Apple Reverses Stance on iPhone Repairs and Will Supply Parts To Independent Shops For the First Time (cnbc.com) 77
Apple said on Thursday it will start offering independent repair shops parts, tools and guides to help fix broken iPhones. From a report: The new repair program allows big and small repair outfits to sign up and get access to parts for common out-of-warranty repairs, something that was previously restricted to Apple's network of authorized service providers. The move represents an about face for Apple, which typically encourages any repairs to be made by its authorized service providers and makes it difficult for users to replace aging or broken parts themselves. Additionally, the company has fought California's proposed right-to-repair bill, which would require companies like Apple to make repair information and parts available to both device owners and independent repair shops. Apple said the new program is free to join but that shops will be required to have an Apple-certified technician who has taken a preparatory course provided by the company.
About time... (Score:5, Funny)
This will make Louis happy.
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The parts and knowledge to repair Apple devices are already commonly available, and in most cases it's simple enough for anyone to do. It's a good line of service for a lot of small businesses.
Apple realizes this and now wants to take that commerce for themselves, no doubt selling expensive Apple-branded replacement parts and expensive certification fees for technicians.
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The parts and knowledge to repair Apple devices are already commonly available, and in most cases it's simple enough for anyone to do. It's a good line of service for a lot of small businesses.
Apple realizes this and now wants to take that commerce for themselves, no doubt selling expensive Apple-branded replacement parts and expensive certification fees for technicians.
So, you'd rather they promote shady aftermarket parts and untrained technicians?
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That's not the only alternative.
Apple can charge a fair price for replacement parts. Some aftermarket parts aren't that bad.
There's a difference between untrained and not Apple trained. Most of that difference is $$$.
Re: About time... (Score:2)
Re:About time... (Score:4, Insightful)
As someone that's done their own repairs on a Mac Mini, it's true that a lot of this stuff is *possible* just by following the instructions online, but even still, I ended up doing something wrong and damaging a really fiddly connector. I think all it means is that the IR receiver on the front of my Mini doesn't work anymore, but it's still damage that I wasn't planning on and would have preferred not to do.
If someone is a pro, I expect a level of technical expertise *better* than mine. Maybe Louis doesn't need this training, but I can't bring my stuff to him. I'll feel better taking my stuff to a local shop if they can tell me that someone there has been through some training and isn't just hacking around like me.
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I wonder if Apple should spin off a division, a la Claris, just for enterprise machines. Macs designed to not be "toys" but designed for business, similar to how Dell has the Latitude line for companies, and the Inspiron line for consumers. It may be more expensive, but designed to have 3-5 year warranties, easy serviceability, good management, and they may not be as sleek... but business needs, especially desktops, require machines dedicated for that.
Apple would make a mint if they got into the enterpris
and mac os server for VM on (ANY BASE HARDWARE) (Score:2)
and mac os server for VM on (ANY BASE HARDWARE) yes this means amd and intel based hypervisors and non apple servers.
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You repaired one and broke a part, if you did it again would you make the same mistake? If you fixed a dozen a week would you make the same mistake? You were hacking, the guys who do this for a living are making repairs. To assume someone has to be officially trained by Apple to make them better than hackers such as yourself is just ludicrous. Going through an Apple course doesn't make you a good repairman, as much as sitting in a garage doesn't make you a car. I'
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I don't know. Maybe? But that's the thing. If I walk into a store, I have NO idea what the qualifications of the person doing the repairs is. The point of a certification is that I can tell if they've taken at least a minimal course in phone repair and whether they're using Apple parts or parts from a fly-by-night supplier.
The same could certainly be said about any car mechanic out there. But I brought my car to the VW dealership in the city I was living in at the time, because at least then I know a certai
Re: About time... (Score:1)
That is an eggageration. Apple is not significant enough to be evil. They are simply malevolent.
Re: About time... (Score:1)
No Apple is a boring company that makes Buick-class products that they then sell into a Chevy market while deluding themselves into thinking they are BMW.
They are closed in a mostly open market, and skim higher paying customers who don't know better.
We nerds have hated them since the first Mac, which was a sealed box unit designed to be nerd-proof appliance.
Not very interesting, but worthy of our contempt.
