[michaelnoguera]

I have tried to faithfully summarize the video here. If you notice a mistake or omission, please correct me.

Rossmann’s main message: “to complain about something that is an option rather than complain about all of the options that are missing misses the forest for the trees”.

Key points:

1. For certain repairs, Apple’s repair program has “made availiable the exact same OEM parts and tools that they use” via rental. Renting these tools is optional and not required; Rossmann recognizes that while he (and in his opinion, most people) will likely not use these tools, their availability is a non-issue.

2. Sean Hollister’s article in The Verge was highly critical of the entire self-repair process, and called out the weight and price of this completely optional tool rental. Per Rossmann, “part of the problem with tech journalism in general is… focusing on the things that are easy rather than focusing on the things that matter”.

3. Rossmann reminds us that the right-to-repair fight is far from over. Board schematics and individual components are still not available even to authorized repair shops. He argues that these would enable him to more efficiently perform repairs.

4. Rossmann: While the tech press’s complaints are “making the right to repair people look like… fools”, “it is important to [know] that they don’t represent us [normal repair shops and average users]”.

[ksec]

Unpopular opinion.

The Verge did exactly what Apple would have like them to do. And you could argue whether that was intentional or not. ( Part of the whole PR play is to shape public discourse )

By showcasing the proper way of doing it, or how it is done when you paid $69 in the Apple Store, the article has correctly set the stage for 99% of Tech readers. ( Non-Tech people never give a damn or wouldn't want to try it themselves anyway ).

[Nextgrid]

I wouldn't be surprised if making the tools available was indeed a PR move by Apple to show off how difficult & inconvenient a "perfect" repair is to do. They didn't have to do it and as far as I know nobody was asking for those (opening/closing iPhones is a long-solved problem by various third-party tools) - instead the RtR crowd is asking for parts and schematics (which this self-repair program doesn't fully address - the parts catalog is minimal).

The fact that they're subsidizing the tool kits (the $1200 deposit they take is nowhere near the value of all that equipment) also suggests that they wanted regular people to get their hands on these tools (and no doubt talk about it) as opposed to charging the actual market value which - while affordable for a repair shop - would've been way out of reach of a regular user.

After all, this kind of equipment is not new and has been available for ages (comments on another thread about this say that in China every phone repair outlet had similar equipment) if you could justify buying it, and yet we haven't had articles like this on major tech news websites until Apple subsidized it enough and put it in a nice, idiot-friendly package.

[ClumsyPilot]

> The fact that they're subsidizing the tool kits (the $1200 deposit they take is nowhere near the value of all that equipment)

That's not a subsidy - in the normal course of business the deposit is returned and no money changes hands.

The deposit is just an insentive to return the goods, it can cover 30% or 300% of the value. The tools might not be returned, and that probably is a crime, but that's not a subsidy.

[Zren]

You can purchase all the tools instead of renting them. Someone on reddit did the math and found it was $1100 to buy everything.

https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/uuocl3/the_verge_...

To confirm it, here's all the Apple Tools listed for the iPhone 12 Battery Replacement. All costed at $1086.96.

    # Apple Tools  
     $49.00 [7-Day Rental] iPhone 12 Tool Kit (Part RKIT-12) [Rental Information]  
      $0.65 Back Protective Cover (Part 923-04877)  
      $0.65 Display Protective Cover (Part 923-04878)  
      $0.70 Adhesive Cutter (Part 923-01092)  
      $2.78 Nylon Probe (Black Stick) (Part 922-5065)  
      $8.00 JCIS Bit (Part 923-0246)  
     $10.00 Super screw Bit (Part 923-02066)  
     $12.00 Micro Stix® Bit (Part 923-01290)  
     $13.33 Torx® Security Bit (Part 923-0247)  
     $29.50 Display Adhesive Press Plate (Part 923-04911)  
     $50.00 6.1-inch Repair Tray (Part 923-04908)  
     $80.00 Torque Driver (Green, 0.45 kgf cm) (Part 923-00105)  
     $85.00 Torque Driver (Gray, 0.55 kgf cm) (Part 923-00738)  
     $99.00 Torque Driver (Black, 0.35 kgf cm) Kit (Part 923-0248)  
    $108.00 6.1-inch Heated Display Pocket (Part 661-19620)  
    $115.00 Battery Press (Part 923-02657)  
    $216.00 Display Press (Part 661-08916)  
    $256.35 Heated Display Removal Fixture (Part 661-17619)

[delusional]

It's crazy to read this comment because the article in the verge literally makes the exact same point.

