former Apple Genius here. this is NUTS. nobody in their right mind is going to do this when there are easier, less-expensive routes. I don’t believe Apple has gone out of their way to complicate DIY repairs, it’s just a complex process because the devices themselves are complex, a fact all the self-repair advocates conveniently overlook.
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
When you understand that the right-to-repair advocates won’t be satisfied with anything less than a complete redesign of the iPhone you know why they are still upset. They literally want snap-apart enclosures with gaskets instead of adhesives, standard Phillips screws, snap-in batteries, third party parts, no special tools required. Go to some of the right-to-repair websites and you’ll see what they want.
On an anecdotal note I wanted to replace the light bulb in my microwave oven some years ago. When taking apart the enclosure I discovered one of the screws was a non-standard pentium head. It became clear the manufacturer didn’t want the user anywhere near the magnetron tube. There were warnings all over that there were no user serviceable parts inside.
This is exactly what these people want. They want Apple to design all Apple products as completely modular with everything imaginable replaceable. They will fight everything possible until they get this. I just don't get these people TBH.
I just want a company not to go out of their way to make things more difficult to repair when it doesn’t have to be. It’s not black or white. In engineering there are always trade offs. I have no issue with something being more complicated if there is a valid engineering reason made by the engineers to make it that way. But when it is arbitrary and capricious decision made by others that is a different matter.
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
When you understand that the right-to-repair advocates won’t be satisfied with anything less than a complete redesign of the iPhone you know why they are still upset. They literally want snap-apart enclosures with gaskets instead of adhesives, standard Phillips screws, snap-in batteries, third party parts, no special tools required. Go to some of the right-to-repair websites and you’ll see what they want.
On an anecdotal note I wanted to replace the light bulb in my microwave oven some years ago. When taking apart the enclosure I discovered one of the screws was a non-standard pentium head. It became clear the manufacturer didn’t want the user anywhere near the magnetron tube. There were warnings all over that there were no user serviceable parts inside.
This is exactly what these people want. They want Apple to design all Apple products as completely modular with everything imaginable replaceable. They will fight everything possible until they get this. I just don't get these people TBH.
I just want a company not to go out of their way to make things more difficult to repair when it doesn’t have to be. It’s not black or white. In engineering there are always trade offs. I have no issue with something being more complicated if there is a valid engineering reason made by the engineers to make it that way. But when it is arbitrary and capricious decision made by others that is a different matter.
I'm curious what you think is a random choice or personal whim by Apple, rather than any reason or systematic approach?
Interesting that the screen and battery replacements aren’t really worth doing yourself, it’s barely cheaper than getting Apple to do it, while some of the less common repairs are much more cost effective.
As an actual DIY'er, i do not understand why this "scares" people.
Whether it is my phone, computer, tv, dryer, clothes washer, dishwasher, car, motorcycle, bicycle & so on, i want to be able to diagnose & repair. I enjoy it, learn from it & it provides me a sense of satisfaction to continue using devices that failed only on a single component level.
I have never had issues with Apple products post repair - batteries, screens, hard drives - tools exist now to repair & replace, but it is nice to have access to the OEM versions.
Honestly, the clothes dryers are the worst - a $10 roller or a $15 heating element fails & their answer is "buy a new one".
I actually repaired my gas dryer fairly recently when “somebody” attempted to dry a sofa cushion in it. It was fairly easy to diagnose as a blown fusible link, which turned out to be an easy but very awkward fix. When I walked into the parts store the clerk saw me carrying the blown link, reached under the cash register, and handed me a new one. Must be a high failure rate part.
I also enjoy fixing things myself but it’s very obvious to me that certain products really aren’t designed to be repaired without employing extraordinary effort. This includes the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and iMac.
I can easily understand why this is the case with portable products whose design imperatives are minimizing volume without sacrificing performance or functionality. But I really do not understand why the iMac needs to be so compact and difficult to repair other than to satisfy the whims of its designers.
All systems require trade offs between multiple competing concerns to meet the prioritized list of use cases the system must deliver. One such concern is repairability. It’s apparent that repairability is low on the list of concerns for certain Apple products. When it comes to the iPhone and iPad I’m okay with that because I want the functionality and don’t want to carry around a brick in my pocket. When comes to other Apple products like iMac I’m not convinced that repairability should be as low on the list as it is.
