iFixit retracts its iPhone 14's repairability score of 7 and gives it a "4-not recommended"

[Cal Jeffrey]

WTF?! While Apple's repair program has many caveats and pitfalls, it's still better than what the company offered before, which was nothing. However, now it appears it's been one step forward and two steps back as iFixit retracted the iPhone 14's repairability score of 7 "recommended" and gave it a 4 "not recommended" due to part-pairing procedures.

On Tuesday, iFixit announced it would be dropping its original fixability score for the iPhone 14 from a 7/10 to a 4/10, putting it into the website's do-not-recommend range. iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens explains that the initial score was based on the phone's hardware being much more accessible and easier to disassemble, which is still the case.

However, after awarding the score, it appeared that repairability was not so great when using unauthorized or unpaired parts. Wiens says that most repairs first require an okay from Apple. When complete, the fix must then be "validated" by Apple techs via Apple's System Configuration tool. Wiens describes the process as a "software" handshake, referred to as "part pairing."

"Today, you need one more thing: a software handshake using Apple's System Configuration tool. It contacts Apple's servers to "authenticate" the repair, then "pairs" the new part to your system so it works as expected. Of course, it can only authenticate if Apple knows about your repair in advance because you gave them the exact serial number of your iPhone, and they've pre-matched it to a display or battery. This is only possible if you buy the screen or battery directly from Apple."

If repair techs don't follow these steps or replacements are not brand-new Apple parts, it sets off a software flag that limits functionality. Additionally, Wiens showed examples of warning messages for three aftermarket replacements--camera, screen, and even batteries were flagged and presented nag alerts declaring the system cannot verify the parts are genuine (below).

The system throws a big old monkey wrench into Apple's self-aggrandizing DIY repair program and its commitment to allowing mom-and-pop shops to repair iPhones. Most of these smaller businesses cannibalize broken devices that contain used but still perfectly functional components to pass savings on to the customer. What does this do to Apple's goal of being carbon neutral by 2030? Does it even count this unnecessary e-waste? It's doubtful. "Not in our house, not our problem."

Click to enlarge

There are also brand-new battery replacements to consider. Using a third-party battery is much cheaper than Apple's overpriced cells, but if using one causes the software to act like this, it's not worth it to the shop or the individual DIYer to bother. Furthermore, even when using genuine Apple components, the pop-ups still occur if part pairing through Apple is skipped.

Some shop owners have told iFixit that they completely pulled out of iPhone repair because of Apple's shenanigans.

"The situation has gotten so bad that several repair professionals have told us they're leaving the business entirely rather than navigate the labyrinthine maze of obstacles that Apple has erected," Wiens wrote.

The issue has also caused iFixit to re-evaluate its scoring system and adjust it to include software limitations on self-repair.

"And now that we've run the iPhone 14 through our new scorecard, the picture isn't as rosy," Wiens said. "The iPhone 14's new 4/10 score reflects the fact that individuals and independent repair shops encounter some atrocious limitations when trying to fix it."

Apple's current repair stance is still better than its previous attitude of "no repair for you" from a few years ago, but to say it's entirely on board with the right-to-repair movement would give it too much credit. Wiens says "good people" at Apple are still working to improve repairability. Maybe pressure from iFixit and negative press can spur Cupertino into taking action to fix this problem.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/100210-ifixit-retracts-iphone-14-repairability-score-7-gives.html

 

[m4a4]

Some shop owners have told iFixit that they completely pulled out of iPhone repair because of Apple's shenanigans.

*Sigh* And that's exactly what Apple wants to hear. Less 3rd party repairs, more sales.

And the sheep will just keep buying iPhones and indirectly support this anti-consumerism...

 

[Uncle Al]

LOL ..... just the opposite I think .... Less 3rd party repairs, fewer buyers .... I know that's why I dropped them.

 

[Gars]

Ooh, you have flat tire? no problem mate, we own the manual for these, rtfm carefully

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

I think one step that was overlooked was the software side which I think not many regulators want to get into. I wonder how many other companies are following this as well?

 

[Loli Pop Carbon]

LOL ..... just the opposite I think .... Less 3rd party repairs, fewer buyers .... I know that's why I dropped them.

Apple's loyal sheeps dont care about repairablity, most of users don't. I've never heard about anyone in my life talking about repairability and considering it seriously while buying smartphones, laptop, or any gadgets, never even once literally. Their high sales are proof of it.

Yet they are still buying them Apple, because when it brakes they can just buy new. Or I often heard many are shocked by the high repair cost when they do need the repair.

