Apple now endorses Right to Repair legislation
Apple now endorses Right to Repair legislation
In a letter from its lobbyist, Apple 'urges' California lawmakers to pass the strongest right-to-repair law in the country.
I believe this is genuine support of the bill from Apple. Between Right to Repair winning in Massachusetts and the EU demanding compliance, I think Apple decided to flip the script. They would want to continue the illusion of customer friendly tech.
What are the holes that can be poked into this as written? I firmly believe Apple is still against repair that would eat into their new sales. So where does this, as written, give them the room to keep that going?
Is it just that they can continue to make their “screen issue = replace whole top shell of laptop” and similar the default and draw the line there, standardizing high-cost repairs even if it’s just a wire or small component replacement? If they don’t allow ANY standard repairs more granular than swap module for module, they don’t have to provide more granular resources than that. I’m not fully up on what repairs Apple authorizes.
This is definitely a win to some degree, though. But when your opponent goes to your side and draws a line, that always gives me the chills.
It could be Apple has concluded it’s going to get forced into this, so it’s pushing for laws that apply to all makers in order to avoid a law specific to itself.
Generally speaking a law that creates a responsibility can be a win if it also creates that same responsibility for everyone else.
Meaning it could be apple trying to ensure its competitors are also subject to any rulings.
That’s definitely my hope.
Nah, it is them trying to control the bill by saying they are for it - if only these concessions are made. The article shows what they dont want to give up, under the guise of safety and security and disallowing repairs that might weaken that. And since they have been increasing the number of parts that are serialised in the name of security I bet they would argue repairing these parts will weaken their security and therefore cannot be allowed. Also, they want to focus on authorised repair channels, which they already massively lock down to the point they are more shipping stations than actual repair places. But also want to force third parties to disclose when they use used or non genuine parts - which since they only sell whole assemblies rather than individual components will likely force everyone that is actually making repairs to advertise that they use used/refurbished parts.
So they still want control, they just realise they can have better control by claiming to be fighting for right to repair while undermining any useful impact any bills would otherwise have - all while claiming they are for right to repair.
They decided a law is coming and they have the margins to absorb the cost better than their competitors.
@Glaive0 @JoShmoe I really have no deep understanding of Apple but my guess is that they actually want to ensure repaired devices meet their specs for command and control of it, for purity of image, and experience of using it, and to reduce possible hassles dealing with people who complain about their now (possibly) off-spec device. I’m betting on some vision of purity (reputation) and control. Anyway, I don’t think the repaired for resale market would do much to sales.
It’s less the repaired retail market (which they control on Amazon at least) and more the “I could repair this for cheaper than half of a new phone” lost sales. They’ve been quietly letting that group slip by for years of progressively more expensive to “repair” (read, “swap modules”) while people who could get a basic repair done for cheap are pushed to buy new phones instead.
Next step: demand unlockable bootloaders without breaking warranty and easy rollback to a stock system.
After that: mandate that firmware source code be bundled with sales of devices.
We're comin' fo dat ass, Steve Apple.
We have to stop voting for neoliberals first, globally.
Hard agree
If the next iPhone has an unlockable bootloader, a USBC port, and a removable battery then I may just buy my very first iPhone (to run Linux on of course). With the work Asahi is doing for Mac hardware, an unlocked Apple Silicon iPhone could be an amazing Linux phone.
And then you have monstrosities like these. Don't ever trust a word they preach.
Same crap they pulled with the iphone 14
A repair bill supported by Apple most likely not a bill I want. It is hard to imagine Apple will loosen it's tight grip.
Yup, they basically said they will only support it as long as:
- it does not threaten the security/safety of the devices/consumer data. AKA will continue to let them lock out parts and software under the excuse of security.
- focus on docs, tools and parts for authorized repair channels. AKA what they currently do/want as they already control these sectors.
- force repair providers to disclose use of unauthorised or used parts. AKA force third parties to advertise they don't use genuine/new parts as apple don't and likely still wont make these parts available (just continue with expensive whole assembly repairs).
- only apply these rules to new products.
So the way I read it - Apple see they are losing the right to repair fight so now want to flip sides so they can better control the laws that get put in place to better quite their needs by cutting off the teeth of any bills all the while claiming they are supporting right to repair for PR purposes.
