I love the EU they consistently champion the consumer and the environment.
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EU Right to Repair Rules Force Companies to Fix Out-of-Warranty Devices
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Total BS. As is everything in the EU. It's run by complete morons, I swear.
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Phones like to pretend they're complex but they're still just a pile of PC parts: Processor, RAM, Storage, Sensors.
I'm not for one minute suggesting we should get upgradeable processors on phones! But being able to pop open a phone and replace the battery can be designed into the phone to be an easier proces for even the most novice of users. I was a complete computer novice when I bought my first Macbook in 2006 yet was able to upgrade the RAM and Storage myself because Apple designed it that way.
There's a general point being missed here. Modern goods are actually "CHEAP" (not expensive) and that's because they're produced in hyper-efficient factories, often located in a low cost labour environment. Whereas sending out a repair man in a van - or running a store that takes in goods, puts them in boxes, passes them on to technicians who then have to debug, find parts, reassemble - is likely rather expensive (relative to the value of the underlying product). So in many cases throwing away (recycling) and just getting another may make sense. Particularly since the new model might actually be usefully better, more secure and consume less energy to operate.
So, whilst there may be value in the EU proposition in some cases (expensive, easy to fix goods in a market in which innovation has plateaued) this is likely just another idealistic and naive intervention in a functioning market that will come back and bite us.
So, whilst there may be value in the EU proposition in some cases (expensive, easy to fix goods in a market in which innovation has plateaued) this is likely just another idealistic and naive intervention in a functioning market that will come back and bite us.
Comparing 2006 tech to 2024 tech is a leap. There are actual advantages to smaller, faster, more durable. And as I said, I'd prefer the approach that companies must provide good warranties and reasonably priced repairs than to sacrifice the benefits of complexity so that some .01 percent of users can more easily tinker with their devices.
This argument raises its head every time Apple or another company is forced into similar legislation and it just isn't true. Apple will already be selling their products for the maximum amount the market will bear; if they increase price, sales will decrease. Put another way, if Apple could charge another $/£/€ 20 per device without it harming sales to an extent that impacts profits, they would be doing so already.
Somewhat counter-intuitively, because moves like this will reduce companies' profit margins, it sometimes becomes necessary for them to reduce retail prices to increase sales and thereby maintain profits.
Edit - I'm intrigued at the downvote, as any business economist will tell you this, it's pretty basic stuff!
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There’s actually not all that much new here. 2-year warranties are already standard, as the article notes. Probably the biggest new thing is this:
Which doesn’t seem all that onerous.
The other stuff basically amounts to “reasonable” repair prices for older devices and not blocking 3rd party repairs.
That all seems quite fair. I’m sure Apple won’t be bankrupted by it, and it won’t force them to raise prices.
For customers, very little changes. Independent repairs will no longer void your warranty, you get a warranty extension if you had a defective product, and you have the right to borrow a device while it gets repaired (probably the lowest-end model and with some kind of deposit fee).
Which doesn’t seem all that onerous.
The other stuff basically amounts to “reasonable” repair prices for older devices and not blocking 3rd party repairs.
That all seems quite fair. I’m sure Apple won’t be bankrupted by it, and it won’t force them to raise prices.
For customers, very little changes. Independent repairs will no longer void your warranty, you get a warranty extension if you had a defective product, and you have the right to borrow a device while it gets repaired (probably the lowest-end model and with some kind of deposit fee).