I once told my friend who was saving so hard to buy iPhone 14 Pro 256GB which costs more than 4x of her monthly wages. I told her it's ridiculously expensive if it breaks. She doesnt care, and just said "I'll be careful".

 

[hahahanoobs]

At least they're trying. The back is easier to remove...

 

[ZackL04]

Apple's loyal sheeps dont care about repairablity, most of users don't. I've never heard about anyone in my life talking about repairability and considering it seriously while buying smartphones, laptop, or any gadgets, never even once literally. Their high sales are proof of it.

Yet they are still buying them Apple, because when it brakes they can just buy new. Or I often heard many are shocked by the high repair cost when they do need the repair.

I once told my friend who was saving so hard to buy iPhone 14 Pro 256GB which costs more than 4x of her monthly wages. I told her it's ridiculously expensive if it breaks. She doesnt care, and just said "I'll be careful".

Your friend is not the majority, but I applaud your for “attempting” to help with her poor money management decisions.

Im not a sheep. But to be honest, I preferred iOS before it started copying Androids widgets and what not. It was nearly bug free back in the day….

I typically keep my iphone for 2yrs or more at a time. When I buy a new one, I NEVER buy the latest and greatest. I usually purchase last years model when the newest one drops.

I have NEVER had a hardware issue, I actually found my little iphone 12 mini in the bottom of the hot tub one night and it was 100% fine. I think it was in there for an hour or so!

I consider myself a skilled hands on and technical person. Do I care to repair my iphone? Hell no, these things are so small and crammed with tech, I dont have the patience for that. And I bet 95% of Apple buyers feel the same, leave the repairs to professionals. Especially on higher priced devices

 

[rmcrys]

Honestly I kind of understand Apple, though it doesn't mean that they should take credit (and profit) for it.

I had an iPhone but it had too many limitations that I dropped it for android. Now I own Samsung phones and I'm very happy (though my S22 Ultra already needed a 10x camera replacement and now needs the 3x, under warranty).

To the point: if you buy an expensive phone (which for me above 600€ it is) is because you value the high quality display, battery, ultra fast charge, cameras, etc.

If you replace parts yourself or by 3rd party, there is a huge high risk that something fails, the battery catches fire by sub par quality, screen quality and color differences, etc.. and then Apple could get bad credit for it. On Youtube I remember seeing a guy complaining his second hand iPhone wasn't good...not telling that it had a 3rd party screen and battery, but you say it is Apple's fault.

What should be mandatory is that all brands allow, certify and give instructions to 3rd party repair centers that what to repair these phones; as well as to give certification to 3rd party manufacturers that make the parts according to the brand and may be an alternative.

It's the same as in a car, you don't buy a Porsche or BMW M or a Tesla and then you put main important parts from cheap 3rd party manufacturers: the risk that the car fails or the battery management doesn't work well with a 3rd party battery is too great and risky. Then it's the brand fault! "A Tesla or iPhone catches fire, what a risky brand...".

The same as I heard many times:
"the X-brand electric scooter catches fire " (after investigation the owner replaced the battery himself with a 3rd party one. But the news were the X- brand device...)

"The Y- brand phone catches fire and had a lousy screen for the premium price" (after investigation the owner charged the phone with a lousy 3€ Chinese "fast charging" charger and had several 3rd party parts in the device. But the news were the Y- brand device...).

So yeah, if you bought an expensive phone that lasts you 3/4 years and then you have to spend 69-99€ to replace the battery, I find it more than acceptable. What it is not, are Apple's screen replacements that are usually obscenely expensive. That and their obsession to milk the cow to the limit:
- lightning port over years, certified accessories, etc

- now the supplied USB C cable is just USB 2.0 speed even on the PRO...what the heck?! Even my Chinese much cheaper e-ink tablet comes with a thick good 5 gbps cable...

 

[Loli Pop Carbon]

Your friend is not the majority, but I applaud your for “attempting” to help with her poor money management decisions.

Im not a sheep. But to be honest, I preferred iOS before it started copying Androids widgets and what not. It was nearly bug free back in the day….

I typically keep my iphone for 2yrs or more at a time. When I buy a new one, I NEVER buy the latest and greatest. I usually purchase last years model when the newest one drops.

I have NEVER had a hardware issue, I actually found my little iphone 12 mini in the bottom of the hot tub one night and it was 100% fine. I think it was in there for an hour or so!