New Anti-Consumer MacBook Pros - Teardown And Repair Assessment - Apple Silicon M1/M2
Proofed. Support a defective bill and create an anti-repair product.
Apple isn’t in charge of Right to Repair.
We probably want it, but can get more with another
Kind of like they support this because they want to stop or slow down a more broad bill from passing in the near future
Or loose more. The devil is in the details.
There must be a loophole in the bill. Hopefully people find it and sound the alarm before the bill passes.
Either that, or it's become clear they can't win, and they're trying to look good and gaslight people into believing they were always on the right side of this.
IMO, they have realised they cannot win - so have now switched sides for the PR boost and so they have more sway over the bills that get passed. This way they can look like they support the right to repair while knocking the teeth off the bills proposed under the argument of safety and security.
This is what I was thinking. Seems to be the simplest answer as well.
The law only says they have to sell replacement pieces, they are still going to make a killing selling stuff.
Oh you lost a screw ... Let me see ... That will be $3k for the screw but we do have a cool new iPhone too you know!
It's Apple.
What's the catch?
My exact thoughts.
The last time they "supported" rtr, they locked parts to the firmware. Yeah, you can switch between them, but then had to take it to Apple to reregister the parts, which they would only do if they were brand new and genuine. Apple is a snake in tall grass.
It's simple. They see the writing on the wall and are going to act like it was what they wanted all along.
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I'm guessing it doesn't stop them putting DRM in parts and making parts cost more than a new phone.
While this is very much welcome news, I am a little skeptical because this might still be a PR stunt.
Apple has shown they have the engineering capacity to design their devices to be virtually unfixable, all while still technically being compliant with this proposed piece of legislation.
Nonetheless, this show of support might finally be a means for us to end the ongoing culture war on repairability. It has been too much of a polarized debate lately, where opponents seem to be under the impression that a lack of repairability is a good thing for everyone, when it is really just having a choice that matters most.
Now that Apple has officially put in writing it's support for repairability of consumer electronics, we can finally stop debating wether or not repairability is a good thing, and instead how we're going to ensure the new situation works for everyone involved. Hopefully.
Those people you are talking about sound like the „willfully ignorant“. People who can’t be bothered to understand a topic they’re talking about. Oh, and sociopaths who just like others to suffer.
Agreed, they're usually influenced by their emotional attachment to the Apple brand (or [insert fashionable electronics manufacturer here]). And my hunch is they respond to valid criticism with a defense along the lines of "they obviously know what they're doing" or "tech is hard/dangerous/intellectual property, we can't have just anybody working on it".
The reality is, they often fail to see the bigger picture because they're blinded by what they've convinced themselves is the truth. This unfortunately also means that clowning on them is counterproductive, as they won't see the light without being eased into it.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't judge people for believing soldering an SSD to the motherboard is somehow innovative and progress, but it is hard to accompany our laughter with the patience to actually explain to them in a respectful manner that this is not the way.
It takes a hard reality check in the form of their data being gone when their SSD inevitably dies someday, and recovery not being an option "because you should have paid for an iCloud subscription". Or it takes a way for "them" not to see "us" as the enemy when we're advocating for Apple and competitors not to pull us further into a dystopian technological hellscape where devices are single use. Try convincing a cultists that they're in a cult and they'll see you as a threat. We have to make sure this doesn't escalate into polarizing tech culture war any further than it already has.
We need repairability and sustainability to be the basis for consumer electronics going forward. Corporate profits don't justify wasting resources on single-use electronics.
All they are doing is shifting the argument because they have realised they cannot outright go against it any more. Now their argument will be they are for right to repair, so long as it does not compromise on security, only focus on authorised channels, and force people to declare the use of used and non genuine parts. All of those points they make in this support letter. And all give them control to stifle the repairability of their devices.
You can see this already with the amount of parts that are serialised already - they will just continue to argue that you cannot replace these parts are it will compromise the security of the product. Or that parts will only be made available to authorised places - where they have to sign a whole bunch of documents giving up on a lot of your rights to enter. Then offer no real useful parts except some expensive whole assemblies.