The bottom line is that Apple is the product designer and gets to choose what’s important from their perspective. As a prospective buyer I get to choose what’s important from my perspective. If our perspectives don’t intersect then I choose a different product. The whole notion that buyers or buyer agents/advocates think that they can demand that a product designer kowtow to the buyer’s wishes on discretionary aspects of product design or else face legal ramifications is patently absurd. Of course this doesn’t keep nanny overseers from trying to do it anyway.
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
When you understand that the right-to-repair advocates won’t be satisfied with anything less than a complete redesign of the iPhone you know why they are still upset. They literally want snap-apart enclosures with gaskets instead of adhesives, standard Phillips screws, snap-in batteries, third party parts, no special tools required. Go to some of the right-to-repair websites and you’ll see what they want.
On an anecdotal note I wanted to replace the light bulb in my microwave oven some years ago. When taking apart the enclosure I discovered one of the screws was a non-standard pentium head. It became clear the manufacturer didn’t want the user anywhere near the magnetron tube. There were warnings all over that there were no user serviceable parts inside.
This is exactly what these people want. They want Apple to design all Apple products as completely modular with everything imaginable replaceable. They will fight everything possible until they get this. I just don't get these people TBH.
I just want a company not to go out of their way to make things more difficult to repair when it doesn’t have to be. It’s not black or white. In engineering there are always trade offs. I have no issue with something being more complicated if there is a valid engineering reason made by the engineers to make it that way. But when it is arbitrary and capricious decision made by others that is a different matter.
I'm curious what you think is a random choice or personal whim by Apple, rather than any reason or systematic approach?
I would have to consider them on a case by case basis. But I will mention one I saw when looking at Samsung’s self repair instructions on iFixit. Why do they need to use adhesive to mount the battery that then requires a copious amount of solvent to remove for replacement? Are they incapable of designing a kinematic mount?
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
When you understand that the right-to-repair advocates won’t be satisfied with anything less than a complete redesign of the iPhone you know why they are still upset. They literally want snap-apart enclosures with gaskets instead of adhesives, standard Phillips screws, snap-in batteries, third party parts, no special tools required. Go to some of the right-to-repair websites and you’ll see what they want.
On an anecdotal note I wanted to replace the light bulb in my microwave oven some years ago. When taking apart the enclosure I discovered one of the screws was a non-standard pentium head. It became clear the manufacturer didn’t want the user anywhere near the magnetron tube. There were warnings all over that there were no user serviceable parts inside.
This is exactly what these people want. They want Apple to design all Apple products as completely modular with everything imaginable replaceable. They will fight everything possible until they get this. I just don't get these people TBH.
I just want a company not to go out of their way to make things more difficult to repair when it doesn’t have to be. It’s not black or white. In engineering there are always trade offs. I have no issue with something being more complicated if there is a valid engineering reason made by the engineers to make it that way. But when it is arbitrary and capricious decision made by others that is a different matter.
I'm curious what you think is a random choice or personal whim by Apple, rather than any reason or systematic approach?
I would have to consider them on a case by case basis. But I will mention one I saw when looking at Samsung’s self repair instructions on iFixit. Why do they need to use adhesive to mount the battery that then requires a copious amount of solvent to remove for replacement? Are they incapable of designing a kinematic mount?
Hmm… you've now gone from stating Apple's choices are random or whimsical to wondering if they are incapable of manufacturing the way Samsung does.
I feel that you're failing to see the bigger picture here. That Apple is capable of doing things is ways other vendor do them -and- doesn't make moves randomly. Have you considered how many iPhones are produced every second and what that means in terms of the assembly process?
I know I can't possibly grasp what's involved in that entire chain of events, but I'm not then claiming their process is without reason.
As an actual DIY'er, i do not understand why this "scares" people.
Whether it is my phone, computer, tv, dryer, clothes washer, dishwasher, car, motorcycle, bicycle & so on, i want to be able to diagnose & repair. I enjoy it, learn from it & it provides me a sense of satisfaction to continue using devices that failed only on a single component level.
The one device in your list that's substantially different is the phone. How so? Weight and/or size are incidental measurements for all except the phone. Small changes to a phone's size and weight make a big difference to most people. Small changes to the weight of a clothes dryer are unremarkable to the vast majority.
If Apple could make "diy" phones the same weight, size and price as those currently sold, then sure, why not? If they can't, I'd always choose a phone that's moderately harder to repair, but with more desirable size and weight over DIYability.
BTW, except for motorcycles, I've repaired everything on your list -- plus dozens more.
