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I ran an iOS sales and repairs service for years, eventually stopping around the iPhone X era. I had decent third-party tools, but despite being careful, I'd st

I ran an iOS sales and repairs service for years, eventually stopping around the iPhone X era. I had decent third-party tools, but despite being careful, I'd still break peoples' devices on rare occasion and have to eat the cost. The adhesive they use to bind the screen to the body has gotten consistently tougher over the years, to the point where there really isn't a reliable way for someone to do it correctly on their first try without specialized tech like this. You WILL underestimate the amount of heat required and either crack your screen or break your tool when trying to pry them apart. It's incredibly frustrating and delicate work if you're just using a heat gun and a screwdriver. If they shipped him a "warming sock" and some kludgers like iFixit used to do, I'm sure a quarter of the people who attempt the repair would end up breaking their device and the whole program would be a failure. Unless they ditch the adhesive and return to the iPhone 4/4S design of a back-cover which slides off easily, I actually think the 70lbs of equipment might be their best path forward.

newsclues 4y ago
Yeah, I will pay more for a device that is designed to be repaired.
- NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
  ... and when there's enough of you for this to represent an actual, realistic target market you will then find someone who will sell you one. Personally, my perspective on this is that it's a lot like the kind of complaining that gets a lot of play in the motoring press about the disappearance of the manual transmission (like Car and Driver's "Save the Manuals" thing). Lots of people will claim they would like the choice, but virtually no-one actually buys them when they're available on mainstream models.
  - Jiejeing 4y ago
    > ... and when there's enough of you for this to represent an actual, realistic target market you will then find someone who will sell you one. Probably not, considering the very high cost of entry in the target market, it is unlikely to be offset by the marginal amount of additional money people are ready to invest into such devices. Markets don't produce goods out of nothing. Especially if that person specifically wants an iphone for whatever (objective or subjective) reason, the market cannot deliver that.
    - judge2020 4y ago
      the iPhone Mini was a testament to that Apple themselves will respond to a certain amount of market demand, however its inability to sell well (with reportedly under 4% of total iPhone sales) is probably going to be a lesson for Apple to heavily consider whether or not extra SKUs are really worth it.
      - d3nj4l 4y ago
        They're keeping the same number of SKUs, but they just want a cheap(er) but bigger phone. They're looking at how many Pro Maxes they sold in China and thinking "We could make a lot more money making a big model that was slightly cheaper."
      - formerly_proven 4y ago
        The mini iPhones seem in an odd position between SE and "normal". As far as I know, the SE models have always been quite popular.
  - nicoburns 4y ago
    If it was, say $40 more or even $100 and was marketed as being repairable, I bet a lot of people would buy it. They would after all be actually likely to get that money back over the lifetime of the phone, and it’s much more environmentally friendly. This isn’t a case of “market doesn’t want it”, this is a case of Apple don’t want to offer that choice because they make money off of the repairs.
    - ericpauley 4y ago
      From the layperson’s perspective they already are repairable. Apple offers repair programs at a somewhat reasonable cost already. I doubt the average person will care if they themselves can repair it at home.
    - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
      >this is a case of Apple don’t want to offer that choice because they make money off of the repairs. Apple is on record saying they lose money on repair services. Or do you think they're just lying about that too?
      - ChuckNorris89 4y ago
        Apple can say many things, that doesn't make them true. Of course they loose potential money on repairs if they can get customers to buy a new phone instead, that's how consumer electronics make Money.
    - sokoloff 4y ago
      I can’t see how Apple can make a net profit on the repair itself at $69 for modern phones, so the profit motive/outcome must come from tilting people towards replacing a phone with a trade-in credit. There is a sliver of the market who would rather replace their own battery on a 30 month old phone. There is a gigantic wedge of the market who looks forward to their battery dying so they can get the swankiest new phone for just $39/month.
      - Nextgrid 4y ago
  - throw__away7391 4y ago
    Yeah, but my understanding is that the manual issue is compounded by the fuel efficiency gains in newer automatic transmissions using these 8-speed designs, with minimum efficiency rules meaning it's impossible to match in a manual. I've noticed that in the handful of models still offering manual, often the manual is not offered with the top performance engine. This seems to be happening in Europe as well where historically over 80% of cars have been sold with manual transmissions.