[Wowfunhappy]

I partly agree, but I wish The Verge had been clearer that the huge kit was optional and the other parts could be bought separately.

And... I don't know, PR move or not, isn't it awesome that regular consumers can rent access to the full kit? I'm not sure who I'd recommend it to, but I'm sure someone is super excited, and good for them!

If I'd written the article at The Verge, I would have ended with something along the lines of:

> For most people, renting Apple's Tool Kit isn't worth the cost or hassle. If you don't have experience repairing electronics, the Apple Store is a safer and easier alternative, and if you do, you probably have your own tools already. It's great to see Apple selling genuine replacement parts to consumers. Just, don't throw out that iFixIt toolkit quite yet!

[delusional]

I guess you can always argue for _more_ of whatever angle you prefer, but it's right there at the start of the article. It's even mentioned twice in the same paragraph.

>The thing you should understand about Apple’s home repair process is that it’s a far cry from traditional DIY if you opt for the kit — which I did, once I saw the repair manual only contains instructions for Apple’s own tools. (You can just buy a battery if you want.)

[Wowfunhappy]

That's fair, but for what it's worth I did read the article and I legitimately missed this. I don't think I was the only one given what the reaction seems to have been.

[Nullabillity]

It's not awesome that their phones are designed so maliciously (poorly if you want to be charitable.. but what have they done to deserve that interpretation?) that you need all this kit (or the equivalent from elsewhere) to repair your stuff.

[Wowfunhappy]

But it isn't necessarily malice or poor design, merely different priorities. Apple may well be trying to design phones that are as small, capable, and water-resistant as possible, all of which come at the cost of repairability.

[HomeGear]

While I have no data to support this, I don’t think “regular people” are purchasing OEM parts, renting tools for a $1,200 deposit, and risking self-repair. To me, the idea is almost absurd.

[Wowfunhappy]

I agree, but I think lots of regular people would like to get their phones fixed more cheaply at a third-party repair shop.

[samsa]

Apple would like you to have them / their contractors repair your device, or better yet buy a new one.

Everything about this program signals that Apple is grudgingly doing this. It's designed to scare people away from doing the repairs themselves.

[nudgeee]

The idea of OEM repairs is to get the product back as close to factory quality as possible with as little margin for error as possible by the operator. This often requires custom tools and jigs to maximize repeatability at a high quality standard, especially on something as complex and highly integrated as a smartphone.

The gripe of the right to repair movement isn’t that tech should be made less complex, it is that the access to parts, information and schematics/designs should be made more accessible for repairs — useful if you have the necessary skills required to carry out repairs without OEM tools.

This is coming from someone who does board level repairs on the side.

[fartcannon]

Mostly I don't want to have to worry what booby traps might trip in a device I payed a substantial amount for because of some petulant CEO.

[Bud]

This may be the gripe of your particular highly-skilled niche of the right-to-repair movement, but wide swaths of said movement are agitating for products to be wholly redesigned in the ways they prefer, to aid in much easier repairs. Never mind what the other 98% of the market might like.

[ClumsyPilot]

I disagree with both claims you are making - that right to repair folks are agitating for redesign, and that 98% of the market is happy with the status quo.

If I go out and ask everyone I know, if they are happy with the current unrepairable appliances, the amount of people who answer yes is < 10%.

The only people I know who are happy, live in extreme privilidge where they can afford replacing devices annually.

But let us say that both claims you are making are true -> so what? What are the economic and environmental implication of unrepairable equipment?

[quesera]

> If I go out and ask everyone I know, if they are happy with the current unrepairable appliances, the amount of people who answer yes is < 10%.

I find this incredible.

Most people have been throwing away / replacing perfectly repairable appliances since long before mobile phones.

What makes mobile phones different?

