10 Tech Products That Are Next to Impossible to Repair

[Julio Franco]

Repairing a faulty gadget no longer requires a PhD in electrical engineering with sites like iFixit providing tutorials that empower people to repair things on their own. After all, if your device is no longer under warranty and the only option is to buy a replacement, what's the harm in trying? Complexity, that's what.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/article/1548-unrepairable-tech-devices/

 

[Evernessince]

Samsung may have awesome hardware in the Note 8 but it's breakabilitly and difficulty of repair make it a dud as an aftermarket phone. Once the note 9 comes out those things are going to be on eBay en mass with shattered glass. Can't tell you how common it is for people to damage their phone's glass surfaces, the Note 8 only doubles that chance.

 

[Puiu]

Half of them are Apple products...

 

[Skjetne]

Half of them are Apple products...

Pushing the envelope has it's downsides

 

[Nobina]

Half of them are Apple products...

Apple was one of the first of many who made their products close to unrepairable so they can charge stupid amounts for a repair. The sad thing is that it became normalized.

Pushing the envelope has it's downsides

They are pushing the envelope of being behind everyone while still having morons thinking they're innovating.

 

[Skjetne]

They are pushing the envelope of being behind everyone while still having morons thinking they're innovating.

Well, ultrabooks, backlit keyboard, NVME-ssds, high resolution displays, USB-C, bigger and better touchpads where all popularized by Apple, so even if Macbooks don't have the best specs always, they are innovating in other aspects where the manufacturer actually have to do some R&D, instead of just throwing together some hardware in a shitty plastic case and calling it a day.

 

[p51d007]

When I purchase a phone, laptop (I'm not into game devices), I pop over to iFixit. If it has a repair score below 4, I'll look for an alternative. I've been doing electronics, repair for almost 40 years. From vacuum tube televisions in the 70's, all the way to surface mount. I've replaced many LCD screens in laptops & phones, but it's getting almost impossible to service some of this stuff.
They make it near impossible to repair...on purpose. DISPOSABLE means a couple things.
One, "cheaper" to produce if you glue everything together. Two, easier to just toss away and buy a new one, which is the whole idea.

 

[Nobina]

Apple popularized high res displays? You mean the company that still uses 750x1334 on their newest iPhone 8 released in September? All of the things you mentioned are unimportant at best and/or Apple didn't popularize them.

There are some thing, however, Apple did popularize and those are non removable batteries, no headphone jack, no expandable storage, those are just some on top of my head. I'm guessing face unlocking will be next thing that will become popular even though fingerprint sensor is better and makes more sense.

instead of just throwing together some hardware in a shitty plastic case and calling it a day.

What Apple does is throw some shitty hardware together in a metal case and call it a day.

 

[RaXoR]

They are pushing the envelope of being behind everyone while still having morons thinking they're innovating.

Well, ultrabooks, backlit keyboard, NVME-ssds, high resolution displays, USB-C, bigger and better touchpads where all popularized by Apple, so even if Macbooks don't have the best specs always, they are innovating in other aspects where the manufacturer actually have to do some R&D, instead of just throwing together some hardware in a shitty plastic case and calling it a day.

LMAO. All apple does is catch up to everyone while looking for the most meaningless gimmick and slap it onto their hardware. All of those features and technologies you listed have been used by other manufacturers. Apple simply takes it and calls it theirs while brainwashed fanboys believe it and spread lies.

 

[Skjetne]

Apple popularized high res displays? You mean the company that still uses 750x1334 on their newest iPhone 8 released in September? All of the things you mentioned are unimportant at best and/or Apple didn't popularize them.

There are some thing, however, Apple did popularize and those are non removable batteries, no headphone jack, no expandable storage, those are just some on top of my head. I'm guessing face unlocking will be next thing that will become popular even though fingerprint sensor is better and makes more sense.

instead of just throwing together some hardware in a shitty plastic case and calling it a day.

What Apple does is throw some shitty hardware together in a metal case and call it a day.

Yes, iPhone 4 had the highest resolution display of any mainstream phone when launched, and the same with the Retina Macbook Pro in 2012.

