Apple bricks phone if not serviced by Apple
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http://ifixit.org/blog/7900/repair-error-53/
Interesting article from someone who runs a repair business...
But yeah, another line to add to the "reasons I hate Apple" list, it's quite big nowadays...and yes, I'm fairly sure this is illegal in the UK too...
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@NattNatt said:
http://ifixit.org/blog/7900/repair-error-53/
Interesting article from someone who runs a repair business...
But yeah, another line to add to the "reasons I hate Apple" list, it's quite big nowadays...and yes, I'm fairly sure this is illegal in the UK too...
I still don't think this was intentional to screw over little repair shops. I'm betting it was an oversite. The engineers said - hey we need a solution in case there is a break in the chain to make sure no one can install a shim between the reader and the security chip on the phone - if that chain is ever broken, let's just stop the phone from working - OK fine.
Of course those engineers didn't think that replacing the button would be a common thing needed to be done when the glass was replaced, so they just went the possible easy way - brick the phone.
Now they have to redesign that to not brick it... but hopefully just disable the print reader instead.
for pure security, I can't see them ever allowing a third party, non authorized apple repair shop to replace the print reader and keep the reader functional.
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@Dashrender said:
Of course those engineers didn't think that replacing the button would be a common thing needed to be done when the glass was replaced, so they just went the possible easy way - brick the phone.
That seems like an awful lot of assumption to assume Apple didn't think through. It's pretty common knowledge, I think, that those buttons get replaced a lot. Everyone I talk to seems to have had them replaced (if their phones got repaired.)
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@StrongBad said:
@Dashrender said:
Of course those engineers didn't think that replacing the button would be a common thing needed to be done when the glass was replaced, so they just went the possible easy way - brick the phone.
That seems like an awful lot of assumption to assume Apple didn't think through. It's pretty common knowledge, I think, that those buttons get replaced a lot. Everyone I talk to seems to have had them replaced (if their phones got repaired.)
Yeah, I'm erring on the side of "they knew what they were doing" when they did it...I severely disagree with many of apple's policies/tactics to try and get more sales, and fully believe this was intentional...means apple make money as they charge 3x the price for an "official" repair than a small business does...another reason I'll never buy/own an apple product...
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@Dashrender said:
Now they have to redesign that to not brick it... but
hopefullyjust disable the print reader instead.Arguably... shouldn't they have simply disabled the print reader to start with?
What about those of us who don't (won't) actually even use that feature?
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Yeah... it's a bit like "that doesn't seem to be the right key" so we are going to blow up your car.
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@dafyre said:
@Dashrender said:
Now they have to redesign that to not brick it... but
hopefullyjust disable the print reader instead.Arguably... shouldn't they have simply disabled the print reader to start with?
What about those of us who don't (won't) actually even use that feature?
That's what it was already doing BEFORE the update....
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@Dashrender said:
@NattNatt said:
http://ifixit.org/blog/7900/repair-error-53/
Interesting article from someone who runs a repair business...
But yeah, another line to add to the "reasons I hate Apple" list, it's quite big nowadays...and yes, I'm fairly sure this is illegal in the UK too...
I still don't think this was intentional to screw over little repair shops. I'm betting it was an oversite. The engineers said - hey we need a solution in case there is a break in the chain to make sure no one can install a shim between the reader and the security chip on the phone - if that chain is ever broken, let's just stop the phone from working - OK fine.
Of course those engineers didn't think that replacing the button would be a common thing needed to be done when the glass was replaced, so they just went the possible easy way - brick the phone.
Now they have to redesign that to not brick it... but hopefully just disable the print reader instead.
for pure security, I can't see them ever allowing a third party, non authorized apple repair shop to replace the print reader and keep the reader functional.
Everyone I know has had with an iPhone 6s has had to replace their button. Anecdotal evidence? Sure but it's what I have observed.
This is a money grab and an attempt at covering it up with "security".
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@NattNatt said:
That's what it was already doing BEFORE the update....
So the update wasn't for security at all and it's openly a scam? What extra security are they getting by bricking phones?
I mean, okay, a bricked phone IS more secure, obviously....
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@scottalanmiller said:
@NattNatt said:
That's what it was already doing BEFORE the update....