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
When you understand that the right-to-repair advocates won’t be satisfied with anything less than a complete redesign of the iPhone you know why they are still upset. They literally want snap-apart enclosures with gaskets instead of adhesives, standard Phillips screws, snap-in batteries, third party parts, no special tools required. Go to some of the right-to-repair websites and you’ll see what they want.
On an anecdotal note I wanted to replace the light bulb in my microwave oven some years ago. When taking apart the enclosure I discovered one of the screws was a non-standard pentium head. It became clear the manufacturer didn’t want the user anywhere near the magnetron tube. There were warnings all over that there were no user serviceable parts inside.
This is exactly what these people want. They want Apple to design all Apple products as completely modular with everything imaginable replaceable. They will fight everything possible until they get this. I just don't get these people TBH.
I just want a company not to go out of their way to make things more difficult to repair when it doesn’t have to be. It’s not black or white. In engineering there are always trade offs. I have no issue with something being more complicated if there is a valid engineering reason made by the engineers to make it that way. But when it is arbitrary and capricious decision made by others that is a different matter.
Remember Motorola's Project Ara? It was later bought by Google and then shelved, but I don't know why (according to Wiki, Google expected the Ara phone to be larger & thicker than the competition, possibly contributing to its demise, thus being a valid _marketing_ reason not to ship it.)
If you really want a repairable phone, check out the Fairphone.
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
On an anecdotal note I wanted to replace the light bulb in my microwave oven some years ago. When taking apart the enclosure I discovered one of the screws was a non-standard pentium head. It became clear the manufacturer didn’t want the user anywhere near the magnetron tube. There were warnings all over that there were no user serviceable parts inside.
The magnetron tube is a high voltage… highest risk part of the device… so it could have been just a ‘safety measure.’
if they required him to go near the tube just to replace a light bulb it was either an incredibly poor design or he was doing it wrong.
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
When you understand that the right-to-repair advocates won’t be satisfied with anything less than a complete redesign of the iPhone you know why they are still upset. They literally want snap-apart enclosures with gaskets instead of adhesives, standard Phillips screws, snap-in batteries, third party parts, no special tools required. Go to some of the right-to-repair websites and you’ll see what they want.
What’s so outrageous about standard screws?
Define standard. Phillips or flat head screws? No thank you.
How about Torx - they are standard almost across the entire electronics industry. it's not that tough...
I manage the iPads at our school and have done a lot of display replacementS. I will definitely be using these if they have something similar for iPads. One week a year being repair week with these nice tools would be amazing!
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
When you understand that the right-to-repair advocates won’t be satisfied with anything less than a complete redesign of the iPhone you know why they are still upset. They literally want snap-apart enclosures with gaskets instead of adhesives, standard Phillips screws, snap-in batteries, third party parts, no special tools required. Go to some of the right-to-repair websites and you’ll see what they want.
What’s so outrageous about standard screws?
Define standard. Phillips or flat head screws? No thank you.
How about Torx - they are standard almost across the entire electronics industry. it's not that tough…
I prefer Torx, a design from the 1960s specifically created to deal with the cam out problems of flathead and Phillips. Crowley thinks flathead are perfectly fine for this CE but it's not. And what if Apple used Torx Security or Torx Plus?
As for Pentalobe, it's use is cleared it's not like my mother will have that size Pentalobe or Torx in a toolkit if she even wanted to tackle such a repair. Any decent toolkit for small CE repairs will have the Torx, Penatlobe, Phillips, flat head, etc. If Apple was using Torx people would still complain that they couldn't repair an iPhone with an eyeglass repair kit from CVS.
PS: According to Wikipedia Huawei has also used Pentalobe. I wonder why Avon hasn't mentioned that.
I manage the iPads at our school and have done a lot of display replacementS. I will definitely be using these if they have something similar for iPads. One week a year being repair week with these nice tools would be amazing!
I don't know how often those iPads break or how large extra inventory is, but it might behoove you to simply buy the equipment if it's something you couple utilize more than a couple times per year. The tools are for sale if you're doing a lot of repairs every year on the same device. The $1300 hold also accounts for a lot of other aspects of the repair, as the two main HW computers are only about $500 to buy.
I do not give anything flying what they void after 2-3 years as they do not offer warranty after that period and I do not buy computers and phones every 1-2 years for showoff glory.
I haven't quoted most of your informative post because you are obviously an atypical Apple device user who has the money/time/skill to do your own repairs and source your own tools -- nothing at all like 98 percent of users. I've likewise done repairs on Macs (but I don't have the equipment or desire to do so on iPhones).