326 PPI is more than enough for to be "high resolution".
Crazy high resolution only leads to more power draw.

 

[AnilD]

Interesting that theres no surface laptop on here when as far as I remember its worse than any other surface product

There are 2 Surface products listed in there... not the "Surface Laptop" though, but the Book and the Pro laptop/tablet. I think this list is not about the worst to repair, but a random assortment of very hard to repair devices (mostly popular ones, which makes it more useful)...

 

[CLASYS]

They are pushing the envelope of being behind everyone while still having morons thinking they're innovating.

Well, ultrabooks, backlit keyboard, NVME-ssds, high resolution displays, USB-C, bigger and better touchpads where all popularized by Apple, so even if Macbooks don't have the best specs always, they are innovating in other aspects where the manufacturer actually have to do some R&D, instead of just throwing together some hardware in a shitty plastic case and calling it a day.

LMAO. All apple does is catch up to everyone while looking for the most meaningless gimmick and slap it onto their hardware. All of those features and technologies you listed have been used by other manufacturers. Apple simply takes it and calls it theirs while brainwashed fanboys believe it and spread lies.

You spelled Fanbois wrong

 

[SBKenn]

I put most of these devices in the "arms race" category. Marketing is most of what makes them seem desirable. The same goes for ever bigger hard-drives, higher resolution screens, faster CPUs. Back in the day, a kid in school told me "I've got the best computer ever, it's got Windows XP on it" Me: "great, what will it do that Windows 98 won't" He was stumped. OK, I wouldn't dream of installing 98 or XP on a net-connected PC now, but that misses the point. What we NEED is security and reliability. Ever more complex hardware and software isn't achieving that.
As for repairability, with devices with some airspace inside, the first thing to look for is capacitors with bulging or burst tops. Glue is certainly our enemy, but SMT also makes things difficult for even a moderately equipped professional. Manufacturers should HAVE to make things more repairable. Our throw-away marketplace is one of the things destroying our world. They should also HAVE to supply replacement modules at something approaching manufacturing cost, not 60% of the product price for 5% of the device. I have a washing machine that has one of the PCB's blown. The board has maybe 50 SMT devices, inc' a uC. A replacement costs nearly €300, 1/2 the cost of the whole machine, and probably 30x the production cost of the board. Do I throw the whole machine, all 12 cu ft of it ? Nahh, I'll splice in a small SMPS to replace the dead part ;-)

 

[sordidispro]

They are pushing the envelope of being behind everyone while still having morons thinking they're innovating.

Well, ultrabooks, backlit keyboard, NVME-ssds, high resolution displays, USB-C, bigger and better touchpads where all popularized by Apple, so even if Macbooks don't have the best specs always, they are innovating in other aspects where the manufacturer actually have to do some R&D, instead of just throwing together some hardware in a shitty plastic case and calling it a day.

LMAO. All apple does is catch up to everyone while looking for the most meaningless gimmick and slap it onto their hardware. All of those features and technologies you listed have been used by other manufacturers. Apple simply takes it and calls it theirs while brainwashed fanboys believe it and spread lies.

Yea, Your definitely a Fanboy for Apple. NFC, USB-C, OLED, MuMiMo Wifi, Gigabit MN Support, BLE, and countless other technologies were supported completely by ANDROID first. Apple took those technologies, Modified them for their use and called them their own. As to your regard of NVMe SSDs, Apple did not invent or even use NVMe when it was released, They used a proprietary SSD Technology Developed by Marvel and MediaTEK. You guys can say what you want, but it has been a long time since the term "Apple Did it First" has actually applied. They did not even make the first smartphone, I know right Shocker!, Hard for you guys to believe that you were second, But yea its true, here is the source for that one (http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-first-smartphone-simon-launched-before-iphone-2015-6). So before you continue down your path of blasphemy and lies, do some research.

 

[Trillionsin]

Samsung may have awesome hardware in the Note 8 but it's breakabilitly and difficulty of repair make it a dud as an aftermarket phone. Once the note 9 comes out those things are going to be on eBay en mass with shattered glass. Can't tell you how common it is for people to damage their phone's glass surfaces, the Note 8 only doubles that chance.

What makes you think that the Note 9 will be any more durable?

I'm not sure about everyone else, but I don't buy a $800 phone without some kind of case on it.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not arguing on it's durability... I think they leave something to be desired. However, after owning the Note 2, Note 3, Note 4, Note 5, Galaxy s8+, and Note 8.... I don't ever take them out without a case. I had the Galaxy s2 without a case, only phone screen I've ever broken. I havent broken one since... but seems like everyone else I see with an s8/+/Note8 have a cracked screen or back.