I consider myself a skilled hands on and technical person. Do I care to repair my iphone? Hell no, these things are so small and crammed with tech, I dont have the patience for that. And I bet 95% of Apple buyers feel the same, leave the repairs to professionals. Especially on higher priced devices

Exactly. Almost no one will think of repairing their devices by themselves. They will always go to official apple store and leave it to the pro. iFixit score means nothing to 95% of the buyers.

Moreover iPhones are expensive and considered as luxurious product in some countries, 1 iPhone's cheapest base price reaching up to 1-2x monthly salary of a corporate manager level. Attempting to diy repair one is suicide.

 

[rmcrys]

Exactly. Almost no one will think of repairing their devices by themselves. They will always go to official apple store and leave it to the pro. iFixit score means nothing to 95% of the buyers.

Moreover iPhones are expensive and considered as luxurious product in some countries, 1 iPhone's cheapest base price reaching up to 1-2x monthly salary of a corporate manager level. Attempting to diy repair one is suicide.

Exactly, today's phones at least most are very high fine tech, much more with water resistance. Even a 300€ phone I would take it to a repair center; a high end phone is the same as having a Rolls-Royce and saying you want to change the gearbox yourself with a 3rd party one at home... sorry no.

But Apple's prices for the parts is obscene though...it shouldn't be like that.

 

[3volv3d]

This is why Apple were considered to be Not for the Tech Savvy.

Don't get me wrong you have over priced iPhone. Simple, for the simple person. The laptop owner.
Or you have google, where, you need to hunt down a rom you think is better than google and steals 1% less of your data, as it reads your emails and messages, and everything you look at.

LOL ..... just the opposite I think .... Less 3rd party repairs, fewer buyers .... I know that's why I dropped them.

You had a phone you liked and a company that didn't care about you having options. But young people even in their first jobs pay £100 a month or more to have the latest greatest iPhones, just like their friends. Face Time!

And you can't tell people they are sheep. They don't remember what really made them choose that phone. Was it cause everyone else had one, or they had to have the most expensive. I know people who won't stray from apple. It just works they say. And if it just works why does it need repairing ? =P

 

[Vanderlinde]

About a week ago I plunged myself in attempting to replace the battery of a Macbook 13 inch around 2015. Warranty has just expired and bringing it to a Apple Repairstore yielded that it was out of the repair period. Basicly your left over to third party vendors, so we ordered a battery kit from Ifixit with the screws and used a simple manual to step by step, replaced that puffed up battery.

It looked like a simple job but it was surgery which required utter precision from here to tokio. I don't know why a battery has to be covered down and things like the speakers, mainboard and such have to be removed. Now I know what your thinking - but that's nothing right? Well, the screws for example to get to the battery where as large as flees - extremely tiny and engineering out of this world in my opinion.

After roughly 1.5 hour I managed to replace it and put the thing back together. We got a charging symbol. All fixed. But geezus - that model was from 2015 and I can sense the pain of todays Apple tech and having to repair it. It's great hardware - and it's software ecosystem is even better. That's why I use it since the Iphone 6.

 

[Mister_K]

Your friend is not the majority, but I applaud your for “attempting” to help with her poor money management decisions.

His friend is the majority. No one cares about reparability. The masses care about the planet as long as it makes them look great in front of others and on social media but then still go ahead and buy a new device every year or two. Deep down people do not give a damn. Hate to burst ya bubble mate.

 

[bviktor]

*Sigh* And that's exactly what Apple wants to hear. Less 3rd party repairs, more sales.

And the sheep will just keep buying iPhones and indirectly support this anti-consumerism...

So I'll just repair it in certified Apple shops. It's not rocket science.

 

[m4a4]

So I'll just repair it in certified Apple shops. It's not rocket science.

If you think you have the freedom to repair more than the basics for a reasonable price in shops that have Apple's permission, you're not paying attention.

 

[Bobbydpue]

Honestly I kind of understand Apple, though it doesn't mean that they should take credit (and profit) for it.

To the point: if you buy an expensive phone (which for me above 600€ it is) is because you value the high quality display, battery, ultra fast charge, cameras, etc.

If you replace parts yourself or by 3rd party, there is a huge high risk that something fails, the battery catches fire by sub par quality, screen quality and color differences, etc.. and then Apple could get bad credit for it. On Youtube I remember seeing a guy complaining his second hand iPhone wasn't good...not telling that it had a 3rd party screen and battery, but you say it is Apple's fault.

