7 ms·

Apple’s Official Technician Guide Leaked for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S

101 points by cydiaism 14y ago

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
evan_ 14y ago
I like the big metal jig with a pressure roller for pressing the battery into place (page 141). It's also interesting that they suggest using the calculator app for testing the screen, since it's wall-to-wall buttons.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
misnome 14y ago
This doesn't exactly seem useful. I was expecting a guide to repairing/identifying issues. The one problem I had on my old iPhone 4 - the Home button not responding (a problem a lot of people seem to have), the end of the flow was "Determine if the issue is caused by accidental damage.", and mostly consisted of instructions on wiping the phone. I'm assuming this is a store "Genius" guide, and not for actual technicians.
- mbreedlove 14y ago
  If your're curious about the power button on your old iPhone, here is an image of the flex cable: http://phonedoctors.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5133.jpg http://phonedoctors.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5133.jpg The top left piece is what is pressed by the external power button. The small black dot is raised, and wears down over time, eventually failing to make contact with the external button. The cable just needs to be replaced and can be found online for ~$5.
- Evbn 14y ago
  Welcome to the assembly-line disposable products world.
  - jodrellblank 14y ago
    Just like the previous complex organic disposable system world. The bit in the middle where we make things out of a few dozen pieces of human sized metal is the aberration.
    - hyperbovine 14y ago
      Go on...
    - sliverstorm 14y ago
      Are you talking about pack animals and the like...? I think your parent was talking about recent-ish times wherein tools and things were made custom, serviced and maintained by the owners or the local smithy or carpenter.
- cydiaism 14y ago
  There are also some Apple's video tutorials leaked by Sonny Dickson for iPhone 4 Repair; http://cydiaism.com/watch-leaked-official-iphone-4-repair-videos/ http://cydiaism.com/watch-leaked-official-iphone-4-repair-vi...
- dereg 14y ago
  The home button problem is fairly common and it is usually due to gunk/corrosion hampering the underlying connections. There's an easy, tool-free fix: Liberally spray the home button with some Deoxit [which can be found at a RadioShack or on Amazon]. Then press the home button several times to ensure that the solution fully saturates the underlying connection. Wipe off the excess and let your phone sit for a while. Your home button should work wonderfully after that.
  - wr1472 14y ago
    My 2 week old iPhone 5 had the same problem - home button never worked properly from day one. As this was my first Apple purchase it took me that long to validate that this wasn't normal behaviour after comparing with other iPhone 5s. At the Apple store they just replaced it without any questions.
  - LinaLauneBaer 14y ago
    A little bit OT but if you have an iPad you can enable additional gestures in the settings. This allows you to switch from one app to another app by swiping with four fingers across the screen and it allows you to go back to the home screen by pinching five fingers together. This allows you to still use the iPad even with a broken home button.
- jesseendahl 14y ago
  FYI, the Apple Store Geniuses are actual technicians and do most repairs in-store.
  - samstave 14y ago
    I have yet to meet one worthy of the moniker.
  - wilhil 14y ago
    Never! I have had 2 problems with my Ipad, 3 with Iphone - 3 times they just couldn't help and rang someone else for advice and on the other 2 times, they just replaced the device on the spot. (backlight flickering Ipad and I can't remember what was wrong now with Iphone, but IMHO, easily repairable with the right parts).
    - TillE 14y ago
      Swapping a broken device for one that's already been repaired is far more efficient, isn't it? Except for some cosmetic wear and tear, they're all identical. You don't have to wait, they don't have to worry about giving you back "your" specific device after it's been repaired. They can just wipe the data and put it on the pile of refurbs.
- scaphandre 14y ago
  I had also have a slightly unresponsive home button, on an iPhone 4. Try running the Apple Calc app, then hold the power button until the 'slide to power off' prompt appears and then let go and hold the home button gently until the calculator app force-closes. A previous reddit thread advised that procedure, apparently to trigger some 'recalibration'. It's possible it's placebo effect, but it appears to have slightly helped for my home button. http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-recalibrate-iphone-home-button-to-make-it-more-responsive/ http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-recalibrate-iphone-home-but...
  - WalterBright 14y ago
    I can attest that using denatured alcohol, which I use for cleaning lenses and scanners, will destroy your ipod.
  - mikeash 14y ago
    It works even better if you do it while hanging upside down and while your spouse or significant other sacrifices a live chicken. Seriously, it's a physical switch. There's no "calibration". "Recalibrate" a physical switch by doing some magic ritual in the Calculator app? If you believe that worked, I have some really high-quality HDMI and SATA cables you might be interested in purchasing, for very reasonable prices.
    - st3fan 14y ago
      Here is a theory. Switches, specially push buttons, need debouncing in software. If a switch has problems then the characteristics of the debounce might change. Which could possibly be fixed by recalibrating. (Not by holding a switch down of course, you would need to push and release the switch many times to see a debouncing change)
      - mikeash 14y ago