    - cgearhart 4y ago
      The other issue (at least in the US) is that automatic cars can be programmed to “game” the fuel economy tests by having shorter gears and shifting early, etc. The automatic winds up being faster and reporting better fuel economy, but the manual would perform the same if it had more similar gearing. (I heard recently that first gear is like 60% shorter in the automatic version of one of the BMW M series cars than the manual version.) Combined with engine auto stopping in automatics, etc., and it’s not really an equivalent comparison anymore.
      - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
        Automatic transmissions now have 8, 9 or 10 gears which means that engines can spend more time in efficient parts of their range; I don't think people would put up with a manual transmission with that many gears. Newer automatic transmissions also have better control of lock-up, so that you're spending less time with torque-converter losses.
        thinkmassive 4y ago
        > I don't think people would put up with a manual transmission with that many gears …other than truck drivers! maniacal laughter as the clutch is released into 18th gear
  - mostertoaster 4y ago
    I would definitely buy a manual if I could. Just more fun to drive. I think Honda civic’s lowest model might still have one. Not sure of anything else.
    - smugma 4y ago
      Golf R
    - blake1 4y ago
      Corolla comes in a hatchback with a manual.
    - throwaway0a5e 4y ago
      Pretty much every compact/subcompact still has a manual option. If you want a crossover I think the only new one that still has a manual is the Crosstrek.
    - nkrisc 4y ago
      If “fun” is the primary advantage (I know there are others) then it’s no wonder there’s fewer manuals in the US, at least. I think for many people, myself included, a car is a tool. I don’t need it to be fun. I need it to be reliable, easy to use, and as efficient as possible. For some cars are a hobby, but for many people they’re most another tool in our lives.
      - katbyte 4y ago
        Manuals have an advantage in some situations (off roading, transmission doesn’t overheat, better performance with skill, repairability) and autos have theirs (easy, better fuel economy) If I commuted to an office every day I’d get an auto (actually these days an EV), but working in the bush/backroads? Manual
        cypress66 4y ago
        All those points, except for repairability, are arguable for modern gearboxes such as DSG.
  - smugma 4y ago
    This is a largely a U.S. specific thing. In Europe, manual transmission is still commonly available. If you want a high-end-ish car with a manual in the US, there’s the Golf R.
    - throwaway0a5e 4y ago
      That's somewhat a quirk of your displacement taxes resulting in tiny engines. When the choice is between a CVT or automatic that has to be dragged kicking and screaming into the upper RPM ranges (because how else are you gonna get acceptable performance out of a tiny engine) and a clutch pedal many people choose the clutch pedal.
      - carlob 4y ago
        You might just as well argue the opposite: American gas and car prices don't factor in the huge externalities of a badly engineered gas guzzler (and I don't think they are priced in in the EU either). So you get around in things that are far too heavy and need huge engines. Granted, the real solution would be to get rid of most personal vehicles with engines, but you can just look at the displacement of F1 cars to know you are arguing in bad faith.
        throwaway0a5e 4y ago
        >You might just as well argue the opposite: American gas and car prices don't >Oh FFS quit with the trope slinging.factor in the huge externalities It takes a special kind of insanity to argue in favor of displacement taxes. The environment doesn't care how wide your pistons are or how far they move. It cares about the fuel burned. If you wanna tax the externality tax fuel. >of a badly engineered gas guzzler Because Toyota and Mercedes are so good at it? Ha. If there's one thing the Americans are very good at it's getting big engines to consume less fuel than you'd expect from their size. Regardless, your typical sedans, hatches and crossovers are available on both sides of the pond and gets the same fuel economy on both sides because fuel economy is dominated by the weight of the vehicle and aerodynamics. > but you can just look at the displacement of F1 cars to know you are arguing in bad faith. What's the operating RPM of an F1 engine? You're the one arguing in bad faith here. Imagine you're cruising down the road ad 1200rpm (because fuel economy) and you want to step on it for whatever reason. With a CVT you get to sit there waiting while it slowly revs its way there. With an automatic you get to sit there a second and a half waiting while the computer decides that yes, you do actually mean to be flooring it and then shifts for you. With a manual you shifted before you even stomped the skinny pedal. Smaller displacement engines with less low end grunt exacerbate this hence the European preference for the 3rd pedal.
