• gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    246
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    This isn’t Apple being nice.

    This is Apple wanting to sell things in California, combined with Apple not wanting to manufacture two separate versions of their devices for the US market.

    This is also why everyone gets USB-C iPhones now, instead of only the EU.

    • Nurgle@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      35
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      They supported this legislation before it was passed. Still not out of the goodness of their hearts, this version includes provisions that they had wanted previously.

      • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        59
        ·
        1 year ago

        They “supported” this legislation by implementing a system where parts still require users to call in to activate them, you are “strongly encouraged” to rent or buy specialized tools from apple, and the price of parts plus rental generally comes out as only slightly less than paying an apple store to do it for you.

        It is malicious compliance that they get to use for a PR boost.

        • Paradachshund
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          Still a step forward, and it will make it easier to pass further steps.

          • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            1 year ago

            It really isn’t.

            Because this has highlighted the “loophole” to these kinds of laws. Strict control of parts and equipment to manipulate pricing so that third parties cannot exist and this becomes “your phone is under warranty” by another name.

            • Paradachshund
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              1 year ago

              It definitely sounds like the law kind of sucks and needs to go further in the future, but are you really saying that being able to repair your existing device, even if the parts are overpriced, is exactly as bad as having to buy a whole new one? The reduction in e-waste alone seems like a potential improvement.

              • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                4
                ·
                edit-2
                1 year ago

                If anything, this has increased the amount of waste.

                Because, as a customer (making up the numbers but it IS something like this)?

                I can pay Apple 300 bucks to let their geek squad repair it for me. Or I can pay 290 bucks to have their special tools shipped to me as well as their official parts, with all the packaging associated. And then I have to ship them back my old parts. All with extra packaging because you can’t send a customer a box full of monitor mainboards. And, because I need to source all of these directly from Apple, the moment they are no longer legally required to offer replacement parts, they won’t.

                So… I can save something ridiculous (let’s say 10%) to fulfill my own warranty and nothing else.

                But let’s think about this as a repair shop.

                I can’t use third party or even OEM parts because basically everything requires the customer to authenticate with Apple. I can’t stock parts because Apple strictly controls parts and requires customers to special order them and return the old part during a repair. And I can’t compete with the geek squad because THEY get to stock spare screens in the back room. So I am exactly where I used to be of “Some stuff I can repair even though Apple says not to. Most stuff I can’t”

                So yeah. The end user experience is almost exactly as bad as it used to be. And this is “a win” which means pressure has been let down and companies have a path to neuter these laws. So yeah, it is worse.

                • Paradachshund
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  3
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  1 year ago

                  Well if it really works out like you’re speculating that definitely sounds shitty I’ll give you that!

                  • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    2
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    1 year ago

                    That is less speculation and more pointing out the actual policy.

                    Plenty of youtubers have done videos on the subject. Here is the ifixit article https://www.ifixit.com/News/59751/apple-self-service-repair-is-this-the-end-of-ifixit

                    But it boils down to everything I said:

                    1. Prohibitively expensive tools that push anyone but a repair shop to rent
                    2. Pricing so that, with renting, you are paying more or less the same to fix it yourself or have apple do it for you
                    3. You need to provide the old broken parts to Apple for them to send you the new ones. This adds considerable hassle to the end user and ensures that third party repair companies will always be a worse experience.
                    4. Incredibly invasive terms if you want to authenticate your phone after the repair. ifixit speculate this is a limitation of their tools but it still boils down to needing to phone home to Apple to activate your new screen and so forth.

                    So how about you actually look at the policy you are championing rather than vaguely imply that other people are being dishonest for actually having looked into it?

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          6
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          parts still require users to call in to activate them

          How else would you do it? Phone theft used to be way too common. I’m fine with Apple reducing phone theft by making it harder for thieves to get value from stolen devices

          I’m buying my phone as a functioning device: I may need to repair it or replace the battery but why would I want to mod it? Those who do, can go through the extra steps

          This is far different than a server, which I buy with very different expectations

          • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            So you are arguing this is to prevent some Gone in 60 Seconds like movement where Giovanni Ribisi and Scott Caan are in the wings waiting to rapidly replace a single component to sell those stolen phones before the Faraday cage bag mysteriously dissolves?

            This has nothing to do with thieves. This has everything to do with keeping third parties from not being able to exist. And I should not have to explain why someone might want to buy a third party version of an apple accessory.

          • Honytawk@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            Why would preventing someone from replacing a broken part without calling in to Apple, prevent phone theft?

            The phone isn’t going to magically disconnect from Apples network just because you replaced the screen.

            Maybe if they replaced the internal storage, but Apple could easily require to call if you only replaced that part. Everything else should be more than fair game.

            And what about those who would rather mod their Apple phone than have phone theft security? Their opinion does not matter because you decide you don’t need it?

            • AA5B@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              1 year ago

              Why would preventing someone from replacing a broken part without calling in to Apple, prevent phone theft?

              Digitally locking some of the major components together make it harder for a thief to part out the phone - you can’t just buy a new screen from someone on the street who stole a phone and took it apart, and expect it to work

      • TehBamski@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        25
        ·
        1 year ago

        IIRC: They battled this talking point/discussion and legislation for years. Up until a week before it was voted on and passed.

        They are not your friend.

    • UnspecificGravity@lemmings.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      In this case, they managed to delay the bill long enough that they now have a bunch of programs in place to actually profit from third-party repairs of their devices. This gives them an advantage over their competitors, so they are now in support of this bill.