This isn't an Apple-sponsored educational exercise. It's a consumer-facing program where they are sharing some of the parts, instructions, and components they use for repairs. While I think Apple should share repair information, I don't think it is a reasonable expectation for them to provide information on repairs that they don't even do.
We don't expect this level of detail from any other industry, even when they are required by law to provide repair information. Toyota doesn't give information on how to weld damaged engine parts, even if it's a technically feasible repair. They don't do this repair themselves, they replace it, so how would they be expected to provide this level of detail?
You don't have access to Apple-supplied parts and especially don't have access to Apple-supplied training. Even if Apple did make this publicly available, the overwhelming majority of people are not remotely qualified to follow along, and making this available to end users just ensures that people will damage their own devices.
If you want to risk damaging your device, that's fine, but it just doesn't make sense to demand that Apple then turn around and provide warranty service to a phone that was damaged by an unqualified user opening up their device and mucking with it.
Apple should support a phone after a third-party repair if the third party uses Apple parts and is qualified to do so using Apple training materials. The alternative is that Apple should be on the hook for providing at-cost first-party repair within a reasonable distance of their entire customer base around the entire world, but Apple doesn't seem to want to operate enough stores to adequately service the repair needs of all of their customers.
>They most definitely are not available to the public. For example, all the Apple documentation on board layouts are literally stolen and smuggled out.
And yet
>Experts, however, say Apple's and CompTIA's warnings are far overblown. People with no special training regularly replace the batteries or cracked screens in their iPhones, and there are thousands of small, independent repair companies that regularly fix iPhones without incident.
This article wants to have it both ways. "Apple should release documentation because repair people need it" and "People repair their stuff all the time without incident."
A better argument would be actually to take Apple's side on the "safety" issue and say, "People are already trying to repair their stuff because your OEM repairs are too expensive, so you ought to provide them with docs/parts"
>extremely specialised tools which ensure every repair is perfect with little room for any human error.
I'm not sure I see the problem. Apple is saying that this is the "right" way to do the repair. Alternatively, you can have them do it. You can also, although Apple won't endorse it, take it to a third-party, order a kit from iFixit, or otherwise do it yourself.
Ford will also not endorse doing repairs yourself, using an independent mechanic, using parts from a junkyard, etc. but they don't generally prevent you from doing so.
This program is not for repair shops. Apple not producing repair procedures for component-level repairs does make it impossible for them to share those procedures... because they don't have them to share.
This would be an acceptable intermediate step, but it still keeps around the need to ask Apple, which seems ethically wrong. They should have no say in whether people can repair their devices.
The basis of your argument is that repair is too complicated and requires extremely specific and specialized training. Repairing a phone isn't more complicated than repairing a car (I'd argue a car is harder to repair). So unless you think otherwise AND you think that it is so complicated that only Apple can teach it, then your argument doesn't hold. If people CAN learn the skill of repair (seriously, give me a good reason why they can't) then it doesn't make sense for Apple to require authorized repairs (assuming they value repair over replacement). That doesn't mean they can't have certified repair (just like cars do), but the issue here is of force. All this forcing does is create anti-competitiveness and harm the market as a whole (though it probably helps Apple. But that's what anti-competitive behavior generally does. Just doesn't benefit the consumer).
Apple independent repair is a PR stunt that is not at all about repair. It's apart of their fight to not provide repair while looking like they do so various governments won't regulate them.
If we always had to buy OEM dealer parts and only dealer 'certified techs' could repair, then only the rich can afford vehicles.
It's not especially shocking that the people doing repairs are the people talking about repairability.
And you're taking it from the perspective of someone buying a new device from Apple who doesn't care about anybody else. Consider the perspective of a low income person who would otherwise buy a refurbished phone which will now be unavailable or more expensive, or the environmental perspective of having to manufacture new phones (future landfill) instead of reusing what already exists. If we care about other people then we should care about the consequences of what Apple is doing here.
