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Apple started offering home repair kits for iPhone this year, but they’re super difficult to use: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/technology/personaltech/a h

Apple started offering home repair kits for iPhone this year, but they’re super difficult to use: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/technology/personaltech/a https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/technology/personaltech/a... There’s speculation that offering the kits is an attempt to head off right-to-repair legislation. This comment, and those like it, are proof to me that there’s a large contingent of folks who don’t actually care about the repairability of iPhones, they just want to take shots at BigCos. So it’s not enough that Apple is doing what y’all asked for. It has to be for the right reasons, too. Anything less than ideological purity —- to be defined and re-defined endlessly —- no sale. That’s a fine take in itself, but I’d wish we could dispense with the disingenuousness once and for all.

smoldesu 4y ago
FWIW, Apple didn't actually address any of the problems their real critics (eg. third-party repair shops) espoused. The redesign in the linked article will only benefit Apple until they walk-back their asinine hardware-DRM (and ostensibly, their grip on OEM components).
- sfvegandude 4y ago
  What is the negative impact to users of the hardware DRM? I am only familiar with a dialogue box that warns users that a specific part might not be authentic. I have also read about issues with those parts not performing correctly with software updates. Are there instances of DRM’d hardware being totally unsupported, or just not available at all? If so, what parts?
  - _V_ 4y ago
    For example swapped LCD will disable truetone and in iPhone 14 reportedly auto brightness. Battery will lock out "battery health". Rear facing camera will glitch out (I think it will not do video and it will reduce framerate dramatically) and front camera will not work correctly at all. All accompanied with constant nagging about non-genuine parts - regardless if you use parts from another iPhone (100% genuine).
    - jquery 4y ago
      It’s just “find my iPhone” extended to individual parts to reduce theft. If you own the other iPhone you will have no problem getting rid of the “unauthorized parts” screen. Reducing iPhone theft is an extremely worthy goal, especially for people who live in high theft countries.
      - _V_ 4y ago
        Well, I can turn Find My off. I cannot reset this crap. Also it makes zero difference in stealing an iPhone as even iCloud locked iPhone is easily useable for parts. So no, it is not like that at all.
        jquery 4y ago
        A stolen iPhone is less usable for parts if they show “unauthorized hardware” warnings when installed, no? Consumers don’t want to see warnings like that.

smoldesu 4y ago

FWIW, Apple didn't actually address any of the problems their real critics (eg. third-party repair shops) espoused. The redesign in the linked article will only benefit Apple until they walk-back their asinine hardware-DRM (and ostensibly, their grip on OEM components).

sfvegandude 4y ago
What is the negative impact to users of the hardware DRM? I am only familiar with a dialogue box that warns users that a specific part might not be authentic. I have also read about issues with those parts not performing correctly with software updates. Are there instances of DRM’d hardware being totally unsupported, or just not available at all? If so, what parts?
- _V_ 4y ago
  For example swapped LCD will disable truetone and in iPhone 14 reportedly auto brightness. Battery will lock out "battery health". Rear facing camera will glitch out (I think it will not do video and it will reduce framerate dramatically) and front camera will not work correctly at all. All accompanied with constant nagging about non-genuine parts - regardless if you use parts from another iPhone (100% genuine).
  - jquery 4y ago
    It’s just “find my iPhone” extended to individual parts to reduce theft. If you own the other iPhone you will have no problem getting rid of the “unauthorized parts” screen. Reducing iPhone theft is an extremely worthy goal, especially for people who live in high theft countries.
    - _V_ 4y ago
      Well, I can turn Find My off. I cannot reset this crap. Also it makes zero difference in stealing an iPhone as even iCloud locked iPhone is easily useable for parts. So no, it is not like that at all.
      - jquery 4y ago
        A stolen iPhone is less usable for parts if they show “unauthorized hardware” warnings when installed, no? Consumers don’t want to see warnings like that.