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"Yeah, but...seems suspicious. I don't trust it."
What's not to trust?
They will sell original parts to anyone and they will charge an arm and a leg for it, what else?
Just like the automobile industry.
Re: About time... (Score:1)
They will set up relationships with some third party repair companies who will be the only ones to get parts and info. Then they will restrict what repairs these companies can do.
A small connector broken on your laptop? You will have to replace the whole motherboard. Authorized repair shops will not be allowed to replace the connector.
They are already doing stuff like this. This is just an expansion of their predatory practices.
Re: About time... (Score:2)
What's not to trust?
Big companies.
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USPS will probably just steal his shipment.
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This will make Louis happy.
No it won't; since he is nothing-more than a LYING Apple-Hater (that simultaneously makes his living off of Apple Repairs).
In fact, this ruins his reputation as "Whistleblower" (and Professional "Victim").
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he is nothing-more than a LYING Apple-Hater
Spotted an iDiot
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he is nothing-more than a LYING Apple-Hater
Spotted an iDiot
Yes, "WINDOWSer"...
Spotted the person who will never own a piece of Apple Gear, but never misses an opportunity to bash them, or anyone who likes their stuff.
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Spotted the person who will never own a piece of Apple Gear, but never misses an opportunity to bash them, or anyone who likes their stuff.
Of course, I don't want to pay more to have poorly designed inferior hardware.
Apple used to make good hardware, like 20 years ago
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I have 3 SE/30's, a Mac IIci, some iPod Touches, two iMac G4s, etc. etc.
Why did you say WINDOWS? Aren't you one of the classic olde mac tards who always called it IBM?
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Re: About time... (Score:3, Insightful)
Being Apple certified will mean only being allowed to do the repairs Apple allows. Apple makes bank by not allowing component level repair. Pay big $$ to replace the whole big part and give us back your old part for free. This will expand their capability to force that.
Re: About time... (Score:2)
Apple makes bank by not allowing component level repair.
I was about to resolder a BGA chip when Apple's "Anti-Component-Level-Police" showed up... or not, as the case may be.
Just to clarify: this isn't a defense of Apple (far from it) but an attack on [one of your] incessantly stupid comments. ;)
Re: About time... (Score:1)
You can watch YouTube videos of people resoldering bga parts on Apple PC boards. Since you're being incessantly stupid, maybe you should watch a few and learn.
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You can watch YouTube videos of people resoldering bga parts on Apple PC boards. Since you're being incessantly stupid, maybe you should watch a few and learn.
Unbelievable!
You really ARE an idiot!
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And you're some garbage guy who made an account recently after spamming the place for years.
Thanks for logging in.
Apple will prohibit 'authorized' repair people from replacing BGA parts. If you work at an official Apple repair shop, you'll be prohibited from practical component level repair.
Now say something fucking obtuse and meaningless about how somebody is an idiot, dude.
Believable, sadly. You shoulda stayed an AC.
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Being Apple certified will mean only being allowed to do the repairs Apple allows. Apple makes bank by not allowing component level repair. Pay big $$ to replace the whole big part and give us back your old part for free. This will expand their capability to force that.
Pray tell: How in the F is Apple supposed to "not allow", well, ANYTHING regarding Repair?
They can refuse to sell you parts, and refuse to give you documentation with trade-secrets in it (or, really any documentation they so choose not to give/sell you); but they CANNOT keep you from replacing a Capacitor, diode, transistor, connector, all the way up to an Apple-Specific SoC, provided you can "source" the part (which, with eBay and others selling "Parts Only" Apple Devices (which Apple can't stop, either)),
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Apple can grant 'Certified Repair Shop' status to places that brown nose the rotten fruit company. Places that swap approved Apple assemblies. Said shops will be required to use Apple's approved repair methods, and ONLY Apple's approved repair methods. That already happens.
They can and will refuse to 'Certify' places that perform component level work. It already happens. Certified techs can't perform repairs that aren't 'certified.'
And they can make it clear to the true believers that it would be a TER
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I doubt he'll be happy about this to the point of dancing of celebrating.
Most likely it'll be just another bit of Apple bait and there'll be something requiring undue restrictions / limitations of activities (that are not relevant to Apple) in order to partake in the programme.
