Apple Responds to Criticism Over iPhone's 'Parts Pairing' Process

[CWallace]

The consumer can decide if they wanna risk calibration variation or 'spoofed or something like that' parts vs. not having a functioning device at all or paying a premium to let Apple deal with it.

I expect one of Apple's fears is that most "consumers" have nothing like the technical background us here on the forum do and if they get their device repaired at a third-party they will assume that it used "genuine Apple parts" and if there is an issue with that repair, will not complain to the place they got the repair, but will go on social media and complain about "Apple's crap product".

I believe preventing using non-new OEM parts for critical security functionality, but allowing them for other functions is a good baseline to both expand repair options and to (hopefully) reduce repair costs. I also like the "parts history" so that if you encounter an issue with having a "non-OEM" part being used and taking it to Apple, Apple can educate you on what happened so the consumer becomes educated that their previous repair was not correctly done and it would help Apple identify what is causing the problem.

 

[sw1tcher]

Parts pairing is like how printer manufacturers (I'm looking at you, Hewlett Packard) over a decade ago started putting chips on their ink and toner cartridges to force users to buy genuine cartridges. It's a money grab.

A lot of times it was cheaper to just buy a new printer (as long as it didn't come with a starter cartridge) and toss the old one.

 

[erikkfi]

Let's compromise. You can pair parts if you sell parts at cost for at least 15 years after the device first goes on sale.

 

[milkrocket]

The issue starts when they sell that iPhone and pass it off as being genuine which it no longer is.

They can keep the pairing feature and show a warning, but allow people to skip it and use it at their own risk. As an example, I should be able to pair a replacement TouchID module, if I so choose to. It is the same thing for so many parts.

Apple, instead, will just disable your device's functionality if you refuse to cough up. That is borderline extortion

 

[thadoggfather]

I expect one of Apple's fears is that most "consumers" have nothing like the technical background us here on the forum do and if they get their device repaired at a third-party they will assume that it used "genuine Apple parts" and if there is an issue with that repair, will not complain to the place they got the repair, but will go on social media and complain about "Apple's crap product".

I believe preventing non-"genuine" parts for critical security functionality, but allowing them for other parts is a good baseline. I also like the "parts history" so that if you encounter an issue with having a non-"genuine" part being used and taking it to Apple, Apple can educate you on what happened so the consumer becomes educated that their previous repair was not correctly done.

A simple lookup of Google reviews will weed out 'bad' parts and non reputable repair shops. and if it really boils down it, chargeback through credit card or BBB.

It's not an argument made in good faith.

If the consumer feels like Apple is being needlessly draconian and greedy, maybe they have a larger perception problem to work on than 'or something like that'.

 

[LeeW]

I think it's fine that Apple pairs parts, but they should just have something in the settings that allows you to refer to it and confirm there are no non-genuine parts fitted. If there are, then it tells you what. A warning should come up once if the phone is transferred to someone else, or if buying a second hand without seeing it first, you can ask to see the 'parts' screen.

From there, it's up to the individual to make the decision.

 

[JPack]

You might not like the act, but the explanation does make a ton of sense, actually. I’d rather know a device has certain parts that are not genuine, than to have no idea at all. Often it’s the innocent less-tech-savvy people who suffer these things, not knowing what they’ve purchased is authentic or otherwise, not us on these tech forums or on YouTube.

If people know how to check battery health, they can check the parts history in Settings.

Apple is presenting a false dilemma. Full parts paring vs. non-functional iPhone. Apple can meet in the middle and show the non-OEM parts right under battery health.

 

[Naraxus]

As expected, Louis Rossmann has a typically unhinged rant about Apple over this. Rossmann's shtick is pathetic at this point. If he's not incoherently raving over something Apple has done, then he's brazenly advocating theft of others ip.

Why Youtube hasn't shut down his account by now I'll never understand.

 

[spazzcat]

A simple lookup of Google reviews will weed out 'bad' parts and non reputable repair shops. and if it really boils down it, chargeback through credit card or BBB.