So the update wasn't for security at all and it's openly a scam? What extra security are they getting by bricking phones?
I mean, okay, a bricked phone IS more secure, obviously....
was gonna say...
but yeah, that's what Jess says in the article I posted, as soon as a new home button is attached, it cancels apple pay and apple touch features... -
@NattNatt said:
@dafyre said:
@Dashrender said:
Now they have to redesign that to not brick it... but
hopefullyjust disable the print reader instead.Arguably... shouldn't they have simply disabled the print reader to start with?
What about those of us who don't (won't) actually even use that feature?
That's what it was already doing BEFORE the update....
Understanding that now, then yeah, I see this as just a money grab.
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Coincidence that this started RIGHT after they announced a drop in iPhone sales?
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission plans to query Apple on its practice of deliberately deactivating iPhones that have been repaired by non-Apple service providers.
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@nadnerB fingers crossed that that makes a difference.
That there has been such a public and legal backlash and Apple has not yet apologized or reverted the action suggests that Apple, even if it was a mistake originally and not thought through, is now doing it intentionally. What might (if you can even believe its possible) have started as Apple being clueless cannot be claimed any longer. Apple is now willing facing public outcry, government inquiry, potential legal threats and customers talking about leaving their most critical bastion of ecosystem stability over this issue and maintaining its stance in spite of all of that.... well, now it is a very different matter.
Every moment that Apple is not apologizing, isn't fixing the code they are telling their customers how little they think of them as customers and how little they think of ethics and of the law.
Anyone can make a mistake. As hard as this one is to believe. But their decisions now that they know the reaction to that decision are intentional and continuous.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@nadnerB fingers crossed that that makes a difference.
That there has been such a public and legal backlash and Apple has not yet apologized or reverted the action suggests that Apple, even if it was a mistake originally and not thought through, is now doing it intentionally. What might (if you can even believe its possible) have started as Apple being clueless cannot be claimed any longer. Apple is now willing facing public outcry, government inquiry, potential legal threats and customers talking about leaving their most critical bastion of ecosystem stability over this issue and maintaining its stance in spite of all of that.... well, now it is a very different matter.
Every moment that Apple is not apologizing, isn't fixing the code they are telling their customers how little they think of them as customers and how little they think of ethics and of the law.
Anyone can make a mistake. As hard as this one is to believe. But their decisions now that they know the reaction to that decision are intentional and continuous.
I think you forget... this is Apple people are going to buy Apple equipment. The market has a short memory... next month I doubt anyone will be talking about this.
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@coliver said:
I think you forget... this is Apple people are going to buy Apple equipment. The market has a short memory... next month I doubt anyone will be talking about this.
Which shows what Apple thinks of their customers. I'm not saying that they aren't right and that most of their customers aren't clueless, this just shows that they will openly leverage that. In no way did I suggest that this would not make Apple money, only that it makes Apple a company to be avoided.
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Apple's stance is apparently that it is a feature that your phone is bricked. Apparently even Apple thinks that the only good Apple product is a dead one.
Makes me very sad that I have been supporting the iPhone all this time.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@nadnerB fingers crossed that that makes a difference.
That there has been such a public and legal backlash and Apple has not yet apologized or reverted the action suggests that Apple, even if it was a mistake originally and not thought through, is now doing it intentionally. What might (if you can even believe its possible) have started as Apple being clueless cannot be claimed any longer. Apple is now willing facing public outcry, government inquiry, potential legal threats and customers talking about leaving their most critical bastion of ecosystem stability over this issue and maintaining its stance in spite of all of that.... well, now it is a very different matter.
Every moment that Apple is not apologizing, isn't fixing the code they are telling their customers how little they think of them as customers and how little they think of ethics and of the law.
Anyone can make a mistake. As hard as this one is to believe. But their decisions now that they know the reaction to that decision are intentional and continuous.
I completely disagree with this assessment. Apple has never been a company that jumps on news or acts in a fast reactionary way.
I do agree that if Apple does not correct this that it is indeed a sad day and it may drive me to change.
But a major security shift (based on Apple's claims that this is all about security) like this should not happen overnight. Ever.
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@JaredBusch said:
But a major security shift (based on Apple's claims that this is all about security) like this should not happen overnight. Ever.
Which means that they could also reverse it, quickly.
