complexity exists. And I want complexity. You're free to buy a phone that doesn't have the level of complexity of an Apple Iphone. There are gadgets on the market for that. But it's not the market I want Apple to pursue. I want Apple to engineer amazingly complex devices that I get to use without much thought.

"Right to Repair" is a stupid movement. Nothing is stopping anyone from starting a company whose whole aim is building simple phones. But the vast majority of people seemingly don't want that.

Happy to hear you are turned on by complex tech.

But what's your point? A high tech phone can be a phone that is complex and waterproof and durable because degrading parts can be switched.
The tires on a car can be changed because they degrade over time. As that is - as of 2022 - the current state of things high tech cars give you that option. A battery is a degrading part, that should be easily replaceable.
That's the right to repair

 

[Beau10]

I was considering this avenue... or iFixit, simply because I didn't want to give up my iPhone for 3-5 days to have the battery replaced, and other local options were a fair bit more expensive.

Then I found out Best Buy will do this for the same price as Apple, being an authorized repair center, and have a turnaround within a few hours. Haven't taken it in yet but plan to do that in the next week or two.

 

[ST Dog]

The goal is not to be easy and quick and doable without proper training. I support the right to repair, but I totally disagree with those people who have illusions about it.

This.

We wanted easy access to OEM parts instead of knockoffs.

It's a start. Still a lot of parts missing, like charge ports and midframe/back glass.
And the screw set offered is a joke. It's not half of the screws in the phone.

I just changed the frame on a 12 mini for my daughter. Used $50 knockoff parts since I can't buy the OE parts. Because of that part of the mm wave antenna hold down
didn't fit right. I would have happily spent $75-100 for an OE part.

Right to repair isn't just DIY either. It includes using other shops, like not having to take your car to the dealer. But having to enter the IMEI to order parts means shops can't have stock for same day repairs.

 

[ST Dog]

Not even close to being the same thing.
If a poorly trained person gets something wrong with the brakes on your car he could likely end up killing you, me and lots of others as well as causing 10's of thousands of £/$/€, or whatever. You can't often say the same about a phone.

Yet any random person can buy parts and tools to do a brake job. But somehow phone repair is a big problem.

 

[JPack]

These are the same tools that certified repair technicians are required to use - so it is not "cumbersome."

It may be true this program is simply a way for Apple to say, "See - you can fix it yourself" but if you do, you'll sleep better knowing you fixed your phone the right way.

Again with narrow minded thinking.

You do not need a 30 lb display press when a flat lightweight clamp can achieve the same result. Apple doesn’t need to ship a 79 lb tool package to the customer.

Something like 3M VHB needs only 15 PSI to activate.

 

[ST Dog]

Not always. Read through this article bit again:

It costs $49 to get the kit and

and comparatively, it's $69 to have Apple swap it out


Or am I missing something?

$46.84 is less than $69.
(The repair kit minus the refund if you return parts)

What I don't see is just the battery and screen adhesive. It's all kits with extra stuff you don't need.

If you know a little about what your doing (like have done it before or similar), it's an hour of your time to replace.

Your choice is whether you rent the tools or not.

You sure cannot buy an OE quality battery anywhere else for $50. Even better if I could swing by the Apple store (or other shop) and grab the battery and adhesive for $50.

 

[ST Dog]

It's really disappointing...

The "right to repair" should not be this.

The "right to repair" should be about Apple (and others) producing devices that are not purposefully constructed in such a way as to make it unnecessarily difficult to repair them.

not at all.

Right to repair is about having access to parts and tools needed to repair. Not dictating design.

This is a step forward, but not an end. Too many parts not available.