  - bob29 4y ago
    So actually we live in the best world possible[1] with the best technology possible. If it were possible to make a better iPHone, someone would have made it, but the fact that it doesn't exist means its either not possible or not good to have a removable battery on an iphone. [1] according to this book i read in highschool, it was called Candide
    - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
      No; we live in the world of engineering and business compromises where wishes are not, in fact, horses.
      - bob29 4y ago
        >No You aren't disagreeing with me. The claim is that we live in the best world possible, not the best world imaginable. The compromises you mention are necessary due to the underlying reality of resource scarcity. We may act to change our environment in many ways but can not violate the laws of the universe.
        b3morales 4y ago
        This expansion just makes the claim into a truism with no useful information. It's the same shape as a No True Scotsman reply.
        sangnoir 4y ago
        Manufacturer self-interest is not a law of the universe. Manufacturers do what's best for them, and not for some idealized free market. Often,they fail to do what's best for the org in the long term because they comprise humans who mostly care about the short term (bonuses, careers and such). "If better was possible, it would already exist" can be filed under Capitalism Fantasy because it ignores all confounding factors. It also fails to explain why curremt consumer products are getting worse (for the consumer, but more profitable for the producer e.g. TVs, washing machines, fridges)
    - SpicyLemonZest 4y ago
  - katbyte 4y ago
    We’ll car companies are making it harder and harder to buy manuals so of course it’s disappearing. Can’t speak to American brands but the Toyota 4Runner stopped making a manual trim 20 years ago and the Tacoma while it has one, only 5% of them produced are manual on limited trims making it really hard for people who want one to actually get it without a lot of effort. How much is it people don’t want it/never learned/car companies reducing trim numbers and cost pushing automatics?
    - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
      Even with performance car enthusiast models, like say the BMW M4, the take rate for the manual is super low. This article ... https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/07/save-manuals-give-bmw-m-cars/ https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/07/save-manuals-give-... ... is from 2015, but says that the M4 couple was 83:17 in favor of the automatic gearbox; and I doubt things have gotten better since then. Automatic gearboxes (whether torque converters, CVT or dual-clutch) have just gotten much better to the point where they're better for both performance and fuel economy. Manual transmissions are much, much harder to integrate with any kind of hybrid system, stop-start system, power-off coasting etc. which help with fuel economy too.
      - cycomanic 4y ago
        > Manual transmissions are much, much harder to integrate with any kind of hybrid system, stop-start system, power-off coasting etc. which help with fuel economy too. Not necessarily disagreeing, but just wanted to say that it certainly is possible. I rented a manual Renault (don't remember the model) a couple of years ago and was surprised how it had a stop-start system power off when coasting system.
      - katbyte 4y ago
        That stat is for America, not Europe, where the stats are reversed: https://blog.getmyparking.com/2020/01/20/why-does-europe-prefer-manual-cars-over-automatic-ones/ https://blog.getmyparking.com/2020/01/20/why-does-europe-pre... But you are right in that as cars electrify manuals will be less and less common. Not to mention emission regulations are pushing manufacturers to only produce autos Manuals are still better in some rare situations imho like off-roading where just not having to worry about trans temps is a win
  - salawat 4y ago
    Bullshit. This is a conscious business decision to not accomodate. Wanna know how I know? (Besides experience in tech) Sewing machines. Millions of ladies with sewing machines out there, and harried husbands/partners/neighborhood mechanics/machinists out there that fix the bloody things. Yet, as a fixer thereof, you'll find the older machines are jealously guarded and highly sought after for reliability, stability through heavy loads, and servicibility. And yet... All you have is plastic pieces of crap that warp and miss stitches under load, increasing usage of integrated circuit boards and plastic gearing. A corporation will not optimize for the utility to end user and QoSL (Quality of Service Life). They will optimize for future sales and cheaper production. Literally converging on the worst product people will still pay for. Stop making platitudes that "Oh the economy would accommodate you if only there were more of you!" It is grade A, concentrated, unadulterated, Bull. Fucking. Shit. The business world will wring every last cent they can out of the buyer, while spending the absolute minimum required to "solve" the problem they set out to fix, and arguably, don't. I am Quality Inspector number effing 7. I get into knock down, drag out brawls with management on the crap they expect me to put my seal of approval on for the sake of being there to be sneered at by the by the end user. Enough is e-frigging-nough. Since you brought up automotive. Same damn thing. Can you get cars with open-source, well documented software running on the ECM and BCM? No. Is CANBUS free and open? Nope. Are engine compartments built for anything else than the ability to be assembled by automaton? Nope. Farm tractors and Ag equipment. Same bloody thing. This is all according to plan, because it's the default, and capital decides what the most profitable default is going to be.
