Apple Using Special New Screws So You Can't Open Your iPhone
from the screw-you dept
One of the interesting questions we've been looking at for years is whether or not a business is an enabler or a gatekeeper. Being in the gatekeeper business can work for a period of time, but it's often difficult to sustain. Apple is an interesting company in that it certainly has elements of both, enabling in some areas, but being a very strict gatekeeper in other areas. As if to reinforce this point, Apple is apparently changing the screws on iPhones to make them much harder to open. Apparently, it's come up with a "pentalobe" design:Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: gatekeepers, iphones, screws, tinkering
Companies: apple
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Device over user
To paraphrase a Job's quote "It isn' the users responsibility to know what they need/want"
I'm just glad that Android is a choice.
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Re: Device over user
The Retina screen is custom, the motherboard is custom, the battery is custom, and all of them are shoehorned into a space that couldn't even hold a spare business card. In short, there's practically NOTHING a typical user (or even a typical geek) could repair or replace anyway.
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Re: Re: Device over user
So? Maybe I bought the phone so that I can look at the pretty insides. Does this mean I don't actually own my own phone hardware when I buy it?
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Re: Re: Re: Device over user
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Device over user
Amazon has the screwdrivers for these.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Device over user
Are you telling me that I can't fixing [insert widget here] I bought or at least break it trying?
Sorry, no. That's just a stupid attitude. Esp. since I have all the tools to _machine_ a bit for the 'security' screws...
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Re: Re: Device over user
BTW, the MT4G(t-mobile MyTouch 4g) is only 1.6mm thicker than an iphone4, it is, however, slightly wider.
iPhone 4: 5.4"x2.31"x0.37" 4.8oz 4.6153 cu-in
MT4G: 4.8"x2.44"x0.43" 5.4oz 5.0361 cu-in
Overall there is 0.4 cu-in more space in my phone and under the cover is access to the uSD card, and SIM.
So in short apart from making the phone very very slightly smaller there is not reason for the non-removable battery, or the lack of uSD storage.
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Re: Re: Re: Device over user
I suspect the theory is that you'll buy a new phone before you'll truly need a new battery.
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Re: Device over user
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Re: Device over user
I've seen lots of people up in arms about this, and I just can't wrap my head around their whining and entitlement issues to appreciate it as a real concern.
I don't work for 'em, but I've spent enough time over the years on hold with Apple Care or waiting in line at the Genius Bar to have a bit of sympathy when it comes to the volume of troubleshooting they've got to do.....and how much of that troubleshooting is with complete morons who don't know what they're doing and break their device. I know multiple people who've decided it's not worth being without their phone for a day or two, and take it upon themselves to "fix it"...and then when they do REAL damage, go in to an Apple Store with an attitude -- wasting the employee's time, AND the time of people like you or I.
Like software modding, if you want to take the risks involved with it, you're responsible for whatever happens......if you want to muck with your hardware/glass/case/whatever......go buy the $5 screwdriver and don't take it out on everyone else if something goes wrong.
BTW, I'm not saying Apple is infallible, but this just isn't a hill worth dying on in my opinion; I've seen lots of "this is the LAST straw" and "I'm done with Apple because of this, you shouldn't keep me out of MY device that I PAID for" type commentary...and...well...I guess be thankful your life's easy enough that such concerns are the biggest problem you're living with?
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Re: Device over user
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http://www.ifixit.com/search?x=0&y=0&text=pentalobe
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Re:
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And from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar":
"We shall meet at Phillipsi."
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meanwhile, you're screwed if they put in these screws - it's not a very good screw design.
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Re:
That's not good.
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Kind of a waste...
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Re: Kind of a waste...
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There'd be nothing to gain from using proprietary components. It's not like there's a history of people using open components to build competing devices out of their garage.
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Re:
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Apple Repairs are a Joke
They even kept my original receipt and gave me back a bad photocopy.
The whole incident felt like a bad car repair
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Re: Apple Repairs are a Joke
The other question is.. wtf were you doing at North Star on Christmas eve? 410/281 and that general area had to be an absolute nightmare!
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Re: Re: Apple Repairs are a Joke
They actually wanted to give me a refund by having me drive from the Schertz area (20 miles round trip) so they could credit my card, I replied by telling them to keep the money and I will report this on TechDirt.
Maybe this will get their attention.
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Re: Apple Repairs are a Joke
"even though I was charged initially for a new one, the tech only attempted to adjust the original so says the Genius."
Call Apple directly and report them.
http://www.apple.com/support/contact/
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Re: Re: Apple Repairs are a Joke
I should have asked for the original part just like I would to an unknown auto mechanic.
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You are blaming the wrong company...