(Obligatory Framing: I'm all for RtR. I don't think it's practical to require Apple to dumb down their design or construction to fit what a consumer could accomplish at their basement bench. But if I, or my neighborhood repair shop, is sophisticated enough to perform the work, I do think parts should be available.)

[gruez]

>If I go out and ask everyone I know, if they are happy with the current unrepairable appliances, the amount of people who answer yes is < 10%.

The question seems pointless because it's a combination of asking something that people always want more of (who doesn't want more repairability, at least in the abstract?), and fails to mention the trade-offs (eg. price, thinness, water resistance).

[Bud]

Who said anything about replacing devices annually? Could we at least argue honestly and in good faith?

iPhones and iPads are very easily good for, at a minimum, three to four years of very heavy use before any battery replacement would be necessary at all.

Your numbers are sourced from a very atypical population, and you are obviously smart enough to know that. My numbers are accurate, as evidenced by, um, people still buying hundreds of millions of iPhones a year and Apple still having the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the industry. Astronomically high ratings.

As for the environmental implications, that is of course a fair question, but have you taken some time to familiarize yourself with Apple's extraordinary efforts to build robots for the specific purpose of fully disassembling its devices so that materials can then be recycled? You should. You might be impressed.

[Sebb767]

Honestly, how? They provide the parts at a reasonable price and even provide the actual tooling they use to get something as close to OEM repair as possible. There are a lot of things faulty at Apple, but this is not one of them.

[ClumsyPilot]

Can you buy the $5 lighting port if your's has broken? Can you buy the $2 charging chip? Can you buy a microphone, a gyroscope, or any of the 50 individual electronic components for either phones, laptops or tablets? Can you at least by the micropone jack?

I rest my case.

[Sebb767]

The original comment said:

> It's designed to scare people away from doing the repairs themselves.

I don't think the program is perfect, but I don't see how missing components scare people away.

[kcplate]

I’m gonna assume from your name that you might understand what I am about to say— I think you may be demanding SRU and SRCs where LRUs are appropriate.

[samsa]

I suppose "scare" was perhaps too strong a word. "Steer" would have been more appropriate. Search Apple's website for "repair" to get a sense of how important they think letting consumers know about this program is.

You'll find 404 responses when you click on repair manual links; the link to the self service repair is at the bottom of the support page; the self service storefront is very deliberately non-descript and as others have mentioned immediately raises red flags for people trained to look for basic clues about a site's legitimacy. Etc.

[fargle]

The issue is that the owners of a device should have the choice whether they want an OEM quality repair or just "good enough", not Apple. It's just not their position to make this decision for you.

The argument will be made that the "App Store" is there to protect you because security/privacy. And the DRM'd components are there to protect you from cheap chinese knockoffs. I think that's fine as long as it's opt-in.

But no, it's not for your protection - it's to control the market and drive the cost of repair higher so you will forced to buy a new phone more often. This is a blatant case of "OK you demanded right-to-repair, so let's show you how to make it as difficult as possible". It's not grudging - it's willful and spiteful.

[Brian_K_White]

But they don't. Comments like this proves the effectiveness of the pr stunt. This kit of tools is not what anyone asked for or needed, and does not address any of the actual problems with repairing Apple products.

[Sebb767]

If definitely does address some. As Louis correctly points out, if you don't have much skill and/or want an OEM-like repair, having those tools available is great. And if you don't need them, Apple doesn't force them onto you. I honestly think it's great that they offer their tooling for rent. Now, the program is not perfect by any means. But it definitely does address some of the problems with repairing Apple products.

Lastly, as I already pointed out in a sister comment, the grandparent said the program is designed to scare people away from repairing their phone. I actually don't see how. In fact, providing the tooling makes it more accessible than just providing the parts. I'd love to see everything replaceable, but this is a step in the right direction.

[fock]

thanks, now I've skimmed the verge piece and read your summary and have to admit: wasn't the main point of the verge that it's absolute ridiculous that the "apple approved"-way of fixing things requires two peli-cases of custom tools. This doesn't scale FOR THEM and one of the main points of criticisim in the verge revolved around that! The whole process is just designed so that in 3-4 years Apple will go to their favorite congress critters and say: "look, noones using this and it's expensive!!!". Then fast-forward to Rossmanns point 3.