- chevill 4y ago
  Me too, the problem is that for such a thing to exist at scale we have to make the simply awful protoypes that people keep coming up with financially successful. Which means paying as much or more as you would for a cutting edge flagship for a janky mess that uses technology that's several generations behind and hope that it supports our carrier.
- nathanvanfleet 4y ago
  This reminds me of the people who laughed at the iPhone because the Blackberry had a real keyboard and was the true professional device. Saying you'll pay for something that probably doesn't have many people behind it is not really going to move mountains. Most people care about this sort of stuff for about a minute when their phone breaks which is something like once every few years max.
jt2190 4y ago
> The adhesive they use to bind the screen to the body has gotten consistently tougher over the years... Unless they ditch the adhesive... We talk about this adhesive as if it's easily replaced with some screws, but I wonder if that's really true anymore. I can imagine that as devices and their tolerances get smaller that simply screwing something together might actually make the device a lot more delicate. Do you know if this is the case here?
- sva_ 4y ago
  The adhesive makes the phone waterproof. I recently replaced my gf's iPhone screen and all I really needed was a hairdryer to heat up the adhesive, a suction cup to pull it off, and a screwdriver. I guess with these tools it'd be safer, but it worked well regardless.
  - lisper 4y ago
    > The adhesive makes the phone waterproof. So would a rubber o-ring.
    - greenglass 4y ago
      O-rings are known to fail.
      - lisper 4y ago
        O-rings are the standard seal technology in waterproof watches, and also in scuba diving equipment where lives literally depend on them. They are actually extraordinarily reliable.
        mynameisvlad 4y ago
        But at the same time, a diver is trained to look for leaks as part of their pre-divw checklist, and oring replacements are fairly common. On my last liveaboard, the crew replaced probably good 1-2 dozen tank orings over the course of a week. One of my LP hose orings had frayed as well and needed to be replaced. It might be the standard, but it's not exactly the best experience either.
Kiboneu 4y ago
I've repaired / modded non-iphones that bind display / covers with adhesive. Both broke them in various ways the process and saved them later. Using screwdrivers to pry will very likely crack the screen and if that's the only tool available, one ought to wait on repairs the right tools are available. Using a screwdriver would otherwise introduce scratches / chips in the areas you'd insert / slide it through. One has to use a material that's softer than the contact material and non-abrasive. It also requires a lot of patience, but it pays off. I don't really know if that's knowledge someone can get in under 30 minutes of internet research, but if it is, I don't expect that onus to fall on a manufacturer.

newsclues 4y ago

Yeah, I will pay more for a device that is designed to be repaired.

NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
... and when there's enough of you for this to represent an actual, realistic target market you will then find someone who will sell you one. Personally, my perspective on this is that it's a lot like the kind of complaining that gets a lot of play in the motoring press about the disappearance of the manual transmission (like Car and Driver's "Save the Manuals" thing). Lots of people will claim they would like the choice, but virtually no-one actually buys them when they're available on mainstream models.
- Jiejeing 4y ago
  > ... and when there's enough of you for this to represent an actual, realistic target market you will then find someone who will sell you one. Probably not, considering the very high cost of entry in the target market, it is unlikely to be offset by the marginal amount of additional money people are ready to invest into such devices. Markets don't produce goods out of nothing. Especially if that person specifically wants an iphone for whatever (objective or subjective) reason, the market cannot deliver that.
  - judge2020 4y ago
    the iPhone Mini was a testament to that Apple themselves will respond to a certain amount of market demand, however its inability to sell well (with reportedly under 4% of total iPhone sales) is probably going to be a lesson for Apple to heavily consider whether or not extra SKUs are really worth it.
    - d3nj4l 4y ago
      They're keeping the same number of SKUs, but they just want a cheap(er) but bigger phone. They're looking at how many Pro Maxes they sold in China and thinking "We could make a lot more money making a big model that was slightly cheaper."
    - formerly_proven 4y ago
      The mini iPhones seem in an odd position between SE and "normal". As far as I know, the SE models have always been quite popular.