        Poor debouncing could conceivably cause a single push to register as two, or vice versa, but it's not going to cause a push to fail to register at all, which is part of every complaint I've heard so far. I also see no reason that debouncing would require calibration. Basic debouncing just ignores any additional events that occur within a set period. That would just be set at the factory. There's a huge gulf between the timeframe of multiple events occurring due to switch mechanicals and the timeframe of legitimate ones. Finally, the idea that somehow the Calculator app triggers a secret magic calibration step is just absurd. Even if you can somehow swallow the idea of software calibration of a simple mechanical switch, that detail makes it clear that this is nonsense.
bobbles 14y ago
I can't believe Apple still hasnt responded to this issue on the iPhone4S: https://discussions.apple.com/message/19619592#19619592 https://discussions.apple.com/message/19619592#19619592 It's approaching 470,000 views and not one real response from them.
- kmfrk 14y ago
  Wow, you weren't kidding. September 2012 and still going strong.
- darkchasma 14y ago
  Does apple respond to questions in it's forums?
  - Samuel_Michon 14y ago
    From the forum main page: "Join the conversation. Share tips and solutions with fellow Apple product users from all around the world." So, no. If you have an iPhone 4S and your WiFi doesn't work after a software update, DON'T follow the instructions in that discussion thread. There's some really bad advice in there, like putting your phone in an oven or a freezer. Instead, make a tethered backup, then contact Apple to get your phone repaired or replaced.
    - clicks 14y ago
      > [...] then contact Apple to get your phone repaired or replaced. You can only get your iPhone repaired or replaced without paying if you bought AppleCare.
      - czhiddy 14y ago
        Or you could use the one-year warranty.
      - notimetorelax 14y ago
        That's strange, what about normal warranty? I had my iPhone replaced twice without buying AppleCare. But I'm in Europe.
cvursache 14y ago
Reading the document kind of felt like being a journalist with a piece of highly secret leaked government data in his hands.
mxms 14y ago
I've seen this problem many times, and I've always fixed it by plugging the device into iTunes and there's been a button that literally says "Enable WiFi on this device".
- nickheer 14y ago
  I'm not sure which issue you're referring to, but that checkbox is to enable WiFi syncing with iTunes.
sergiotapia 14y ago
>Users can download Leaked Apple’s Official Technician Guide for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S before it disappears from the internet. Yeah...no. Nothing ever dissapears from the internet. It's like taking piss out of a swimming pool.
- pbhjpbhj 14y ago
  That's what I thought; but then the links didn't work. Looks like one has to actually make an effort to track down where it's at. I'm sure it'll be on wikileaks or TPB or somesuch.
  - MJR 14y ago
    They were uploaded to Scribd, so if you're on a Mac you can choose the print option and then open it in Preview as a PDF or save it directly as a PDF right from the Scribd preview on the page. I had trouble using this method with Chrome, but Safari worked fine.
- simonebrunozzi 14y ago
  This is an amazing methaphor. :)
thomaslutz 14y ago
Mirror anyone? Already down.
- cydiaism 14y ago
  http://evasi0nblog.com/download-leaked-apples-official-technician-guide-for-the-iphone-4-iphone-4s/ http://evasi0nblog.com/download-leaked-apples-official-techn...
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - thomaslutz 14y ago
    Downloadlink there does not work for me: AccessDeniedRequest has expired
- MJR 14y ago
  They were uploaded to Scribd, so if you're on a Mac you can choose the print option and then open it in Preview as a PDF or save it directly as a PDF right from the Scribd preview on the page. I had trouble using this method with Chrome, but Safari worked fine.
  - thomaslutz 14y ago
    Link to Scribd?
    - Samuel_Michon 14y ago
      The original source still works fine: http://sonnydickson.com/apple-technician-guide http://sonnydickson.com/apple-technician-guide
- tzury 14y ago
  This S3 is set with signed URLS. You should use the signed one to get them. iPhone http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/temp-2013-02-16/hkxIjnkylljatadqzmskgerznHeEJGBCrqvylCgaoEvIjJqsCpBseefpkCBp/Apple_Technician_Guide_-_iPhone_4.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJFZAE65UYRT34AOQ&Expires=1361076854&Signature=SmbzBcEhpooWHV28FaBg67wqQtk%3D http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/temp-2013-02-16/... MacBook http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/temp-2013-02-16/pfmutjasdBsEFdEIkskJGovudjinudhxsIGDjspFkqqHiBvyiBsqapjsohGs/newmbp15.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJFZAE65UYRT34AOQ&Expires=1361076895&Signature=UPuenLcHSiqVW0GGE2zNNKSVYpg%3D http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/temp-2013-02-16/...
dsl 14y ago
This is a newer version of the guide that lacks the "Visual Mechanical Inspection Guide." (it was broken out into a separate document) Basically the step by step guide used to determine if something is the users fault or covered under warranty (i.e. are the moisture sensors tripped).
antsam 14y ago
"Make them buy a new iPhone."
filleokus 14y ago
Apple don't do any actual service on iPhones, iPads or iPods. They are replaced with a "replacement unit" which can be a brand new one of the production line (which is likley in the beginning of the product cycle) or a unit with a new battery and new consumer facing parts (casing, screen, buttons, etc). The old unit is then recycled, either for parts or materials. So this is the actual guides for Apple Technicians, but they are not exactly so useful since all hardware related issues is always resolved by replacing the unit. The Macbook Pro repair guide can be of some use though. But on the other hand, iFixit will probably give you the same or more information.

