[jessa_ipadrehab]

After opening thousands of iPads, there is no question whether you are opening an iPad sealed by Apple, or if has had a prior repair and been resealed.

Independent repair screen swaps can be very good, especially when 100% of the old adhesive is removed, the frame cleaned, and the aftermarket adhesive is of original quality. But even with this, the pressure required to remove the sealed screen is less than an original screen. The dust seal between the LCD and digitizer can't be replicated (or isn't replicated) by independent repair. The dust seal in this mini was intact.

There is no question, from experience, that this mini was an Apple refurb. Also, I don't know of any other shop that would replace the iPad mini PMIC. We only do it under duress since the effort required to CNC drill out the old chip, combined with the cost of the new chip is not amenable to profitable board repair compared the market value of a used iPad mini first gen.

There is no question that this board was an Apple refurb, and it's not the first one that I've seen that is like it. In reality, it is a very good refurb. Those damaged caps are not likely to cause any practical problems, and replacing the PMIC underfill was probably deemed not that important--which I would agree with.

I have no problem with Apple putting out refurbs like this, it is a great environmental move. But own it. It is what it is. I'd like to see Apple say "You betcha, that's our work and we're damn proud of it."

[zer0her0]

Thank you for the explanation, I left the repair industry just as iOS devices started to take the forefront and there wasn't much left to "repair" w/o getting out (de)soldering and reflow equipment.

Pretty sure they do "own it", that's what the whole warranty, either original or 90 days from last repair is all about. ;) I just think a single digit # of boards, that should've possibly failed QA, making it out to the public compared to the thousands you've seen is a pretty good testament to them being damn proud of their work.

Re-reading the description for your video, I think the issue is for non-AASP repair centers, much like any 3rd party repair location (whether it be Apple, or some other name brand electronic, appliance, or vehicle) is guaranteeing the quality of parts and labor one gets from the plethora of independents out there. I think the real issue to rail against is the plethora of poor 3rd party repairs that aren't certified or backed by any sort of warranty vs these outliers, as they're the ones that really cast a bad light on the independent.

[jessa_ipadrehab]

I agree that poor third party repair shops are an incredible nuisance to the independent repair industry. But on par with that is how entrenched the opposite viewpoint seems to be among Apple fans--that "only Apple is qualified to repair Apple devices" The reason I made this video is to shine a light on what Apple refurbishment really means. I don't believe this case is an outlier. I have only ever seen two iPads that I knew for sure were Apple refurb and both were like this. More strikingly, is the iPhone 6/6+ touch ic epidemic. There is widespread failure of the touch ic(s) leading to a characteristic gray flashing bar at the top of the screen and loss of touch function. What stinks is that many people turning in their in-warranty new iPhones for this defect are leaving with Apple refurb phones that contain boards that once had another life in someone else's hands. The problem is exacerbated by drop, so these refurb boards that made their way back to Apple have a high percentage of having sustained a drop severe enough to warrant trading in the phone for out of warranty replacement. When Apple puts these boards straight into new housings with a new screen and battery, the refurb is set up for touch ic failure---and we are seeing tons of reports of touch failures in refurb phones.

Compare that to independent repair where a new touch ic is soldered on the board to replace the weak original chip--that is a much more robust solution, and carries a longer warranty.

I was prompted to make this video to just float the idea that "Apple always has superior repair because only they are 'authorized' to fix their products" is not true.

My motivation largely came from aggressive bullying and harassment, by some of the regulars at the Apple Support Community forum at any mention of independent repair as a viable option. I was banned from the forum for continuing to suggest that some problems could best be served by independent repair (such as data recovery after water damage) I did another video on my experience there. http://youtu.be/3VqYui3piV8

[tbirdz]

Hi Jessa! Thanks for making the video, and welcome to Hacker News.