[heisenzombie]

It seems very unsurprising to me that Apple internally uses industrial tools and custom jigs and fixtures to repair iPhones. Right? Like, it would be super weird if they used low-cost hand tools.

So is the complaint here that in addition to making the parts available to purchase, and a rental program for the “industrial” gear, they should also have developed a parallel set of low-cost tools and procedures for the hobby/personal market?

I think that’s a red-herring. A home hobbyist would be better off going “great, thanks for the parts, I’m off to pay iFixit for some tools. Oh and now give us schematics and parts for when I work out how to do SMD rework”

(And for pro shops, the price quoted for those pelican cases strikes me as an absolute bargain, if they don’t already have tools they like better)

[Closi]

Yeah! It would be weird to me if Apple said the official recommended repair process was to use a domestic hand-dryer or a hot water bottle and a guitar pick.

[Brian_K_White]

"So is the complaint here that in addition to making the parts available to purchase, and a rental program for the “industrial” gear, they should also have developed a parallel set of low-cost tools and procedures for the hobby/personal market?"

No. It's that this is mostly a diversion that does nothing to address what someone actually needs to reapair a device, which is parts and for the software not to artificially brick the hardware. But it makes everyone else who don't repair things think that Apple is trying to be reasonable and cooperative while they're still not at all.

[Gigachad]

You don’t need those tools. It’s very easy to do with a hairdryer and a guitar pick. The point of the tools which is mentioned in the video is it allows a moron with no skill or hand to eye coordination to reliably replace batteries all day with no failures and a perfect finish.

You, a competent person, will just use a guitar pick and your fingers to do the same job. Or at least you won’t have anyone else to blame if you mess it up when apple offered the tools or the in store service to have it done.

Apple has a tool for putting glass screen protectors on phones, or unplugging the power cable from their monitors. All things normal people can manage just fine with their hands. But the tool costs very little when used regularly at a store and prevents the rare mistakes.

[arka2147483647]

Iphones have IP ratings. Make tiny mistake in battery swap and display re-gluing process, and your phone is no longer waterproof.

There is a difference in doing something properly, and doing it ”good enough”.

[Gigachad]

Sure, and if you care, you can either rent the tools, or bring your phone to a store that has them. I’m not sure what more could be done.

[seanp2k2]

To be fair, the person at The Verge couldn’t make it perfect because they didn’t remove all the adhesive around the screen, so already it’s Apple: 0, fools: 1.

[turbinerneiter]

The article made it seem like Apple is forcing anyone to get these tools, when they are not. The article heavily falls into the exactly that trap.

[delusional]

Excuse me what? Did we read the same article?

The conclusion of the article is literally:

>The more I think about it, the more I realize Apple’s Self-Service Repair program is the perfect way to make it look like the company supports right-to-repair policies without actually encouraging them at all. Apple can say it’s giving consumers access to everything, even the same tools its technicians use, while scaring them away with high prices, complexity, and the risk of losing a $1,200 deposit. This way, Apple gets credit for walking you through an 80-page repair, instead of building phones where — say — you don’t need to remove the phone’s most delicate components and two different types of security screws just to replace a battery.

> I don’t think Apple expects anyone to seriously take it up on the offer of self-service repair kits. It stacked the deck in favor of taking your phone to an Apple Store, where it can tempt you to buy something new instead. The real victory will come months or years down the road, though. That’s when Apple can tell legislators it tried to give right-to-repair advocates what they wanted — but that consumers overwhelmingly decided Apple knows best.

The whole tone of the article is clearly that it's absurd to rent these tools, and that the option to do so is a red herring.

[simonh]

Or alternatively it was absurd for hobbyist repairers to ask for these tools in the first place, and if they’re upset now when they are given what they asked for, maybe that’s on them, not Apple.

[Brian_K_White]

No one did ask for this.

[larossmann]

Wow. If I ever start doing videos with a script, I will hire you to write them. This is so much easier than watching a 7 minute rant. Thank you!

[g051051]

Thanks for the summary. His choice to film this walking around with the camera rolling and pitching like a ship on the high seas made it unwatchable for me. I felt the same way about the article, the author seemed to try as hard as he could to find fault with the whole process.