It's not an argument made in good faith.

If the consumer feels like Apple is being needlessly draconian and greedy, maybe they have a larger perception problem to work on than 'or something like that'.

You are giving the average person way too much credit ...

 

[spazzcat]

If people know how to check battery health, they can check the parts history in Settings.

Apple is presenting a false dilemma. Full parts paring vs. non-functional iPhone. Apple can meet in the middle and show the non-OEM parts right under battery health.

You mean after you bought a used phone, you can check to find out you just bought a non-genuine phone.

 

[JPack]

You mean after you bought a used phone, you can check to find out you just bought a non-genuine phone.

No, you can immediately check the Settings before you buy.

For a reset phone, show the parts history on the Hello screen (with IMEI and serial #) for paranoid people. If the average consumer can figure out how to determine IMEI and serial # without buying first, they can figure out parts history.

There's a dozen solutions, but it's clear Apple doesn't want to implement those. Parts and service make Apple a lot of money.

 

[switz]

If someone asks what it costs to repair or operate an item, THEY CAN NOT AFFORD THE ITEM (JOHN D ROCKEFELLER) years ago. There is a world of difference between a need and a want. The third and fourth tier down cellphones make calls and receive calls. That is the basic use of a telephone or cell phone. COMMUNICATION period.

Now if someone wants a complete computer as a cell phone, there is much greater acquisition expense as well as higher maintenance expense to support all the whizz bang stuff and security.

Perhaps a solution that a smart phone becomes a completely dumb phone when the user name changes would solve the problem. The "used" device functions only as an old flip phone would and just makes calls. No sophisticated parts needed to repair the remaining operational simple circuitry. Cheap parts- NO Problem. Untrained techs - No Problem.

I get more than tired of complaints about the cost of repairs for Apple products. Just don't buy one and the issue is solved. Get the cheapest thing that can scrape by to do the job and don't complain when it quits in an emergency due to cheap components....

Folks do not buy a used car and expect it to have all of the same attributes operational as one coming of the line. Things age out.

 

[axantas]

I fully agree Apples arguments. I do have a lot of personal and critital stuff on my iPhone, including credit cards and their autentication. So, I do NOT care about being forced to use genuine parts from Apple, even if they are more expensive. I WOULD care, if I were robbed, having spent some $$ less for a repair.

I do trust Apple devices, stay firm, Apple.

 

[RickDEGH]

If people know how to check battery health, they can check the parts history in Settings.

Apple is presenting a false dilemma. Full parts paring vs. non-functional iPhone. Apple can meet in the middle and show the non-OEM parts right under battery health.

Not that your comment is relevant to the point of my earlier comment, but what makes you think most people know about battery health and where to look for that info at? Now, imagine if ordinary folks would have an idea to check for info about genuine parts. We, here, are not a good sample for the millions of normal folks who buy iPhones (new and used).

 

[spazzcat]

No, you can immediately check the Settings before you buy.

For a reset phone, show the parts history on the Hello screen (with IMEI and serial #) for paranoid people. If the average consumer can figure out how to determine IMEI and serial # without buying first, they can figure out parts history.

There's a dozen solutions, but it's clear Apple doesn't want to implement those. Parts and service make Apple a lot of money.


View attachment 2367646

Most people buy used phones online.

 

[Schmitti81]

So Apple may need to check a lot of things on the pairing.

The iPhone sent to repair is not marked as stolen/lost.
The iPhone part number exists and is not fake.
The iPhone part shipped with an iPhone before, so it's not a part stolen from Apple.
The iPhone the part came from is not marked as stolen/lost, is not returned to Apple as damaged before or one of the iPhones shown in an Apple Store for display.

You may imaging a lot of ways to scam, so a few checks are very good. I don't like to get my iPhone stolen for parts.

 

[JPack]

Most people buy used phones online.

People can figure out how to screenshot the parts page in Settings.

