plovell

One important point that hasn't been mentioned much is that this iPhone was not a personally-owned phone, but one supplied by the employer (San Bernardino county health department). I have not had to deal with enterprise-managed iPhones by it's my understanding that, when properly configured, the enterprise manager has full control over the configuration and can access the data (by controlling where the backups go). I think there is a large sack of "fail" here. The FBI's signature case might have just gone into the toilet.

steviet02 said:

sflocal said:

Nonsense... most people will have their iPhones repaired by Apple.  That's a no-brainer. 

I never even thought about the issues of repairing the TouchID system.  It's nice that Apple put a lot of thought into the security system and to me, it makes total sense that replacing TouchID by some stranger should brick the phone.  Honestly, I think its a great idea.  They did it to keep us - the consumers - safe, and not some conspiracy ploy.

Honestly, why is this even an issue?  Makes perfect sense to me why it works the way it does, and if it is explained properly to any customer affected, I'm sure they would be completely understanding by it.  Take it to an authorized repair facility and be done with it.  If there is not one near you, too effin bad!

Nonsense! Replacing the Touch-ID with HW that is appropriate should just clear all the secure information in the ID chip and erase all Apple Pay information, not render the phone useless. The user then has to start over entering fingerprints and CC information, assuming they know the iCloud account that was tied to the phone. Why is that such a big deal for Apple to deal with?

Maybe. I don't know whether Keychain info might be compromised. I would be happier if the phone had to be restored after the re-pair.

DED said: "It can also build internationally with strong US Dollars (including those dozen new retail stores planned for Mainland China)." I will bet you that those stores are NOT being built with U.S. dollars, but with a part of the off-shore cash pile.

I can totally see Apple doing this. Sure, some people will switch but most of those probably would anyhow, just with more difficulty. This will enhance Apple's reputation for customer support, not diminish it.

ericthehalfbee said:

"but right now we prefer to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions"

No surprise there. Auto manufacturers have their heads up their collective asses when it comes to infotainment. Every system I've used is slow and confusing to operate. BMW is doing the same thing because they want control over your dash (they don't want an Apple or Android screen replacing their own, even if it's only when the user requests it).

BMW having control over the dash might be a good thing - if they could do it. My own experience doesn't support that notion. The iPod playback system in my 2012 5-series (F10) locks up about once a week. BMW dealer says that this is normal, and that they don't support "old devices". Actually, the car is older than the iPod. Same thing happens to an iPhone 4 that I sometimes use, although much less frequently. The car just "disconnects" it. The car runs well but the entertainment system has all the charm of Windows (and an older version at that).