101 points by cydiaism 14y ago

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

evan_ 14y ago

I like the big metal jig with a pressure roller for pressing the battery into place (page 141). It's also interesting that they suggest using the calculator app for testing the screen, since it's wall-to-wall buttons.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

misnome 14y ago

This doesn't exactly seem useful. I was expecting a guide to repairing/identifying issues. The one problem I had on my old iPhone 4 - the Home button not responding (a problem a lot of people seem to have), the end of the flow was "Determine if the issue is caused by accidental damage.", and mostly consisted of instructions on wiping the phone. I'm assuming this is a store "Genius" guide, and not for actual technicians.

mbreedlove 14y ago
If your're curious about the power button on your old iPhone, here is an image of the flex cable: http://phonedoctors.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5133.jpg http://phonedoctors.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5133.jpg The top left piece is what is pressed by the external power button. The small black dot is raised, and wears down over time, eventually failing to make contact with the external button. The cable just needs to be replaced and can be found online for ~$5.
Evbn 14y ago
Welcome to the assembly-line disposable products world.
- jodrellblank 14y ago
  Just like the previous complex organic disposable system world. The bit in the middle where we make things out of a few dozen pieces of human sized metal is the aberration.
  - hyperbovine 14y ago
    Go on...
  - sliverstorm 14y ago
    Are you talking about pack animals and the like...? I think your parent was talking about recent-ish times wherein tools and things were made custom, serviced and maintained by the owners or the local smithy or carpenter.
cydiaism 14y ago
There are also some Apple's video tutorials leaked by Sonny Dickson for iPhone 4 Repair; http://cydiaism.com/watch-leaked-official-iphone-4-repair-videos/ http://cydiaism.com/watch-leaked-official-iphone-4-repair-vi...
dereg 14y ago
The home button problem is fairly common and it is usually due to gunk/corrosion hampering the underlying connections. There's an easy, tool-free fix: Liberally spray the home button with some Deoxit [which can be found at a RadioShack or on Amazon]. Then press the home button several times to ensure that the solution fully saturates the underlying connection. Wipe off the excess and let your phone sit for a while. Your home button should work wonderfully after that.
- wr1472 14y ago
  My 2 week old iPhone 5 had the same problem - home button never worked properly from day one. As this was my first Apple purchase it took me that long to validate that this wasn't normal behaviour after comparing with other iPhone 5s. At the Apple store they just replaced it without any questions.
- LinaLauneBaer 14y ago
  A little bit OT but if you have an iPad you can enable additional gestures in the settings. This allows you to switch from one app to another app by swiping with four fingers across the screen and it allows you to go back to the home screen by pinching five fingers together. This allows you to still use the iPad even with a broken home button.
jesseendahl 14y ago
FYI, the Apple Store Geniuses are actual technicians and do most repairs in-store.
- samstave 14y ago
  I have yet to meet one worthy of the moniker.
- wilhil 14y ago
  Never! I have had 2 problems with my Ipad, 3 with Iphone - 3 times they just couldn't help and rang someone else for advice and on the other 2 times, they just replaced the device on the spot. (backlight flickering Ipad and I can't remember what was wrong now with Iphone, but IMHO, easily repairable with the right parts).
  - TillE 14y ago