- nicoburns 4y ago
  If it was, say $40 more or even $100 and was marketed as being repairable, I bet a lot of people would buy it. They would after all be actually likely to get that money back over the lifetime of the phone, and it’s much more environmentally friendly. This isn’t a case of “market doesn’t want it”, this is a case of Apple don’t want to offer that choice because they make money off of the repairs.
  - ericpauley 4y ago
    From the layperson’s perspective they already are repairable. Apple offers repair programs at a somewhat reasonable cost already. I doubt the average person will care if they themselves can repair it at home.
  - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
    >this is a case of Apple don’t want to offer that choice because they make money off of the repairs. Apple is on record saying they lose money on repair services. Or do you think they're just lying about that too?
    - ChuckNorris89 4y ago
      Apple can say many things, that doesn't make them true. Of course they loose potential money on repairs if they can get customers to buy a new phone instead, that's how consumer electronics make Money.
  - sokoloff 4y ago
    I can’t see how Apple can make a net profit on the repair itself at $69 for modern phones, so the profit motive/outcome must come from tilting people towards replacing a phone with a trade-in credit. There is a sliver of the market who would rather replace their own battery on a 30 month old phone. There is a gigantic wedge of the market who looks forward to their battery dying so they can get the swankiest new phone for just $39/month.
    - Nextgrid 4y ago
- throw__away7391 4y ago
  Yeah, but my understanding is that the manual issue is compounded by the fuel efficiency gains in newer automatic transmissions using these 8-speed designs, with minimum efficiency rules meaning it's impossible to match in a manual. I've noticed that in the handful of models still offering manual, often the manual is not offered with the top performance engine. This seems to be happening in Europe as well where historically over 80% of cars have been sold with manual transmissions.
  - cgearhart 4y ago
    The other issue (at least in the US) is that automatic cars can be programmed to “game” the fuel economy tests by having shorter gears and shifting early, etc. The automatic winds up being faster and reporting better fuel economy, but the manual would perform the same if it had more similar gearing. (I heard recently that first gear is like 60% shorter in the automatic version of one of the BMW M series cars than the manual version.) Combined with engine auto stopping in automatics, etc., and it’s not really an equivalent comparison anymore.
    - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
      Automatic transmissions now have 8, 9 or 10 gears which means that engines can spend more time in efficient parts of their range; I don't think people would put up with a manual transmission with that many gears. Newer automatic transmissions also have better control of lock-up, so that you're spending less time with torque-converter losses.
      - thinkmassive 4y ago
        > I don't think people would put up with a manual transmission with that many gears …other than truck drivers! maniacal laughter as the clutch is released into 18th gear
- mostertoaster 4y ago
  I would definitely buy a manual if I could. Just more fun to drive. I think Honda civic’s lowest model might still have one. Not sure of anything else.
  - smugma 4y ago
    Golf R
  - blake1 4y ago
    Corolla comes in a hatchback with a manual.
  - throwaway0a5e 4y ago
    Pretty much every compact/subcompact still has a manual option. If you want a crossover I think the only new one that still has a manual is the Crosstrek.
  - nkrisc 4y ago
    If “fun” is the primary advantage (I know there are others) then it’s no wonder there’s fewer manuals in the US, at least. I think for many people, myself included, a car is a tool. I don’t need it to be fun. I need it to be reliable, easy to use, and as efficient as possible. For some cars are a hobby, but for many people they’re most another tool in our lives.
    - katbyte 4y ago
      Manuals have an advantage in some situations (off roading, transmission doesn’t overheat, better performance with skill, repairability) and autos have theirs (easy, better fuel economy) If I commuted to an office every day I’d get an auto (actually these days an EV), but working in the bush/backroads? Manual
      - cypress66 4y ago
        All those points, except for repairability, are arguable for modern gearboxes such as DSG.
- smugma 4y ago
  This is a largely a U.S. specific thing. In Europe, manual transmission is still commonly available. If you want a high-end-ish car with a manual in the US, there’s the Golf R.
  - throwaway0a5e 4y ago
    That's somewhat a quirk of your displacement taxes resulting in tiny engines. When the choice is between a CVT or automatic that has to be dragged kicking and screaming into the upper RPM ranges (because how else are you gonna get acceptable performance out of a tiny engine) and a clutch pedal many people choose the clutch pedal.
