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I think the inability to repair Apple products is right on par with the rest of the industry really. My Samsung mobile phone is just as difficult to repair as a
by aduitsis 6y ago
I think the inability to repair Apple products is right on par with the rest of the industry really. My Samsung mobile phone is just as difficult to repair as an iPhone.
Also, when it comes to computers (I use a Mac), there is also another factor. Apple devices may be difficult (and expensive) to repair, but they are certainly popular, which means one can find plenty of online resources or even spare parts, where applicable. And, one can actually find a local store that repairs Macs and take the computer there, if throwing money at the problem is an option.
Quite recently, I came across a case of a Lenovo laptop whose user had somehow activated bitlocker and forgot the password. Wasn't interested in the files, they just wanted to be able to use the computer again. I tried to find a way to reinstall the operating system and, I kid you not, there was literally no obvious way to boot normally from a usb device nor Lenovo provides any meaningful documentation or, Heaven forbid, the boot image to reinstall. It was actually kind of difficult to even determine the model of the device, as there have been several generations with the same name, each with a different processor and efi firmware. It was almost as if the model never existed.
We can laugh all we want for Apple's expensive and un-repairable devices, but the above nightmare cannot happen in the Apple ecosystem. You can even get the device to an apple store and they'll happily take your money and fix your device (if it's not severely damaged of course). This is not unique to Apple, e.g. Dell has excellent support and documentation. But this is a quality that is very important and yet it is often overlooked.
- Okawari 6y agoDevices being easy or difficult to repair is not really the crux of right to repair. It's more about people being empowered to be able to fix them should they have the skill to do so. I'm only following the subject casually so I might be biased to have incomplete information but apple is seemingly worse that it's peers when it comes to repairability. A quick Google search takes me to a page where Samsung lists official resellers of parts for their devices. The selection wasn't great but as far as I know apple doesn't do even that. Correct me if I'm wrong. Apple has been in litigation in my country trying to block a independent repairer from procuring parts(think it was refurbished original screens). I haven't heard of any Android phone manufacturers serial linking parts the same way apple has. At least not to the same extent. TBH, I think most of the smartphone manufacturers are worse than Idd want them to be, but I definitely think Apple is among if not the worst of them when it comes to repairability
- aduitsis 6y agoPoint 100% taken on the matter of having the right to repair and procure spare parts. Here in the EU, I hear there is a major push to introduce some meaningful legislation to establish requirement, definitely right direction. Comparing Samsung with Apple is interesting, because Samsung is very competitive and will come to your door (so to speak) to sell its products, which I respect very deeply. In my country, Samsung official service is top, better than Apple probably. I've been able to go to the service unannounced, ask for a battery replacement, go for a coffee and come get my device back after an hour. For computers, Dell also has a very respectable name, to the point where people will prefer Dell solely because of this. But below that level, chaos really, you have to go and order parts from ebay most of the times.
- GeekyBear 6y ago> My Samsung mobile phone is just as difficult to repair as an iPhone. If anything, the iPhones are much easier to repair. As of the latest generation of Samsung Galaxy S series and iPhones that have been torn down by iFixit, the Galaxy S20 was given a repairability score of 3 vs. a score of 6 for the iPhone 12. On the iPhone, iFixit said: >[ease of] display and battery replacements remain a priority in the new iPhones' design. Most other important components are modular and easy to access or replace. On the Galaxy S20, iFixit said: >Every repair starts with painstakingly un-gluing the fragile glass rear cover. Replacing the glued-down battery is tougher than ever, especially with board interconnect cables to work around. All-too-common display repairs require either a complete teardown or replacing half the phone. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+12+and+12+Pro+Teardown/137669 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+12+and+12+Pro+Teardow... https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S20+Ultra+Teardown/131607 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S20+Ultra+Tea...
- monopoledance 6y agoifixit scores the Macbooks at 1/10 tho. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+16-Inch+2019+Teardown/128106 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+16-Inch+2019+Tea...