Where The Verge and NYT went wrong with Apple’s repair program
Apple has a new repair program that allows independent stores and individuals to repair their own Apple products. It’s not for everyone, but if you know what you’re doing it sounds good.
Sean Hollister from The edge and Brian X Chen, writing for the New York Times, both received the Apple repair kit and tried to fix the screen (Chen tried to fix the battery first). They both screwed up.
But first, how does Apple’s repair program work? Well, to start with, you will need the tools to repair the device you are working on. Instead of sending specific tools needed for the project, Apple sends a 79-pound set of tools, which requires a $1,200 hold on a credit card.
In addition to the tools, they will ship the parts and service that will authenticate the parts to work with your device once the parts are installed (parts are VIN locked).
In the end, you return your old parts for a basic exchange (basically return the used part for a small refund).
Where did The Verge and The New York Times go wrong?
Both outlets had a lot of negative things to say and missteps along the way. Let’s break it down.
Here’s where The Verge went wrong
Sean Hollister skipped the step that tells you to clean up all the old glue that creates a tight seal between the screen and the body of the phone.
“While the instructions suggest it will peel off in a few big chunks if you tug with tweezers (not included in the box), I gave up after 10 minutes of removing tiny fuzzy drops of glue I was just going to add more adhesive anyway, after all. Later I found out that wasn’t my best idea.
No, it wasn’t. Glue takes up physical space. When you add more, it has to go somewhere, either inside the phone or pushing the screen away from the body of the phone.
If you don’t remove all the old glue before putting on a new one, it won’t recover properly.
Here’s where the New York Times went wrong
Brian X. Chen did a little better. Chen started out training with the iFixit kit on an older iPhone XS. Once that repair went well, he went to try a battery replacement on an iPhone 13.
He remembered to remove the two screws that secure the screen the first time on the handy iPhone XS. On the iPhone 13, he forgot to remove them and then used the Apple tool to remove the screen.
Here’s the thing about tools: they can be unforgiving. Chen told me on Twitter, “my point is that the dismantling machine had no room for error. A fraction of a second and it was over.
The screen disassembly machine assumes you have followed the instructions and removed the screws. Whether they are indoors or outdoors, he will try to lift the screen.
Tools do what you tell them to
There’s an essay by Neal Stephenson called “In the Beginning…Was the Command Line.” He talks about computers and how unforgiving the terminal command line interface is.
If you delete files there, they are deleted. The mouse-over interface puts them in the Recycle Bin or Trash, where you can restore them before they disappear.
In the essay, Stephenson compares the command line to the Milwaukee Hole Hawg exercise:
“The Hole Hawg is a drill press manufactured by the Milwaukee Tool Company. If you look at a typical hardware store, you might find smaller Milwaukee drills, but not the Hole Hawg, which is too powerful and too expensive for homeowners. […] It’s a solid metal cube with a handle sticking out of one side and a chuck mounted on another. The cube contains a disconcertingly powerful electric motor.
Stephenson goes on to talk about the dangers of the drill and how user error forced a dangerous situation involving a worker using the drill.
“…But I never blamed the Hole Hawg; I blamed myself. The Hole Hawg is dangerous because it does exactly what you tell it to. […] The danger does not lie in the machine itself but in the user’s inability to foresee all the consequences of the instructions given to him. (emphasis mine)
And that’s the point I want to make about Apple’s tools. Chen says they are ruthless. But they are meant to be. They have an imperative. Heat the glue. Remove the screen.
They don’t have a lock and don’t care whether you removed the screws first or not. You are a reasonably intelligent human, check if you removed the screws or not.
Alright, so what happened next? The machine attempted to remove the screen with the screws still attached, which predictably broke the screen. I still think this is a user error and not the fault of Apple’s tools.
Chen’s Screen Replacement and VIN Lock
Chen broke her screen in the process. Well, mistakes happen. He got a used Apple OEM screen (not a 3rd party counterfeit) and attempted to install it.
It installed and worked, but then gave error messages that the screen was replaced with unknown parts.
This happens because Apple uses a technique called VIN locking. In cars, computer modules are programmed with the VIN (vehicle identification number) of the car, so they only work with that car.
Often, but not always, it’s possible to take a module for a car and reprogram it so you can use junkyard or used eBay parts, saving money and keeping the parts out of discharge.
In Apple’s case, the screen has a chip that must be programmed to match the logic board of the phone it is installed on. When the screen and motherboard do not match, the error is displayed.
Apple’s service has a customer service phone line that you’re supposed to call to confirm the serial number, which will authenticate the new part and clear the error.
Apple doesn’t like used parts
The problem is that used parts aren’t part of Apple’s process at the customer service number, and the rep didn’t follow the correct steps to put Chen’s phone into the correct diagnostic mode.
Instead, Chen had to search online to find the correct steps to enter diagnostic mode.
Even then, it still gets error messages because the legitimate Apple screen cannot be programmed with a new “VIN”. It’s still locked to the old phone it came from.
What I like
79 pounds of tools seems overkill. Apple pays a lot to ship them back and forth. But I appreciate good purpose-built tools.
It’s possible to get the job done with the iFixit kit, and in some ways it’s a better kit, but I’m glad Apple’s offering exists, and I think Chen was out of place in blaming the tools for his own mistakes.
What I do not like
First of all, $1200 in pending credit is a lot for a fix. And seems a bit silly if we’re being honest.
On top of that, VIN lock sucks. I understand Apple doesn’t want third party screens on phones because a worse screen or an uncalibrated screen in color will make people think iPhones suck, while inferior parts are what sucks . But VIN lock is a serious hindrance to repair.
The problem with VIN lock, besides how bad it sucks when you’re trying to fix something, is that you have to rely on the authentication service to continue to exist.
Just as applications become outdated and no longer work on newer hardware, or applications that rely on web services die, we rely on a phone line to be operational and staffed to authenticate part repairs. It feels flimsy and undesirable.
Do you have to repair your phone yourself?
If you’re proficient at removing glue, screws, and following instructions, of course. If this is your first or second repair, consider hiring a shop to do it. The tools themselves are not the problem.
If you were the kid who took your toys apart and successfully put them back together, this might be for you. If you choose to ignore the instructions or forget, it may be for the independent repair shop that you should take your phone to for repairs.
Do you have any thoughts on this? Let us know below in the comments or forward the discussion to our Twitter or facebook.
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