    Swapping a broken device for one that's already been repaired is far more efficient, isn't it? Except for some cosmetic wear and tear, they're all identical. You don't have to wait, they don't have to worry about giving you back "your" specific device after it's been repaired. They can just wipe the data and put it on the pile of refurbs.
scaphandre 14y ago
I had also have a slightly unresponsive home button, on an iPhone 4. Try running the Apple Calc app, then hold the power button until the 'slide to power off' prompt appears and then let go and hold the home button gently until the calculator app force-closes. A previous reddit thread advised that procedure, apparently to trigger some 'recalibration'. It's possible it's placebo effect, but it appears to have slightly helped for my home button. http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-recalibrate-iphone-home-button-to-make-it-more-responsive/ http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-recalibrate-iphone-home-but...
- WalterBright 14y ago
  I can attest that using denatured alcohol, which I use for cleaning lenses and scanners, will destroy your ipod.
- mikeash 14y ago
  It works even better if you do it while hanging upside down and while your spouse or significant other sacrifices a live chicken. Seriously, it's a physical switch. There's no "calibration". "Recalibrate" a physical switch by doing some magic ritual in the Calculator app? If you believe that worked, I have some really high-quality HDMI and SATA cables you might be interested in purchasing, for very reasonable prices.
  - st3fan 14y ago
    Here is a theory. Switches, specially push buttons, need debouncing in software. If a switch has problems then the characteristics of the debounce might change. Which could possibly be fixed by recalibrating. (Not by holding a switch down of course, you would need to push and release the switch many times to see a debouncing change)
    - mikeash 14y ago
      Poor debouncing could conceivably cause a single push to register as two, or vice versa, but it's not going to cause a push to fail to register at all, which is part of every complaint I've heard so far. I also see no reason that debouncing would require calibration. Basic debouncing just ignores any additional events that occur within a set period. That would just be set at the factory. There's a huge gulf between the timeframe of multiple events occurring due to switch mechanicals and the timeframe of legitimate ones. Finally, the idea that somehow the Calculator app triggers a secret magic calibration step is just absurd. Even if you can somehow swallow the idea of software calibration of a simple mechanical switch, that detail makes it clear that this is nonsense.

bobbles 14y ago

I can't believe Apple still hasnt responded to this issue on the iPhone4S: https://discussions.apple.com/message/19619592#19619592 https://discussions.apple.com/message/19619592#19619592 It's approaching 470,000 views and not one real response from them.

kmfrk 14y ago
Wow, you weren't kidding. September 2012 and still going strong.
darkchasma 14y ago
Does apple respond to questions in it's forums?
- Samuel_Michon 14y ago
  From the forum main page: "Join the conversation. Share tips and solutions with fellow Apple product users from all around the world." So, no. If you have an iPhone 4S and your WiFi doesn't work after a software update, DON'T follow the instructions in that discussion thread. There's some really bad advice in there, like putting your phone in an oven or a freezer. Instead, make a tethered backup, then contact Apple to get your phone repaired or replaced.
  - clicks 14y ago
    > [...] then contact Apple to get your phone repaired or replaced. You can only get your iPhone repaired or replaced without paying if you bought AppleCare.
    - czhiddy 14y ago
      Or you could use the one-year warranty.
    - notimetorelax 14y ago
      That's strange, what about normal warranty? I had my iPhone replaced twice without buying AppleCare. But I'm in Europe.