    - carlob 4y ago
      You might just as well argue the opposite: American gas and car prices don't factor in the huge externalities of a badly engineered gas guzzler (and I don't think they are priced in in the EU either). So you get around in things that are far too heavy and need huge engines. Granted, the real solution would be to get rid of most personal vehicles with engines, but you can just look at the displacement of F1 cars to know you are arguing in bad faith.
      - throwaway0a5e 4y ago
        >You might just as well argue the opposite: American gas and car prices don't >Oh FFS quit with the trope slinging.factor in the huge externalities It takes a special kind of insanity to argue in favor of displacement taxes. The environment doesn't care how wide your pistons are or how far they move. It cares about the fuel burned. If you wanna tax the externality tax fuel. >of a badly engineered gas guzzler Because Toyota and Mercedes are so good at it? Ha. If there's one thing the Americans are very good at it's getting big engines to consume less fuel than you'd expect from their size. Regardless, your typical sedans, hatches and crossovers are available on both sides of the pond and gets the same fuel economy on both sides because fuel economy is dominated by the weight of the vehicle and aerodynamics. > but you can just look at the displacement of F1 cars to know you are arguing in bad faith. What's the operating RPM of an F1 engine? You're the one arguing in bad faith here. Imagine you're cruising down the road ad 1200rpm (because fuel economy) and you want to step on it for whatever reason. With a CVT you get to sit there waiting while it slowly revs its way there. With an automatic you get to sit there a second and a half waiting while the computer decides that yes, you do actually mean to be flooring it and then shifts for you. With a manual you shifted before you even stomped the skinny pedal. Smaller displacement engines with less low end grunt exacerbate this hence the European preference for the 3rd pedal.
- bob29 4y ago
  So actually we live in the best world possible[1] with the best technology possible. If it were possible to make a better iPHone, someone would have made it, but the fact that it doesn't exist means its either not possible or not good to have a removable battery on an iphone. [1] according to this book i read in highschool, it was called Candide
  - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
    No; we live in the world of engineering and business compromises where wishes are not, in fact, horses.
    - bob29 4y ago
      >No You aren't disagreeing with me. The claim is that we live in the best world possible, not the best world imaginable. The compromises you mention are necessary due to the underlying reality of resource scarcity. We may act to change our environment in many ways but can not violate the laws of the universe.
      - b3morales 4y ago
        This expansion just makes the claim into a truism with no useful information. It's the same shape as a No True Scotsman reply.
      - sangnoir 4y ago
        Manufacturer self-interest is not a law of the universe. Manufacturers do what's best for them, and not for some idealized free market. Often,they fail to do what's best for the org in the long term because they comprise humans who mostly care about the short term (bonuses, careers and such). "If better was possible, it would already exist" can be filed under Capitalism Fantasy because it ignores all confounding factors. It also fails to explain why curremt consumer products are getting worse (for the consumer, but more profitable for the producer e.g. TVs, washing machines, fridges)
  - SpicyLemonZest 4y ago
- katbyte 4y ago
  We’ll car companies are making it harder and harder to buy manuals so of course it’s disappearing. Can’t speak to American brands but the Toyota 4Runner stopped making a manual trim 20 years ago and the Tacoma while it has one, only 5% of them produced are manual on limited trims making it really hard for people who want one to actually get it without a lot of effort. How much is it people don’t want it/never learned/car companies reducing trim numbers and cost pushing automatics?
  - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
    Even with performance car enthusiast models, like say the BMW M4, the take rate for the manual is super low. This article ... https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/07/save-manuals-give-bmw-m-cars/ https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/07/save-manuals-give-... ... is from 2015, but says that the M4 couple was 83:17 in favor of the automatic gearbox; and I doubt things have gotten better since then. Automatic gearboxes (whether torque converters, CVT or dual-clutch) have just gotten much better to the point where they're better for both performance and fuel economy. Manual transmissions are much, much harder to integrate with any kind of hybrid system, stop-start system, power-off coasting etc. which help with fuel economy too.
    - cycomanic 4y ago
      > Manual transmissions are much, much harder to integrate with any kind of hybrid system, stop-start system, power-off coasting etc. which help with fuel economy too. Not necessarily disagreeing, but just wanted to say that it certainly is possible. I rented a manual Renault (don't remember the model) a couple of years ago and was surprised how it had a stop-start system power off when coasting system.