I don't think this changes their stance on right to repair at all - now they are just arguing the same points they always have been but from the other side. So they have better sway over the bills and look better to the public. I don't see this changing anything.
Apple doesn't care if you repair it because they know their operating system will make it unusable anyways.
A little hyperbole, they will make it look crappy-er compared to their new stuff and abandon it progressively, as people fall to fomo.
I know they ritualistically make third party software and tech incompatible, but we do have recent cases in our favor.
HP had designed the scanning functionality to not operate if the printer didn’t have any ink.
Someone in there finally said, "We can sell them the parts, and then the ones that fail to fix it either have to buy a new one or send the old one to us to fix at even more cost!"
Their lawyers probably found a loophole.
Apple ? Right to repair ? I must be in a parallel universe. Still bullshit corpo talk because the only parallel universe where apple wouldn't be the pinnacle of anti-consumerism would be if it never existed in the first place.
I still do think that the bill is more about having the right to repair from more sources, as opposed to the right to an easy repair. I definitely do encourage devices to be engineered in a way that allows them to be repaired by as many people as possible, and that the skills to work with hardware should definitely be taught more in schools. But I still think that there's a lot of people who don't know the whole process of finding decent quality parts, and will just stoop to somewhere like Wish or AliExpress for something like a battery because they don't feel like paying for something they don't fully understand, they just know that they need a new one. And then put themselves at risk if the battery in question wasn't made up to the correct safety standards. So I do think it's somewhat of a responsibility to warn people about shopping for parts. But there should definitely be less restrictions on Apple hardware and the law should be rewritten to put price caps on genuine parts to keep them within reach of most people.
I still do think that the bill is more about having the right to repair from more sources, as opposed to the right to an easy repair.
Starting with the consumer themselves.
This is starting to sound a lot like the time the auto manufacturer tried to void warranties if the cars were to be taken to anywhere but the official service.
Ford, VW, Volvo, Renault, Mercedes and BMW had their asses handed to them by the EU as it was deemed lockout: the owner had the right to seek service wherever they wanted and get parts from what ever source they chose.
Not to start on the implications of disloyal competition...
[...] But I still think that there's a lot of people who don't know the whole process of finding decent quality parts, and will just stoop to somewhere like Wish or AliExpress for something like a battery because they don't feel like paying for something they don't fully understand, they just know that they need a new one.
Anyone should be able to buy anything wherever they choose.
If someone finds a better deal on a chinese retailer, good. If the part turns out good, better. If not, learn the lesson and try again.
And then put themselves at risk if the battery in question wasn't made up to the correct safety standards.
It's a bit iffy to argue on the basis of poor or absent safety standards. Unless we are speaking of going out to find the dingiest shop on an online retailer, 99% of manufactured goods follow the same standards.
Yes, bad batches exist but batteries are one of those things where counterfeiting is not worth the trouble; the moment the parts can be sourced from any number of manufacturers, all will go by similar quality.
So I do think it's somewhat of a responsibility to warn people about shopping for parts. But there should definitely be less restrictions on Apple hardware and the law should be rewritten to put price caps on genuine parts to keep them within reach of most people.
I'm all in favor in limiting commercial margins but even I consider meddling when it comes to law setting prices to consumer goods.
In the end, only those who want to will buy. Yes, Apple products are basically highway robbery but nobody is being forced to buy the crap they make nor need it to survive.
It's a phone, not food, fuel or shelter. If it's too expensive, buy cheaper.
Yes, because they've already been working on it.
They've already seen the writing on the wall. And now that they have made decent progress on their end, their competition will be scrambling to catch up when the bill becomes law.
Isn't the program that requires you to fill a form to order a serialized display and send the old one back? That's still monopoly, just shift from service to sales. The essence remains the same.
What competitors? I genuinely don’t know of any other tech companies with exclusive ports.
I hope you are right. More end-user freedom is a good thing and, if it is a matter of turning the tide, I'd love to see more tech companies competing to be the most accessible for repairs.
That sounds like a pleasant little dream you had. A good nap.
Honestly though I can’t even comprehend how that could ever happen. What events would have to take place? Teddy Roosevelt coming back from the dead?!