Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone? (may be repairable but only by Apple)

guest · Nov 2, 2020

iPhone 12 may be repairable but only by Apple
November 1, 2020
https://www.slashgear.com/iphone-12-may-be-repairable-but-only-by-apple-01645339/

While the iPhone 12 may be relatively easy to repair because of its modularity, Apple has apparently placed certain requirements that ensure that only iPhones repaired by authorized service providers will continue working without problems after being taken apart.

While it is definitely possible to swap out iPhone 12 parts, even between two exactly similar models, it seems that random issues pop up when doing so. This was something that YouTuber Hugh Jeffreys reported and confirmed by iFixit. Issues include unresponsiveness, bugs when switching cameras and modes, and others. Curiously, the iPhone 12 Pro didn’t exhibit the behaviors when its cameras were changed.
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While this may be a bug, Apple is making clear that authorized service centers have to run Apple’s proprietary, online System Configuration app when repairing iPhone 12 screens and cameras. Previously, this verification was only required for battery replacements.

iFixit doubts that this official instruction is an error and worries about the growing trend of security through serialization.
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But while such a strategy may make sense for something like a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, screens, batteries, and cameras don’t pose any inherent security risk. And for a company that is preaching its lofty environmental goals, it’s disappointing that Apple is ironically tightening restrictions on third-party repairs that help it achieve that.
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iFixit: Is This the End of the Repairable iPhone?

After exhaustive testing, comparing notes with multiple repair technicians, and reviewing leaked Apple training documents, we’ve found that the iPhone 12 camera is entirely unreliable when swapped between iPhones.

This latest fault, along with indications from Apple’s repair guides, makes it more clear than ever: Apple, by design or neglect or both, is making it extremely hard to repair an iPhone without their blessing. This may be a bug that Apple eventually fixes. There is even precedent for iPhone parts misbehaving when swapped between phones.

But it is also possible that Apple is planning on locking out all unauthorized iPhone camera and screen repairs.
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The iPhone 12 camera, when transferred to another iPhone 12, appears to work on launch, but fails miserably in actual use.
There is some precedent for iPhone parts reacting badly to swaps, even if Apple didn’t willfully cause the issue.
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