Users Facing 'Error 53' Bricking Message After Third-Party iPhone 6 Home Button Repairs

[I7guy]

That's an altogether very different scenario. It doesn't compare at all with this.

The scenario can be tweaked but essentially the hubris revolves around unauthorized repair.

But what if the Watch works fine but since Apple is butthurt that I got the same service at a lower price they bricked the device?

Does this fine example of hyperbole really require an answer?

 

[primorack]

The services that they offer can't be compared in my mind to any of the things we have compared it. With the change you have made you endanger them. They found it out and with the next update they cut you. The problem that can be caused by this repair for them is software and it can't be compared to turbos, safes and ect. You ask why they did it now. You are right they had to do it long time ago. Bad Apple!

 

[Radon87000]

The scenario can be tweaked but essentially the hubris revolves around unauthorized repair.

Does this fine example of hyperbole really require an answer?

Hyperbole?Thats exactly what happened in this case.All these devices were workign fine till Apple bricked them

 

[nicho]

No. Apple do not have any right to render your device completely useless without warning.

It really is that black and white.

If you need another example:

--

You have an unbreakable safe with very valuable items in it. They mean a lot to you. To keep the safe working correctly, you need to use "authorised" service personnel to keep the safe working properly.

One day you realise all they are doing is changing a battery so as the safe is now out of warranty, you do it yourself. Your safe continues to work just fine until you get a software update for your safe (it now shows you the weather on the safe display).

However after the update the safe stops work. All your valuables are locked inside.

You take it to the safe company and they simply turn around to you and tell you there is nothing they can do and you need to throw it away losing all your valuable contents inside.

--

Seriously justify that is fair or morally right?

If you genuinely don't get how wrong this is then I have nothing more to say to you as you're too closed minded to understand this.

you missed a step or two out. the authorised service personnel are using a specific brand of AA battery. without thorough knowledge of the reasons why or research, you go to poundland and buy some no-brand AA batteries. "they'll do the job just as well" you think. during every previous software update the watch has been looking for the specific batteries it is designed to function with and worked fine. now that you've installed incorrect parts, the next software update fails.

there is no way a third party vendor installing a touchid component at a fraction of the price is installing genuine apple parts. apple sells complete iphones, not modular kits to install whatever else companies' parts the user likes...

 

[primorack]

You fail to understand that they didn't do that to get back at you for not going to their services. With every other product if you replace parts is endanger yourself. With this change you endanger them. If they had a way they would brick every device with that unauthorized part. Believe me. But they can make changes to the devices only via software updates. So they did the only thing they can to ensure their safety.

 

[I7guy]

Hyperbole?Thats exactly what happened in this case.All these devices were workign fine till Apple bricked them

Yep, bricked because there was a hardware issue due to an unauthorized modification to the phone. Part of the security updates to iOS 9.

 

[C DM]

But what if the Watch works fine but since Apple is butthurt that I got the same service at a lower price they bricked the device?

But what if the device explodes because of some flaw in the non-genuine part that was installed?

 

[dotnet]

This however is about making money. Bricked phone = new phone. Stupid people will pay.

Really? I got my phone exchanged for free. No arguments, no begging, no fuss.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Hypothetically they may provide said tools to authorized vendors. With the key fob you need a master to program the other slave. So with a new touch id assembly you would need authorized tools.

But that's a different conversation than IOS 9 perhaps checking to see if all devices are in working order and if not, execute a panic.

My Chrysler Town & Country allows programming 8 (not sure if 8 or 6) key fobs.

With an iPhone the "master" should be your finger.

Apple could give people at least 3 programming possibilities.
If a home button fails that many times, the phone should be given back or some
severe mistreatment is going on.

All in all through : Apple Care to the rescue.

 

[beanbaguk]

Really? I got my phone exchanged for free. No arguments, no begging, no fuss.

Lucky you. Others are not so fortunate.

ETA....and certainly not after the warranty expires.

 

[dotnet]

Lucky you. Others are not so fortunate.

ETA....and certainly not after the warranty expires.

I don't think it has anything to do with luck, it appeared to be their regular procedure. The phone was just under 18 months old. Maybe it's different from country to country. And no, I didn't have AppleCare.

 

[gaximus]

If you read into the story, it's been reported back to ios 8.3. So they didn't "add anything" in this update that wasn't already in the last... 5 or 6 is it?

Read the story and it says "where some users have encountered the issue in software updates as early as iOS 8.3." so...after an update. Which is what my previous comment said.

 

[KdParker]

Why?