Access to things like SMC programming tools, T2 tools, and maybe some original boardviews/schematics would be nice; though I suspect the level of things that'll need to be given up will be too costly.
Likely what'll happen is that ther
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Too little, too late (Score:4, Informative)
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This reminds of then Apple allowed Mac clone to be produced and then killed them off.
You need a history lesson.
One CEO with zero experience in "tech" (Gil Amelio, IIRC) initiated the "Clone" program. As usual, he only saw the short-term income from License Fees, without realizing (one hopes) that he was setting up Apple for disaster.
The next CEO (Steve Jobs) saw that Clones would be the undermining of Apple's core business (hardware), and axed the program.
And he was right to do so.
Re: Too little, too late (Score:1)
Also, Apple's software team are barely capable of supporting the tiny sub segment of hardware Apple directly sells.
Apple is a closed company.
Third party hardware was a nightmare they couldn't support. They aren't big enough, open enough, or good enough to run on any hardware.
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Also, Apple's software team are barely capable of supporting the tiny sub segment of hardware Apple directly sells.
Apple is a closed company.
Third party hardware was a nightmare they couldn't support. They aren't big enough, open enough, or good enough to run on any hardware.
The Hackintosh community would tend to disagree.
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The sale of approved parts for repair later is now USA only.
The spare parts can only ship as "approved" and with a US price for use in the USA?
Buy the entire back of the case? The internal "electronics" a set of list of 3 parts? The entire front "screen".
Set packs to buy as approved spare parts to make the device good again.
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This is their old ways. They're trying to get out in front of it and get it on their terms because they're smart enough to see that it's coming whether they are in charge of their own destiny or not, to their credit.
Now if only they were smart enough to pry open their coffers and back some novel ideas, instead of focusing on how to trick people out of money.
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Apple is obviously scared that right-to-repair legislation (or anti-trust, or both), will be coming soon, and this is an attempt to claim that it is no longer necessary. As soon as the legal threat is gone, they will return to their old ways.
I'm going to go with "NO". Apple is NOT "OBVIOUSLY" scared . . . look at their M.O. They want to control the repair because it allows them to control the user experience. I'm going to say reasons are: 1) It's not what they're going to sell, it's what NOT they're going to sell that tells you the real reason. Home buttons (with fingerprint sensor), probably the battery and maybe a few other signature widgets that differentiate them with other vendors. 2) At this point, they've probably accepted some forms
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Alternate revenue stream (Score:2)
"new program is free to join but that shops will be required to have an *Apple-certified technician who has taken a preparatory course provided by the company.*"
There's the razor blade in the candyfloss. How much does this preparatory course cost? Thousands of dollars by any chance?
They want to replace the revenue stream from all those repairs that are currently forced to come to them, with revenue from training other people to allow them to do it (even if they in fact already have the necessary skills).
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"new program is free to join but that shops will be required to have an *Apple-certified technician who has taken a preparatory course provided by the company.*"
There's the razor blade in the candyfloss. How much does this preparatory course cost? Thousands of dollars by any chance?
They want to replace the revenue stream from all those repairs that are currently forced to come to them, with revenue from training other people to allow them to do it (even if they in fact already have the necessary skills).
Believe me, NO company likes doing Repair. Contrary to Slashtard belief, any revenue generated thereby is completely overshadowed by the cost maintaining the staff, logistics, and spare-parts inventory necessary to maintain same.
And you whine about the potential cost of training? Do you really think it is FREE for Apple to develop the documentation (that has been scoured for not-release-able trade secrets), training-programs, tests, and other things necessary to teach out-of-house technicians (by the thousa
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Do you really think it is FREE for Apple to develop the documentation
Not really the point. People are already making repairs with aftermarket parts. The shift to using Apple-sourced parts should just be a vendor change, not an expensive indoctrination.
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Do you really think it is FREE for Apple to develop the documentation
Not really the point. People are already making repairs with aftermarket parts. The shift to using Apple-sourced parts should just be a vendor change, not an expensive indoctrination.
MANY companies refuse to sell parts to anyone besides "Authorized Service Centers". Some companies refuse to sell parts to anyone, PERIOD.
At a few times in my life, I've been a bench tech for various consumer electronic gear, most of it FAR less "specialized" than computers filled with custom ICs, and it really just comes down to what an individual company sets as a "policy".