cvursache 14y ago

Reading the document kind of felt like being a journalist with a piece of highly secret leaked government data in his hands.

mxms 14y ago

I've seen this problem many times, and I've always fixed it by plugging the device into iTunes and there's been a button that literally says "Enable WiFi on this device".

nickheer 14y ago
I'm not sure which issue you're referring to, but that checkbox is to enable WiFi syncing with iTunes.

sergiotapia 14y ago

>Users can download Leaked Apple’s Official Technician Guide for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S before it disappears from the internet. Yeah...no. Nothing ever dissapears from the internet. It's like taking piss out of a swimming pool.

pbhjpbhj 14y ago
That's what I thought; but then the links didn't work. Looks like one has to actually make an effort to track down where it's at. I'm sure it'll be on wikileaks or TPB or somesuch.
- MJR 14y ago
  They were uploaded to Scribd, so if you're on a Mac you can choose the print option and then open it in Preview as a PDF or save it directly as a PDF right from the Scribd preview on the page. I had trouble using this method with Chrome, but Safari worked fine.
simonebrunozzi 14y ago
This is an amazing methaphor. :)

thomaslutz 14y ago

Mirror anyone? Already down.

cydiaism 14y ago
http://evasi0nblog.com/download-leaked-apples-official-technician-guide-for-the-iphone-4-iphone-4s/ http://evasi0nblog.com/download-leaked-apples-official-techn...
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- thomaslutz 14y ago
  Downloadlink there does not work for me: AccessDeniedRequest has expired
MJR 14y ago
They were uploaded to Scribd, so if you're on a Mac you can choose the print option and then open it in Preview as a PDF or save it directly as a PDF right from the Scribd preview on the page. I had trouble using this method with Chrome, but Safari worked fine.
- thomaslutz 14y ago
  Link to Scribd?
  - Samuel_Michon 14y ago
    The original source still works fine: http://sonnydickson.com/apple-technician-guide http://sonnydickson.com/apple-technician-guide
tzury 14y ago
This S3 is set with signed URLS. You should use the signed one to get them. iPhone http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/temp-2013-02-16/hkxIjnkylljatadqzmskgerznHeEJGBCrqvylCgaoEvIjJqsCpBseefpkCBp/Apple_Technician_Guide_-_iPhone_4.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJFZAE65UYRT34AOQ&Expires=1361076854&Signature=SmbzBcEhpooWHV28FaBg67wqQtk%3D http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/temp-2013-02-16/... MacBook http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/temp-2013-02-16/pfmutjasdBsEFdEIkskJGovudjinudhxsIGDjspFkqqHiBvyiBsqapjsohGs/newmbp15.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJFZAE65UYRT34AOQ&Expires=1361076895&Signature=UPuenLcHSiqVW0GGE2zNNKSVYpg%3D http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/temp-2013-02-16/...

dsl 14y ago

This is a newer version of the guide that lacks the "Visual Mechanical Inspection Guide." (it was broken out into a separate document) Basically the step by step guide used to determine if something is the users fault or covered under warranty (i.e. are the moisture sensors tripped).

antsam 14y ago

"Make them buy a new iPhone."

filleokus 14y ago

Apple don't do any actual service on iPhones, iPads or iPods. They are replaced with a "replacement unit" which can be a brand new one of the production line (which is likley in the beginning of the product cycle) or a unit with a new battery and new consumer facing parts (casing, screen, buttons, etc). The old unit is then recycled, either for parts or materials. So this is the actual guides for Apple Technicians, but they are not exactly so useful since all hardware related issues is always resolved by replacing the unit. The Macbook Pro repair guide can be of some use though. But on the other hand, iFixit will probably give you the same or more information.