If my iPhone is out of warranty, then I should be able to have it repaired by who ever I want.

I can see why it might be a good thing to avoid circumventing the security on stolen phones, but from a user standpoint who wants a repair, apple repairs aren't exactly the cheapest, or in the UK and other countries where apple stores are only in big cities, its a pain in the rear not being able to take it to a local phone shop.

You can have it repaired by anyone. Just if it is not Apple, it might not work when you upgrade to a new iOS.

 

[cmwade77]

This is actually a good thing. However, people will still be mad.

While I understand the vitriol against Apple for this error, it makes sense from a security standpoint. Hopefully, having an authorized Apple repair center replace the home button with a legitimate one can restore a phone giving this error.

The problem is there are many countries where it is not feasible to get the phone to an authorized repair center, what do you do then?

Or what do you do when you are traveling overseas and Apple won't fix the phone because the phone is from another country?

 

[Radon87000]

Yep, bricked because there was a hardware issue due to an unauthorized modification to the phone. Part of the security updates to iOS 9.

1.If I can repair my iPhone at a third party repair centre and it works fine I dont see why Apple cares so much about me enough to destroy my device.I mean thats a little extreme dont you think?

2.I doubt any customer would be overjoyed to pay $700 because Apple cares so much for him

But what if the device explodes because of some flaw in the non-genuine part that was installed?

LOL.Since when did TouchID cause iPhones to blow up and even if it did the onus is on the user and the third party for the repair work done.Apple is not responsible but if Apple intentionally bricks the device then the onus is on Apple

 

[C DM]

1.If I can repair my iPhone at a third party repair centre and it works fine I dont see why Apple cares so much about me enough to destroy my device.I mean thats a little extreme dont you think?

2.I doubt any customer would be overjoyed to pay $700 because Apple cares so much for him



LOL.Since when did TouchID cause iPhones to blow up and even if it did the onus is on the user and the third party for the repair work done.Apple is not responsible but if Apple intentionally bricks the device then the onus is on Apple

One imaginary hypothetical scenario deserves another.

 

[Keirasplace]

The problem is there are many countries where it is not feasible to get the phone to an authorized repair center, what do you do then?

Or what do you do when you are traveling overseas and Apple won't fix the phone because the phone is from another country?

If my camera breaks down overseas, I buy a cheap one for the trip and get the other one fixed when I get back. I don't have time or inclination to chance a repair in dodgy place, or wait out an official repair.
If I live there, well I then try to repair it in country at a appropriate store, which takes longer.

Most of the countries were there is no Apple repair places are not places were they probably don't sell phones either. Got that. So, the phone came through import, travel or immigration. For all products, that usually limits your fix options a lot; not just Apple.

In the countries were almost all Apple devices are owned,
they'll be an Apple repair place so you just built a big straw man.
Even in Macedonia, the place the dumbass was, there was an official place to repair his Iphone.
If someone is abroad for a short time, most people won't get their phone repaired anyway.
In those few % of countries with no official repair place, if your there for a short while, buy a burner phone (or whatever's needed to fill a short term need) and repair the main one when you come back. And yes, I've done that for many things, including cameras, phones and all sort of other equipment.

 

[Hardscan451]

Rather than cause error 53 and bricking your phone why can't apples security features just turn off and deny access to any services that require Touch ID, that would then make the home button function like they did before Touch ID was added to iPhones, just a simple clicky button.

 

[Wowereit]

That's how third party homebuttons had worked before they bricked the phones.

 

[Jeans01Ddk]

This is actually a good thing. However, people will still be mad.

No it isn't! This is a design flaw by Apple ... they should from the beginning never have chosen to put the security check in the home button, but in the actual phone-SOC. Then the problem would never have arisen... but it is perhaps purposely that Apple chose it to be in a service part, so that they in turn could earn huge amounts of money on replacement ...
[doublepost=1454955110][/doublepost]Poor souls... you are (again) being f****d by Apple! It's the same pattern everytime: how many cables and adapters have you had to by since the first iPhone: at first Apple chose to use a proprietary 30 pin cable instead of micro-usb, and even the standard 3.5 mm headphone jack didn't fit! Then when you had bought all the cables, stands, speakers etc with 30 pin, they changed it again to Lightning, and alle your acessories were scrap, and you bought it all again, but this time Apple had put some clever stuff in the connector so you couldn't just buy cheap Chinese parts, and now we hear that the 3.5 mm headphone jack will be gone on the iPhone 7, and I can throw my expensive hig-end Sennheisers out, or buy yet another expensive adapter... No! - You know what? This time I will throw my expensive iPhone out and buy a Nokia smartphone, when it comes to marked in this fall... and I will laugh all the way to the bank... not Apple!