I don’t know. It might be better if Apple controls the repair process. The reason is that my iPhone 11 stores a great deal of information including my Apple Card. I don’t want any of that info getting out into the wild. In addition, the latest cellphones are very complex. The latest iPhone used a 3D circuit board! Who has knowledge and skill to work on that? Look I’m all for people trying to make a living repairing stuff but the cellphone might be an item that falls outside the mean.
I don't understand what point you're trying to make. What you're saying only strengthens my original point about Apple monopolizing repair.
My interests as a consumer and those of "people who make money out of repair" are almost completely aligned -- I want them to (be able to) work on my device in the event that I don't have the tools, skills or patience to do the repair myself.
If Apple doesn't want crap parts being used by repair shops they should sell the parts in the open market, regardless of the shop being in a "repair program", like every car manufacturer does
Ah. I assume that the person wanted the repairs done by Apple so that it stayed under Apple Care or at the very least for the same reasons that people tend to go to the dealership mechanics for repairs on their cars.
Why would anyone expect the self service process setup by Apple to be anything other than the same processes they have for their own repair people though? I don’t expect a car manufacturer to release parts and instructions they wouldn’t have their own service people follow. It’s reasonable to debate the merits of having the battery tied to the top case on the whole, but if it’s what Apple directs their own repair personnel to do, that’s what I would expect their self service to do too.
But you are allowed to do this right now. There is nothing stopping you from attempting to repair your own device. Why should Apple be required to make replacement parts available and manuals available to you at no cost, though? That doesn't seem pro-consumer or fair to Apple.
A lot of it isn't even about changing their design (which is terrible in terms of repairability), but basic ethics. Apple actively prohibits third party repair, as-if they own the device I paid full price on. I couldn't imagine being forced to only service my car with a particular dealership. I prefer being able to change the oil myself or having the option of going to the local mechanic.
The issue is that Apple isn’t giving anyone access to the tools to pair the parts, unless you give them all the information in advance, buy them at possibly inflated prices through their self repair program if they’re even available, and then have Apple remotely approve it afterwards (and this process only really works for individuals, 3rd party repair is more important as most people don’t have the skill)
I'm all for pushing for more right-to-repair, but I'm not sure pushing for facilitating component level repair that require soldering is the right way to go.
Those kinds of repairs are incredibly difficult (I've done some myself). There are very few people I would trust to do it right, and it's hard to know which repair shop to trust. If Apple put out manuals and components for those kinds of repairs, I can imagine the number of botched repairs skyrocketing, and the resale value of the phones diminishing significantly.
I think there's a balance to strike: you want easy repairs to keep phones going for a long time, but you also want people buying used phones to not worry about getting a frankensteined phone that will last 2 weeks before dying. Only by having high trust in the second hand market do you actually get phones that get used for years and years rather than staying in a drawer or getting trashed when people buy new ones.
I would even support having ID-tags on all components and having them bound to the phone, as long as anyone can buy original replaceable components from Apple at a fair price, and that anyone can do the binding procedure themselves.. including moving components from one phone to another. You should be able to see the history of all the components in the phone, so you have some idea if a third party repair shop just moved an ID chip from an old original battery to a new unoriginal one, or used a really old original battery.
I've experienced several times that screens and batteries you get at third party repair shops die/break much faster than the ones that come with the phone. Why is that? Is it really better to use brand new electronics that will be trash in a few months, just to extend the life a bit?
If you're going to replace the battery and screen, you better be damn sure that the phones lasts 2-3 years or more, because you're buying brand new parts, constituting a large fraction of the rare and expensive materials used by the phone.. so it's not that much better than just buying an entirely new phone where all components could easily last 5 years if you treat them well.
I was wrong, parent comment is correct. Program is priced to be more expensive and less convenient than taking it to an Apple Store or buying/upgrading to a new phone.
this is why right to repair needs to exist. apple is just paying a lip service right now.
We don't expect this level of detail from any other industry, even when they are required by law to provide repair information. Toyota doesn't give information on how to weld damaged engine parts, even if it's a technically feasible repair. They don't do this repair themselves, they replace it, so how would they be expected to provide this level of detail?
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