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by dwaite 1375 days ago
> Independent shops should be able to buy broken phones from individuals and part them out for repairs without jumping through Apple's hoops.

I assume in this scenario that all independent shops are trustworthy entities that won't use stolen, reclaimed, or third-party parts in order to save money, without informing the customer?

2 comments

Apple could provide a genuine parts and stolen parts tracking tool for the most valuable parts: screen, camera, motherboard.

The goal is to make stolen iPhones worth nearly zero to thieves, which makes iPhones more valuable to all iPhone owners. Otherwise stolen iPhones are worth enough to incentivise a stolen iPhone economy. https://www.ifixit.com/Parts/iPhone_13/Screens Not having your phone stolen is worth your replacement cost to you.

Nothing exists in a vacuum.

Tracking stolen phones and busting chop shops is probably something that should be handled by law enforcement.

Until it is, Apple are serving their customers by protecting them from this problem.
I am much more likely to need a phone serviced than have a phone stolen.

Apple should protect me from a repair monopoly overcharging just enough such that a new device (also sold by said monopoly) looks more appealing than a repair.

They are also protecting you against repair shops using substandard parts, and compromising device security.

The claim about them doing this to make you buy a new device is made up.