 

[blazerunner]

Apple doing everything it can to spin their mental gymnastics and deceive the public.

All of you should seriously feel insulted, that's basically what Apple's doing.

 

[JPack]

Not that your comment is relevant to the point of my earlier comment, but what makes you think most people know about battery health and where to look for that info at? Now, imagine if ordinary folks would have an idea to check for info about genuine parts. We, here, are not a good sample for the millions of normal folks who buy iPhones (new and used).

Because of a little red dot. 🔴

If Apple can figure out how to sell users more iCloud storage, by putting a red dot on the settings icon, Apple can figure it out for parts history.

 

[Macusercom]

The solution would be to offer the legit parts for a reasonable price and let independent repair shops or myself repair it and pair it.

Right now you can't get the parts yourself, then you need to buy 3rd party parts and thus Apple introduces part pairing.

The DYI self service is ridiculous, especially with they're almost fake looking website and same prices as an official repair

 

[victorvictoria]

The only people complaining are those who stand to lose sales to Apple.

 

[macduke]

I got my iPad Pro repaired at a reputable location that cost half as much as Apple and they installed used panels from iPads that had different issues that they used for parts. The first one the screen flickered like crazy. The second one it only flickers slightly when it crosses the boundary around 50% brightness. They couldn't figure out why but all of their displays they tried did that as a minimum. IDK if that's because of Apple's parts pairing crap, but if it is, then I'm upset. For now I just deal with it by turning off auto brightness and then I manually adjust it up or down depending if it's day or night so it's not sitting around 50% ever.

To this day I still don't know how my iPad Pro screen cracked so intensely. I had it in a case, inside of a padded insert, inside of a padded camera bag, packed between other items in the trunk of a Polestar 2 we were driving while on vacation in Vermont. When I was younger and didn't have much money, I would often have nightmares that my iPhone or iPad screen cracked and I would have no idea why. Then it finally happened to me. Didn't want to pay out $750 which is absurd because I may as well buy a new iPad. Now the cracked screen nightmares have returned, lol.

 

[Mac_tech]

As expected, Louis Rossmann has a typically unhinged rant about Apple over this. Rossmann's shtick is pathetic at this point. If he's not incoherently raving over something Apple has done, then he's brazenly advocating theft of others ip.

Why Youtube hasn't shut down his account by now I'll never understand.

I remember seeing a video from Louis where he mentions parts and that it would make his job easier if Apple were to sell OEM parts directly to repair shops. For example repair shops have to take parts from donor boards and if they try to go to Intersil (a semiconductor company) to get a specific chip, they are told they are not allowed to sell it to anyone else but Apple.

Having options are a good thing I feel. I do get his rants can be a bit much sometimes.

 

[ric22]

Parts pairing is like how printer manufacturers (I'm looking at you, Hewlett Packard) over a decade ago started putting chips on their ink and toner cartridges to force users to buy genuine cartridges. It's a money grab.

A lot of times it was cheaper to just buy a new printer (as long as it didn't come with a starter cartridge) and toss the old one.

100% agree. I would never buy HP again after all their BS- shrinking cartridges again and again with each new printer, locking out (or attempting to lock out) off brand carts, and now their scammy subscription models. Brother all the way now (even if they half heartedly attempt preventing third party carts).

I resent Apple for locking down their devices and causing problems for non paired components that are not in any way security related. I remember when I was living in China and using an iPhone 6 and I broke the screen- Apple wanted over $200 equivalent to do the work, so I got it done in a local mall for about $12. Plus that screen was actually nicer than the original it replaced! I'm in the EU now, and have a 15 Pro Max- I think it's €550/$600 to replace the screen, were I to break it. WTF? We need third party competition to prevent stupid fees like that, that are designed to coerce people into buying AppleCare+.

 

[mrgrdn]

Well, my former colleague purchased a refurbished iPhone from eBay, only to discover it contained non-original parts. Unfortunately, it malfunctioned after just a few weeks, and they ended up paying nearly full price for it.