It looks like Apple is being fairly reasonable: No cost to Apply, and according to this fairly recent article, the most you can spend
The cost of the parts (Score:2)
Apple will sell the parts at a price that makes repair just marginally economical to perform. So most people will not do it.
This is bad for white goods here in Australia. Getting parts that have 1000% mark ups is generally not worth it, so if it cannot be imported from the USA then the white good goes in the bin.
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"new program is free to join but that shops will be required to have an *Apple-certified technician who has taken a preparatory course provided by the company.*"
There's the razor blade in the candyfloss. How much does this preparatory course cost? Thousands of dollars by any chance?
They want to replace the revenue stream from all those repairs that are currently forced to come to them, with revenue from training other people to allow them to do it (even if they in fact already have the necessary skills).
How many people from third parties will Apple allow into that course to begin with? If you limit the course to a fraction of the seats available to non-Apple authorized providers then you can still effectively limit people's ability to find non-Apple affiliated repair providers.
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To be certified they could impose some kind of restrictive contract that sets prices and forbids life prolonging repairs that Apple don't want the repairers to do.. specifically the kinds of component level repairs that independent stores do.
They COULD also buy everyone cheesecake.
Until you have some FACTS, shut your Cheesecake-Hole.
It will never be enough (Score:1)
The same people who have complained will move the goalposts and keep complaining.
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The same people who have complained will move the goalposts and keep complaining.
Ain't THAT the truth?!?
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Here's the rub: In order to join this program "shops will be required to have an Apple-certified technician who has taken a preparatory course provided by the company."
Also, how much is Apple going to charge for the parts? Are they going to provide all parts or just some? In joining the program will you have to agree not to obtain and use parts from non-Apple sources?
It all depends on what the details are.
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Second rub: To be an "Apple-certified technician" you'll have to pay how much per year to keep your qualifications up to date? ...Sorry about that. Was channeling the Herbal Life ref that lives next door.
And let me guess, if you become decertified you'll have to pay for the course all over again?
Oh, and can the "Apple-certified technician" train others to be an "Apple-certified technician"?
That way you can just buy the updated "Apple-certified technician" new product documentation from them?...
Re: It will never be enough (Score:1)
To be certified, there will be a restricted set of repairs you are allowed to perform. No you are not allowed to replace that USB connector. Bill the customer for a whole motherboard and send the old motherboard back to Apple (to change the USB connector and sell again as a whole motherboard.)
Repair businesses that Apple takes control over with these agreements will find themselves turned into boardswapping appendages of Apple.
Apple-certified technician with classes (Score:2)
So will that cost $$$ and have the return parts pricing?
High fees to pair parts to the security chip?
Nice but not enough (Score:2)
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And are binned such that they tend to last a fraction as long even when properly installed.
Cool (Score:2)
Louis Rossman must be dancing in the streets right about now.
Don't drink the cool-aid (Score:4, Insightful)
Do you *really* think apple will be certifying and training circuit board repair? They don't even do that for their own shops. These "parts" are going to be new motherboards (or equivalent.) that cost almost as much as the device, will have no means of data recovery that independent shops currently do, and will be nothing more than ammunition for Apple to prosecute 'unlicensed' people who are actually repairing apple devices. I'll eat my words of the guides actually include schematics.
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Agreed. At best, it'll mean access to a supply of screens/batteries. I doubt we'll see any stuff like schematics/boardviews. Of course, I'll be keen to see if they do release boardviews/schems and if they can be read using something other than what ever custom system they've got ( it's already been a nightmare trying to wrest out the iPhone boardviews... that'll be changed in the next week or two ).
There's a catch (Score:2)
It's only valid for phones out of warranty, which in the EU f.ex. is a mandatory 2 years.
So if your screen ist bust during that time, you're still fucked.
Translation (Score:2)
Reading between the lines the translated TFA is "Please don't pass Right to repair. Please?! We'll be good. We promise!! Scout's honor. No takebacks. For sure."
Welcome back to the 1980s (Score:1)
So it's not free to join (Score:1)
Caved. (Score:2)
Apple caved, oh my. But still not a reason to by a phone from thug Apple.