You can't defend Apple using the reason people could put subpar replacement parts into their phones and ruining their reputation when Apple themselves prevents people from buying Apple parts from Apple suppliers and then Apple software locks the parts. Apple can't complain about a problem they purposefully caused for no reason other than to increase profits.

After Apple paraded their environmental accomplishments in their latest keynote, I wondered how many Apple devices end up in landfills due to repairs being too expensive from Apple. I wonder what mother nature would think about Apple devices littering landfills.

 

[Bobbydpue]

So I'll just repair it in certified Apple shops. It's not rocket science.

Apple charges nearly the price of a brand new device for some repairs, on purpose.

 

[Bobbydpue]

His friend is the majority. No one cares about reparability. The masses care about the planet as long as it makes them look great in front of others and on social media but then still go ahead and buy a new device every year or two. Deep down people do not give a damn. Hate to burst ya bubble mate.

People do care about repairability. iFixit exists specifically because people do care about repairability. You can't say "the majority", and "no one" unless you somehow know everyone and their opinion.

 

[Puiu]

"Does it even count this unnecessary e-waste?" - there is ZERO doubt that it does.

This needs to be made illegal yesterday.

 

[rmcrys]

Apple themselves prevents people from buying Apple parts from Apple suppliers and then Apple software locks the parts [...] I wondered how many Apple devices end up in landfills due to repairs being too expensive from Apple. I wonder what mother nature would think about Apple devices littering landfills.

The reality can be something different but on most first world countries, electronic devices are recycled. But I never agreed with Apple not selling those parts. The question is: between DIY with Apple expensive parts and do everything on Apple, is there a big difference? I never needed repair outside the warranty on my phones, so I know nothing about it.

Apple charges nearly the price of a brand new device for some repairs, on purpose.

I heard that for brand new models, though I never needed so I don't know how much doors it cost, I heard from friends that needed a new screen that Apple charged for a 2 year model an acceptable amount (I imagined around 150€). Care to put a price on it?

How much does it cost to put a new screen on an iPhone 13 Pro Max? And a new battery on an iPhone 12 Pro Max?

 

[Mister_K]

People do care about repairability. iFixit exists specifically because people do care about repairability. You can't say "the majority", and "no one" unless you somehow know everyone and their opinion.

The majority do not. I meet a lot of people through my job. Everyone rocks an iPhone primarily and no one ever cares about repairing their phone. If they damage it, they take it to Apple and pay their service charge.

You kid yourself if you think average joe even thinks about reparability...

 

[rmcrys]

You kid yourself if you think average joe even thinks about reparability...

You're right about that, nevertheless I think there are two different iPhone users and I know well both:

1) the ones that buy it first hand: these don't care about DIY and just want the phone will get fixed as new through Apple

2) the ones who buy second hand because as first hand it is too expensive: if something happen, they want it to get repaired as cheap as possible. If they can get to a 3rd party repair center and get the job done with 3rd party screens and batteries, even if they are not as good or accurate as the originals, it doesn't matter, as long as it is cheaper and their iPhone / iOS works as always worked.

I also know people with high end iPhones with broken front and back glasses and nevertheless they don't change them because of the price. I also know people who bought a sport BMW but then put cheap parts because the good ones cost too much... (so why buying a BMW in first place?!).

My only "thing" is that brands like apple usually ask extremely too much money for "simple" repairs. They should care much better the costumers and have them covered...

 

[Puiu]

The majority do not. I meet a lot of people through my job. Everyone rocks an iPhone primarily and no one ever cares about repairing their phone. If they damage it, they take it to Apple and pay their service charge.

You kid yourself if you think average joe even thinks about reparability...

the majority do care. they just aren't given the option to do repairs. I don't think you understand just how many walk with broken screen because they can't repair them. broken iphones are everywhere and ppl can't afford to fix them because of Apple.

if you personally don't care then that's your problem and you are part of everyone's problem.

 

[Bobbydpue]

The majority do not. I meet a lot of people through my job. Everyone rocks an iPhone primarily and no one ever cares about repairing their phone. If they damage it, they take it to Apple and pay their service charge.

You kid yourself if you think average joe even thinks about reparability...

The majority, how do you know? Did you send out a survey to everyone? How do you know everyone so you can form an opinion about what the majority cares about?
"Everyone rocks an iPhone primarily and no one even cares about repairing their phone." And that's just the people you know. What of all the hundreds of millions of people you don't know? How does your circle of people you know represent the entire world. This isn't just about phones either. Apple makes a bunch of other products. .
Just because you think something doesn't make it true. You might not care about it, but that doesn't mean everyone does. You aren't everyone.