    - katbyte 4y ago
      That stat is for America, not Europe, where the stats are reversed: https://blog.getmyparking.com/2020/01/20/why-does-europe-prefer-manual-cars-over-automatic-ones/ https://blog.getmyparking.com/2020/01/20/why-does-europe-pre... But you are right in that as cars electrify manuals will be less and less common. Not to mention emission regulations are pushing manufacturers to only produce autos Manuals are still better in some rare situations imho like off-roading where just not having to worry about trans temps is a win
- salawat 4y ago
  Bullshit. This is a conscious business decision to not accomodate. Wanna know how I know? (Besides experience in tech) Sewing machines. Millions of ladies with sewing machines out there, and harried husbands/partners/neighborhood mechanics/machinists out there that fix the bloody things. Yet, as a fixer thereof, you'll find the older machines are jealously guarded and highly sought after for reliability, stability through heavy loads, and servicibility. And yet... All you have is plastic pieces of crap that warp and miss stitches under load, increasing usage of integrated circuit boards and plastic gearing. A corporation will not optimize for the utility to end user and QoSL (Quality of Service Life). They will optimize for future sales and cheaper production. Literally converging on the worst product people will still pay for. Stop making platitudes that "Oh the economy would accommodate you if only there were more of you!" It is grade A, concentrated, unadulterated, Bull. Fucking. Shit. The business world will wring every last cent they can out of the buyer, while spending the absolute minimum required to "solve" the problem they set out to fix, and arguably, don't. I am Quality Inspector number effing 7. I get into knock down, drag out brawls with management on the crap they expect me to put my seal of approval on for the sake of being there to be sneered at by the by the end user. Enough is e-frigging-nough. Since you brought up automotive. Same damn thing. Can you get cars with open-source, well documented software running on the ECM and BCM? No. Is CANBUS free and open? Nope. Are engine compartments built for anything else than the ability to be assembled by automaton? Nope. Farm tractors and Ag equipment. Same bloody thing. This is all according to plan, because it's the default, and capital decides what the most profitable default is going to be.
chevill 4y ago
Me too, the problem is that for such a thing to exist at scale we have to make the simply awful protoypes that people keep coming up with financially successful. Which means paying as much or more as you would for a cutting edge flagship for a janky mess that uses technology that's several generations behind and hope that it supports our carrier.
nathanvanfleet 4y ago
This reminds me of the people who laughed at the iPhone because the Blackberry had a real keyboard and was the true professional device. Saying you'll pay for something that probably doesn't have many people behind it is not really going to move mountains. Most people care about this sort of stuff for about a minute when their phone breaks which is something like once every few years max.

jt2190 4y ago

> The adhesive they use to bind the screen to the body has gotten consistently tougher over the years... Unless they ditch the adhesive... We talk about this adhesive as if it's easily replaced with some screws, but I wonder if that's really true anymore. I can imagine that as devices and their tolerances get smaller that simply screwing something together might actually make the device a lot more delicate. Do you know if this is the case here?

sva_ 4y ago
The adhesive makes the phone waterproof. I recently replaced my gf's iPhone screen and all I really needed was a hairdryer to heat up the adhesive, a suction cup to pull it off, and a screwdriver. I guess with these tools it'd be safer, but it worked well regardless.
- lisper 4y ago
  > The adhesive makes the phone waterproof. So would a rubber o-ring.
  - greenglass 4y ago
    O-rings are known to fail.
    - lisper 4y ago
      O-rings are the standard seal technology in waterproof watches, and also in scuba diving equipment where lives literally depend on them. They are actually extraordinarily reliable.
      - mynameisvlad 4y ago
        But at the same time, a diver is trained to look for leaks as part of their pre-divw checklist, and oring replacements are fairly common. On my last liveaboard, the crew replaced probably good 1-2 dozen tank orings over the course of a week. One of my LP hose orings had frayed as well and needed to be replaced. It might be the standard, but it's not exactly the best experience either.

Kiboneu 4y ago

I've repaired / modded non-iphones that bind display / covers with adhesive. Both broke them in various ways the process and saved them later. Using screwdrivers to pry will very likely crack the screen and if that's the only tool available, one ought to wait on repairs the right tools are available. Using a screwdriver would otherwise introduce scratches / chips in the areas you'd insert / slide it through. One has to use a material that's softer than the contact material and non-abrasive. It also requires a lot of patience, but it pays off. I don't really know if that's knowledge someone can get in under 30 minutes of internet research, but if it is, I don't expect that onus to fall on a manufacturer.