 

[lyceumHQ]

Rather than cause error 53 and bricking your phone why can't apples security features just turn off and deny access to any services that require Touch ID, that would then make the home button function like they did before Touch ID was added to iPhones, just a simple clicky button.

Because that wouldn't make Apple money.

Your home button breaks. You know of the error 53 issue and know unless you take it to Apple it might brick. So you have no other option. You have to go to Apple. They can charge whatever they like here. Because if you want to continue with a working iPhone you HAVE to take it to them for repair. Apple make money this way.

Let's say you don't go to Apple or aren't aware. Then end up with error 53. Then Apple charge you £236 to repair it. Apple make money this way.

Let's say you don't think it's worth it to repair. Apple now offer trade in on these phones (handy that isn't it) so you trade it in and buy a new iPhone. Apple make money this way.

Bricking these phones makes Apple money in one way or another.

Then there's the poor users who have had no repairs at all but still end up with a bricked phone and are out of warranty.

If you're home button still worked but Touch ID didn't and it would cost you a fair bit to repair you're more likely to just leave it and do without Touch ID. This makes Apple no money.

That really is the only reason Apple are doing this. Money. That is the be all and end all. Apple are displaying immense arrogance and greed here.

I'm hoping the powers that be in the EU step in here and slap Apple right down.

As I've said previously. I've just spent £619 on a 64gb 6s and now have to play the error 53 lottery every time I want to update to the latest iOS. I think not Apple.

 

[I7guy]

Because that wouldn't make Apple money.

Your home button breaks. You know of the error 53 issue and know unless you take it to Apple it might brick. So you have no other option. You have to go to Apple. They can charge whatever they like here. Because if you want to continue with a working iPhone you HAVE to take it to them for repair. Apple make money this way.

Let's say you don't go to Apple or aren't aware. Then end up with error 53. Then Apple charge you £236 to repair it. Apple make money this way.

Let's say you don't think it's worth it to repair. Apple now offer trade in on these phones (handy that isn't it) so you trade it in and buy a new iPhone. Apple make money this way.

Bricking these phones makes Apple money in one way or another.

Then there's the poor users who have had no repairs at all but still end up with a bricked phone and are out of warranty.

If you're home button still worked but Touch ID didn't and it would cost you a fair bit to repair you're more likely to just leave it and do without Touch ID. This makes Apple no money.

That really is the only reason Apple are doing this. Money. That is the be all and end all. Apple are displaying immense arrogance and greed here.

I'm hoping the powers that be in the EU step in here and slap Apple right down.

As I've said previously. I've just spent £619 on a 64gb 6s and now have to play the error 53 lottery every time I want to update to the latest iOS. I think not Apple.

Since we're talking hypotheticals:
- if you move on from Apple it doesn't make them money
- if your out of warranty car dies in the middle of the road it's going to cost you
- an unauthorized repair is made to your car and it dies shortly after. Dealer won't touch the car if the repair is related to failure

 

[lyceumHQ]

Since we're talking hypotheticals:
- if you move on from Apple it doesn't make them money
- if your out of warranty car dies in the middle of the road it's going to cost you
- an unauthorized repair is made to your car and it dies shortly after. Dealer won't touch the car if the repair is related to failure

What a bizarre reply. Nothing I said was 'hypothetical'. It's actually happening. And what have cars got to do with anything?

I've never taken my phones anywhere but Apple for repairs. Ever. And I never will. I wouldn't expect Apple to touch a device I had repaired elsewhere. But I also don't expect them to brick my £600 phone because I chose to go elsewhere with a device I own for repair.

But that's not what happening here. People aren't taking iPhones fixed elsewhere back to Apple and expecting them to be repaired. Apple are purposefully and knowingly bricking devices that haven't been repaired by themselves. Those two things are entirely different.

Apples motivation here is money. Plain and simple.

There has been posters saying they've had no repairs at all and are stuck with a bricked device thanks to error 53. It's not 100% accurate and foolproof.

 

[Wowereit]

No it isn't! This is a design flaw by Apple ... they should from the beginning never have chosen to put the security check in the home button, but in the actual phone-SOC.

But that's exactly how it works.
The homebutton is just a fingerprint scanner, the check happens inside of an encrypted part of the SoC, which basically returns "true" or "false", you can't access the hash.

 

[Radon87000]

One imaginary hypothetical scenario deserves another.

Again what do you mean hypothetical?What I am saying with the Watch example actually happened