Surely you are familiar with the power Craftsman holds over the tool industry? Why else do you think the US has not switched to metric? So that Sears can sell twice as many tools. ;)
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Re: You are blaming the wrong company...
Apple could have easily used the standard Phillips or flat-head screw, instead then went a few steps further.
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Re: Re: You are blaming the wrong company...
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Re: Re: Re: You are blaming the wrong company...
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Re: Re: Re: Re: You are blaming the wrong company...
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Kudos to Techdirt
Good job, as usual.
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Re: Kudos to Techdirt
Rawr!
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Re: Re: Kudos to Techdirt
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Kudos to Techdirt
Anyone want to take a nap?!
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Kudos to Techdirt
How do I actually mean the opposite? My post was not sarcastic. I really did mean to give kudos to Techdirt for not including iFixit's spurious claims like all of the other articles I read.
Again, my original comment was not sarcastic. Are you so thin-skinned that you see an attack in a comment that only makes positive remarks?
Jesus Christ, I regret trying to make a nice, honest statement on the fucking internet.
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Re: Re: Kudos to Techdirt
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All Electronic companies do it
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Re: All Electronic companies do it
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Not so fast
As for the new, proprietary screws, that may well be an attempt to keep within FCC guidelines (there's a ton of back-and-forth on that. I'm not even going to attempt to make sense of it.)
So, no you can't currently get pentalobe screwdrivers. You may or may not be able to get them soon. You CAN get a 'close enough for one use' tool from iFixit which will enable you to replace them.
I'm guessing nobody's totally happy at this point.
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Re: Not so fast
These screwdrivers are already widely available, despite what iFixit claims. Here are two examples from Amazon, which I drummed up in about five seconds:
http://www.amazon.com/Pentalobe-Screwdriver-iPhone-generation-Silverhill/dp/B004IU9EDM
http://www.amazon.com/Pentalobe-Screwdriver-Size-Repair-iPhone/dp/B004KDEWTS
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Re: Re: Not so fast
There's a lot of caution about these drivers, since none of them show a closeup of the head. They may be nothing more than what iFixit is selling, without the truth in advertising. Or they may be the real deal. It's unsure at this point.
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Re: Re: Re: Not so fast
You're absolutely right on this point. I did not intend to show those two links as reputable sellers, but rather to demonstrate that alternatives to iFixit's screwdriver exist. My original point still stands, which is that iFixit is grossly exaggerating the unavailability of this screwdriver.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Not so fast
Well, iFixit states that the driver they're selling isn't an actual pentalobe, it's just a workalike (i.e., close enough for one use.) I suspect that the other retailers are just not quite as upfront about what they're selling.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Not so fast
At this point, I think we're mostly agreeing with each other, but just for fun, here's a link to iFixit's purchase page which does not make it clear that this is a "workalike."
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Not so fast
http://www.ifixit.com/Tools/MacBook-Air-5-Point-Pentalobe-Screwdriver/IF145-090
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Not so fast
its just a screw. ;)
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And if you did, are/were you not such a geek that's you'd gladly spend a few dollars to have the new geeky tool that you'd need to open the iPhone?
I mean its only $3...
This is a non-story.
Eric
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Re:
Disassembling your phone is a geeky thing to do now, and with this, Apple is stating their intention to keep it that way. Instead of empowering people to understand and master technology, they choose to keep the masses ignorant for their own "convenience".
Why?
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Re: Re:
Why?"
I Believe Apple addressed this with the Macintosh commercial in 1984.
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First, the problem was I never had to buy some geeky tool to disassemble my phone. The screws used by every other major manufacturer were pretty much Phillips or Torx. I have been using the same precision set of tools since I was a kid. The move to new screws is just another roadblock Apple throws up for no other reason then to prevent people from opening up their phone and doing their own repairs: another example - integrated batteries on Macbooks and over engineered cases on iMacs (much more difficult to swap drives these days).
Second, they are changing the screws on the phone when they repair it. So if there was something I wanted to repair under warranty they would be now putting up another roadblock.
If I had done a warranty repair recently and they replaced the screws and I hadn't noticed (more than likely), I would have been pissed. A couple of days ago I dropped my iPhone 4 in a puddle outside work by accident. Luckily I was able to get it inside and take off the back case and remove the battery because the screen stopped working and I couldn't power it down. I used my same old trusty set of precision tools, took off the back, removed the battery connection (screwed in by the way) and proceeded to take the phone apart and dry it out. I got out all the water, and the phone after reassembling works perfect. Now if they had those stupid new screws and I hadn't known, I would have had a dead phone. Instead I was able to use my existing industry standard tools to fix my own phone. Big warning flag for me.