It's worth acknowledging, though, that for an overwhelming majority of users -- particularly those still under warranty -- the cheapest route for repair given the time and cost for the recommended parts is still an Apple Authorised Service Provider. Especially when you consider the risk of accidental damage that is often done by inexperienced users, and who pays for that when it happens.
I do want to correct one small part of your post (quoted above) that is incorrect. Apple recently started offering (effectively) device-lifetime AppleCare+ after the three-year extended warranty. You can continue paying for the protection and keep your device as long as it is capable of being supported (too bad this wasn't around when the 6s came out, eh?).
Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous, and designed to discourage users from doing what is in reality a VERY simple repair that can be done with hand tools.
I've changed dozens of iPhone batteries, and I've never needed any of these ridiculous gizmos. Simple hand tools are all you need. If you want to get fancy taking the glass off, use an iSclack. You can press it back together with your hands, or put a stack of books on it. Light finger pressure is sufficient to re-glue the battery.
Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous, and designed to discourage users from doing what is in reality a VERY simple repair that can be done with hand tools.
I've changed dozens of iPhone batteries, and I've never needed any of these ridiculous gizmos. Simple hand tools are all you need. If you want to get fancy taking the glass off, use an iSclack. You can press it back together with your hands, or put a stack of books on it. Light finger pressure is sufficient to re-glue the battery.
LOL I've used that tool. It doesn't work so well when the front or back glass is shattered. Will Apple's? I don't know, but looking at and the other tools that are only $49 to rent compared to that single tool for $25, I'd say it will work better since it's both holding and heating up the device to loosen the adhesion.
Still cannot believe Apple did this. Pretty massive endeavour. And of course not a single positive word uttered by the right to repair hypocrites and trolls. Just more criticism and complaining.
When you understand that the right-to-repair advocates won’t be satisfied with anything less than a complete redesign of the iPhone you know why they are still upset. They literally want snap-apart enclosures with gaskets instead of adhesives, standard Phillips screws, snap-in batteries, third party parts, no special tools required. Go to some of the right-to-repair websites and you’ll see what they want.
What’s so outrageous about standard screws?
Define standard. Phillips or flat head screws? No thank you.
How about Torx - they are standard almost across the entire electronics industry. it's not that tough…
I prefer Torx, a design from the 1960s specifically created to deal with the cam out problems of flathead and Phillips. Crowley thinks flathead are perfectly fine for this CE but it's not. And what if Apple used Torx Security or Torx Plus?
As for Pentalobe, it's use is cleared it's not like my mother will have that size Pentalobe or Torx in a toolkit if she even wanted to tackle such a repair. Any decent toolkit for small CE repairs will have the Torx, Penatlobe, Phillips, flat head, etc. If Apple was using Torx people would still complain that they couldn't repair an iPhone with an eyeglass repair kit from CVS.
PS: According to Wikipedia Huawei has also used Pentalobe. I wonder why Avon hasn't mentioned that.
I didn’t bring up flathead, you did. If given a choice I would prefer torx. And I do not think it accurate to say any decent toolkit will contain pentalobe screwdrivers. They are not common. Most decently sized socket sets will contain torx but not pentalobe.
Comments
How much do you value your time doing a one and only repair?
I feel that you're failing to see the bigger picture here. That Apple is capable of doing things is ways other vendor do them -and- doesn't make moves randomly. Have you considered how many iPhones are produced every second and what that means in terms of the assembly process?
I know I can't possibly grasp what's involved in that entire chain of events, but I'm not then claiming their process is without reason.
Small changes to a phone's size and weight make a big difference to most people. Small changes to the weight of a clothes dryer are unremarkable to the vast majority.
If Apple could make "diy" phones the same weight, size and price as those currently sold, then sure, why not? If they can't, I'd always choose a phone that's moderately harder to repair, but with more desirable size and weight over DIYability.
BTW, except for motorcycles, I've repaired everything on your list -- plus dozens more.
As for Pentalobe, it's use is cleared it's not like my mother will have that size Pentalobe or Torx in a toolkit if she even wanted to tackle such a repair. Any decent toolkit for small CE repairs will have the Torx, Penatlobe, Phillips, flat head, etc. If Apple was using Torx people would still complain that they couldn't repair an iPhone with an eyeglass repair kit from CVS.
PS: According to Wikipedia Huawei has also used Pentalobe. I wonder why Avon hasn't mentioned that.