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nice and reasonable attempt, but the outcome can be quite different.
companies - not just apple - will simply factor this into the price as collateral expense - as this will require a significant amount of logistics, stock-keeping, maybe even production re-runs. that means the price will be increased.
if you ever think that markets where you can decide to bring back an used product within 30 days offer this as "free competitive advantage" - there's mathematics behind it and the expenses related to such a measure are built into the price, it possible even globally.
lets apply this to apple: so assume a 4+ year old phone's battery/screen breaks, the customer will have to pay original prices for those parts + consumables (glue, seals) + labour costs - which might sound outrageous to many, plus maybe 3-4 days or a week of turnaround time. and even in the EU, there are quite some countries where there's no apple presence, only a network of "certified partners" which sort of run their own show.
companies - not just apple - will simply factor this into the price as collateral expense - as this will require a significant amount of logistics, stock-keeping, maybe even production re-runs. that means the price will be increased.
if you ever think that markets where you can decide to bring back an used product within 30 days offer this as "free competitive advantage" - there's mathematics behind it and the expenses related to such a measure are built into the price, it possible even globally.
lets apply this to apple: so assume a 4+ year old phone's battery/screen breaks, the customer will have to pay original prices for those parts + consumables (glue, seals) + labour costs - which might sound outrageous to many, plus maybe 3-4 days or a week of turnaround time. and even in the EU, there are quite some countries where there's no apple presence, only a network of "certified partners" which sort of run their own show.
As someone who buys used stuff, while there shouldn't be a barrier like parts-pairing to repairs, I still want to be able to see which parts have been replaced with apple or non-apple parts.
Simple is to stop company's abusing their position, playing the fool is and has never been a good defence. EU is standing up and acting on the consumers behalf, sadly it has legislate as companies such as Apple only care about profit.
The EU's requirement's are far from unreasonable. Why some are against them is another story, well unless they are paid to do so...
Q-6
When I buy electronics (e.g. Macs) from Costco, I get an extra year warranty for free. And the device is always less than what I can get it directly from Apple for with only a 1 year warranty.
So your belief that an extra 1 year of warranty coverage will cost companies extra $$$ is a load of B.S. It just doesn't hold up.
Now, if a company puts out shoddy products that they only expect to last 1 year before failure (as measured by MTBF or MTTF), they it will cost them extra. But that's their fault for releasing low quality products to begin with that end up in our landfills.
Tired of all the rants.
Does everyone want new features? Or keep everything the same for a decade?
Take the relatively new feature on cars to see and warn the driver of people and cars to the side and front. Would you rather go back to the features from 20 years ago?
Or are you going to require 10 YO devices to have the features of todays?
Do you want a heavy thick phone to accommodate the battery?
Everything has trade offs.
Does everyone want new features? Or keep everything the same for a decade?
Take the relatively new feature on cars to see and warn the driver of people and cars to the side and front. Would you rather go back to the features from 20 years ago?
Or are you going to require 10 YO devices to have the features of todays?
Do you want a heavy thick phone to accommodate the battery?
Everything has trade offs.
try building a computer/phone and you'll see what's preventing companies from doing that.
It talks about repairing old devices and home appliances. Japan refrigerators, washing machines, etc. are covered for a lifetime but the same owner at times free of cost. I had washing machines 7 years old repaired little or free because others would have bought new. I had a refrigerator that was repaired 3 times free in 18 years. Japan cares about product usage and E-waste. Home appliances have been part of Japan's caring about landfills with outdated to save the earth. it's done with not 2 screaming to the world! Do this or else? Japan does it because they know it's good for the earth. Japan doesn't do it for politics jocularity.
iPhone 14 Pro Max is $350 more expensive in Germany.
you've paid for AppleCare and them some but got less.
I mean that's what customers should do now instead of enacting laws.
australia iPhones are much more expensive. https://iphone-worldwide.com/
apple has had less failure rates on average for notebooks compared to PC manufacturers.
it is true. look at the prices around the world where 2 year warranties are required.
many credit card companies have stopped offering extra warranty for electronics because it's been too costly.
my Costco visa included. BS what?
and using Costco as an example is extremely generous considering their return policy allows anyone to return dead flowers and moldy strawberries.
What if human error is the reason for the break, and it's beyond repairable? As part of the warranty, the company has to replace the item with a refurbished one? This is going to discourage hardware startups from working in Europe or charging a 20-30% surcharge for European customers