That is why this is not a non-story. Every year Apple pushes the envelope of what they lock down. Step by step, they make it harder for regular people to do simple repairs and funnel more and more people to Apple stores where they can make a buck off you. Apple products, Apple store, Apple screws, Apple Apps etc. further and further down the lock down hole making it harder for people to switch or repair phones. I like Apple products, but if they continue to do these sort of things, my iPhone 4 will be the last Apple product I buy.
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Answer:
Ummm...to screw us over?!
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All Connectors and Similar Devices Should be Standard
Regretfully, this seems to be a case of necessary government regulation. The use of proprietary screws, power cords, and connectors hurts both the economy and the individual.
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Re: All Connectors and Similar Devices Should be Standard
Actually, a large number of mobile phone manufacturers have agreed on standardized phone chargers, using a standardized voltage and amperage, and a micro-USB socket.
Besides, this isn't the "free market" failing anybody. This is competition. If you want a device with non-proprietary parts, you can buy something else. It's not like Apple is the only option for a mobile phone. That's what the free market is about: options.
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This just in!
Steve Jobs has bought a lot of stock in companies producing Pentalobe screwdrivers!
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Thank to Apple, the monopoly of a few screw designers is down, in fact they OPENED the locked market of screwdrivers !
Think of all these jobs that this decision will create in various fields : Designing screwdrivers, building factories, operating factories...
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Refurb
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Security Screws
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Suddenly this is a big deal?
So, iFixit finds (manufactures) a HUGE problem that, conveniently enough, can be solved very easily by sending them $10 for a "liberation kit". Wow, that is so compelling I can't even think straight right now.
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Re: Suddenly this is a big deal?
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Re: Re: Suddenly this is a big deal?
And funny how you mention the home button, as that may well be the ONLY part you could possibly fix on your own. Unless you have a stock of proprietary iPhone motherboards, displays, and batteries on hand, of course.
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Re: Re: Suddenly this is a big deal?
If you read some of the headlines last week and watched the iFixit video, you would think that these screws mark the entrance into all-new territory of corporate evil. They were actually using language like "diabolical" and "insidious" and bullshit like that. Fortunately, the comments on these websites were choke full of artfully constructed arguments and presented with great tact and consideration. *eye roll*
I was asking why, after many years of many companies making many products that have weird screws and are difficult to take apart and so on, is this suddenly some new level of evil being imposed on customers? Especially since the solution is to buy a $4 screwdriver, which the iFixit people are more than happy to sell you as part of their "liberation pack".
Sure, it's an inconvenience (albeit a VERY minor one), but the level of outrage is manufactured. With the iFixit people leading the charge in the hopes that you'll be angry enough to send them $10 for a couple screwdrivers.
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Re: Re: Re: Suddenly this is a big deal?
Go here and ask for an opinion of what they think about it.
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Replacing screws
On at least the N900 (which by the way uses a more common screw type), if you remove and replace the same screw a few times, the screw will break (as reported on a few forum posts floating around the Internet). The service manual (which one can find floating on the Internet if one looks hard enough) says explicitly that the removed screws should always be discarded and replaced by new ones. That is, the screw is much more fragile than the part it is in. Which makes sense if you stop to think about it - it is much better to have to replace the very inexpensive screw every time you do maintenance on the part, than to risk wearing out the screw hole threads on the more expensive body part, so the screw is designed with less hardness (the N900, much like the iPhone, is an expensive phone).
So what probably is happening with the iPhone is quite simple. The service manual probably says explicitly to discard the used screws and replace with new ones (else the screws would end up breaking). ALL the new screws for that part are of the new uncommon type. So, whenever the phone is opened, the screws get replaced with the new "special" ones. No malice needed to explain the screw replacement.
The place where one could find malice, then, is only in the choice of the new kind of screw for that particular set of screw holes.
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http://www.ifixit.com/Tools/MacBook-Air-5-Point-Pentalobe-Screwdriver/IF145-090
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To detect phone tampering.
Lets say you buy a phone and then open it up and mess with it, and you fry it. You take it back to the store and say it fried, they replace it under warranty.
With these kind of screws, they can see tool marks and tell the phone has been opened and potentially tampered with, and investigate further.
I wouldn't be shocked if they are doing it due to an increase in insurance claims on them or something as well. I know of a few people who have had older phones who wanted to trade up, and couldn't, so they purposely broke the phone in a way that wasn't obvious to collect the insurance on it.
Ok, its a bit far fetched, but if there is a sudden increase in returns and stuff, doing something like this could be to make sure the returns are for legit problems.
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Dr. Who and Apple
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Dr. Who and Apple
whataya think of them Apples?
Dr. Who
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People will get you however far you run
http://www.drmobiles.co.nz/wel/Repair.html
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