So anyways back to the point, did you see some articles talking about how they won't make the next one so fragile?

Edit: I give my prior phone to my wife, her phone to my mother, mother's phone to my sister... (and on down the chain of family members) still none of them broken.

 

[Danny101]

When I purchase a phone, laptop (I'm not into game devices), I pop over to iFixit. If it has a repair score below 4, I'll look for an alternative. I've been doing electronics, repair for almost 40 years. From vacuum tube televisions in the 70's, all the way to surface mount. I've replaced many LCD screens in laptops & phones, but it's getting almost impossible to service some of this stuff.
They make it near impossible to repair...on purpose. DISPOSABLE means a couple things.
One, "cheaper" to produce if you glue everything together. Two, easier to just toss away and buy a new one, which is the whole idea.

This is a sad state of affairs because it only increases the impact of e-waste and that dosen't bode well for the environment. Electronics more than anything else can be re-purpose for different uses over the course of years.

 

[Angga B]

What???
Don't you know it is Apple who invent wireless charging and put ot to Iphone 8?


ROFFLOFL

 

[Mad Man]

Invest in " glue". Invent better adhesive. That's what I learned from the article

 

[lazer]

Interesting to note that M$ and Apple are the majority on the list. These are the two companies that I see as loot first, customer last.....

 

[MsJazzMaven]

"Planned obsolescence" is the name of the game with Apple. And require adapters for everything I can do on my Android natively, like plugging in a pair of headphones or wired stereo speakers. And make it a "closed system" so you cannot upgrade anything on it yourself. Hence, no micro-SD slot or user-replaceable battery. And then, hold the whole thing together with glueand make it cost at least $600. Pretty expensive for something meant to throw away. Well, time to upgrade the micro-SD card on my LG Stylo 2 so I can be good for another year.

 

[Footlong]

Half of them are Apple products...

Pushing the envelope has it's downsides

Pushing the envelope of corporate greed has it's downsides. There fixed for you.

 

[GregonMaui]

Half of them are Apple products...

Apple was one of the first of many who made their products close to unrepairable so they can charge stupid amounts for a repair. The sad thing is that it became normalized.

Pushing the envelope has it's downsides

They are pushing the envelope of being behind everyone while still having morons thinking they're innovating.

Id say award goes to Microsoft because their only 2 products get the lowest scores on the list. (or is 0 and 1 really great?)

 

[GregonMaui]

Half of them are Apple products...

Apple was one of the first of many who made their products close to unrepairable so they can charge stupid amounts for a repair. The sad thing is that it became normalized.

Pushing the envelope has it's downsides

They are pushing the envelope of being behind everyone while still having morons thinking they're innovating.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, do Apple products still rank the highest in quality and last a long time? Generally this is still true. So wonder how you rate that. Unlikely to need repair, but if you need one, better than Microsoft on repairability. hmmmm? Oh yah, wasn't Microsoft dinged as do not buy from consumer reports because of quality issues? and you can't repair them? Awesome.

In reality, out of 4 iPads, 3 iPhones, 2 Macs, an AirPort Extreme, All are still working fine, 2 iPhone 5s (is that 4 or 5 years old) are still working great, and we never replaced the batteries, so grateful that iOs now throttles them back a little bit like the Droids instead of having them crash. throttling is so much cooler than crashing.

 

[Reehahs]

In other words, these are the products to avoid.

 

[Puiu]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, do Apple products still rank the highest in quality and last a long time? Generally this is still true. So wonder how you rate that. Unlikely to need repair, but if you need one, better than Microsoft on repairability. hmmmm? Oh yah, wasn't Microsoft dinged as do not buy from consumer reports because of quality issues? and you can't repair them? Awesome.

In reality, out of 4 iPads, 3 iPhones, 2 Macs, an AirPort Extreme, All are still working fine, 2 iPhone 5s (is that 4 or 5 years old) are still working great, and we never replaced the batteries, so grateful that iOs now throttles them back a little bit like the Droids instead of having them crash. throttling is so much cooler than crashing.

It's not like we have any official numbers for this.
I for one have a lot of friends who had problems with their iphones/macs. It cost them a lot to repair and in some cases they just gave up and bought new stuff.