Apple's anti-repair and anti-refurbishment practices: Difference between revisions
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{{StubNotice}}{{IncidentCargo | {{StubNotice}}{{IncidentCargo | ||
|Company=Apple | |Company=Apple | ||
|StartDate= | |||
|EndDate= | |||
|Status=Active, Pending Resolution, Resolved | |||
|ProductLine= | |||
|Product= | |||
|ArticleType=Product | |ArticleType=Product | ||
|Type=Repairability, | |Type=Repairability, Ownership, Digital Restrictions, Planned Obsolescence, Service Termination | ||
|Description=Apple's behaviors have contributed to the company's hardware being converted to e-waste, such as with removing legacy-supported software | |Description=Apple's behaviors have contributed to the company's hardware being converted to e-waste, such as with removing legacy-supported software. | ||
}}Since the inception of the [[iPhone]] in 2007, [[Apple]] has contributed severely to the production of e-waste from its products by blocking consumers in various methods. This has ranged from [[Apple authorized repair|authorized repair]], to the blocking of sideloading 3rd-party software, and disposing of legacy apps and legacy appstore access.<!-- This might actually be a theme article now that I think about it... | }} | ||
Since the inception of the [[iPhone]] in 2007, [[Apple]] has contributed severely to the production of e-waste from its products by blocking consumers in various methods. This has ranged from [[Apple authorized repair|authorized repair]], to the blocking of sideloading 3rd-party software, and disposing of legacy apps and legacy appstore access.<!-- This might actually be a theme article now that I think about it... | |||
- JamesTDG --> | - JamesTDG --> | ||
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===Blocking operating system downgrades<!-- Will emulate "Operating system downgrades" from parent article -->=== | ===Blocking operating system downgrades<!-- Will emulate "Operating system downgrades" from parent article -->=== | ||
===Activation Lock=== | |||
Apple prevents activation of devices that have not been unlocked by the initial owner before giving them away, selling or recycling them. | |||
The reason cited by Apple is theft prevention, but it has been argued that this practice may be in place to prevent second hand sales and recycling of devices since they would compete with new devices, and Apple only makes a profit on the latter. | |||
This leads to a colossal amount of e-waste from devices where the previous owner has not disabled the activation lock. It also makes the devices dependent on Apple services. If Apple one day decides to no longer support this procedure for a particular model, it becomes impossible to use. Aside from putting undue restrictions on what consumers can do with their devices, this also makes historic preservation very challenging. | |||
A simple solution to the theft problem could be to send previous owners an e-mail to the address linked to their Apple ID with an option to either consent to the release of the activation lock or report their device as stolen. A default answer (either allow or deny unlock) could be chosen if the user does not make a choice within a reasonable timeframe, for instance if the e-mail address is no longer in use. However, Apple has so far chosen not to implement a system like this. | |||
===Underpowered base models=== | ===Underpowered base models=== | ||
Most contemporary Apple devices do not have upgradeable or replaceable storage and memory. | Most contemporary Apple devices do not have upgradeable or replaceable storage and memory. | ||
Apple sells many of their base models with storage and memory specifications that are well below the industry average, despite the memory having to do double duty as both main memory and graphics card memory<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simon |first=Michael |date=2023-11-08 |title=Apple defends 8GB of RAM in the MacBook Pro as ‘analogous to 16GB’ in a PC |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/2130974/bob-borchers-defends-8gb-ram-macbook-pro-analogous-to-16gb-pc.html |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=Macworld}}</ref>. This gives users the choice between an underpowered base model, or paying a multiple of common industry prices<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hussain |first=Imran |date=2019-12-03 |title=Apple Sells 16GB RAM for $400 – Almost 700% Higher Price Than Other OEMs |url=https://wccftech.com/apple-sells-16gb-ram-for-400-almost-700-higher-price-than-other-oems/ |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=WCCFTech}}</ref> for higher-specc'ed versions. It should be noted that the price difference for the components that Apple would pay in manufacturing are within a few cents. | Apple sells many of their base models with storage and memory specifications that are well below the industry average, despite the memory having to do double duty as both main memory and graphics card memory<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simon |first=Michael |date=2023-11-08 |title=Apple defends 8GB of RAM in the MacBook Pro as ‘analogous to 16GB’ in a PC |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/2130974/bob-borchers-defends-8gb-ram-macbook-pro-analogous-to-16gb-pc.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222210559/https://www.macworld.com/article/2130974/bob-borchers-defends-8gb-ram-macbook-pro-analogous-to-16gb-pc.html |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-09-15 |website=Macworld}}</ref>. This gives users the choice between an underpowered base model, or paying a multiple of common industry prices<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hussain |first=Imran |date=2019-12-03 |title=Apple Sells 16GB RAM for $400 – Almost 700% Higher Price Than Other OEMs |url=https://wccftech.com/apple-sells-16gb-ram-for-400-almost-700-higher-price-than-other-oems/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250818140226/https://wccftech.com/apple-sells-16gb-ram-for-400-almost-700-higher-price-than-other-oems/ |archive-date=18 Aug 2025|access-date=2025-09-15 |website=WCCFTech}}</ref> for higher-specc'ed versions. It should be noted that the price difference for the components that Apple would pay in manufacturing are within a few cents. | ||
This leaves buyers in a difficult situation: Either they user has to pay significantly more at the time of purchase, or the user has to buy a new device much earlier than would otherwise be necessary. Some models even have limits for the amount of memory the user can choose, thus forcing them into more expensive models if they want more. | This leaves buyers in a difficult situation: Either they user has to pay significantly more at the time of purchase, or the user has to buy a new device much earlier than would otherwise be necessary. Some models even have limits for the amount of memory the user can choose, thus forcing them into more expensive models if they want more. | ||
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When a device loses manufacturer support and the App Store stops working, or when Apple deletes or blocks versions of apps from the store which are compatible with that version of the operating system, the user no longer has any way to install or re-install any software on their devices. | When a device loses manufacturer support and the App Store stops working, or when Apple deletes or blocks versions of apps from the store which are compatible with that version of the operating system, the user no longer has any way to install or re-install any software on their devices. | ||
If such devices are factory reset, either to be handed to other people or to be sold on the used market, the built-in first party apps are the only ones that remain accessible. | |||
Moreover, Apple does not appear to always test new versions of apps on old hardware, so sometimes the last update to an app breaks it for that device, sometimes due to bugs, sometimes due to increased memory requirements. | Moreover, Apple does not appear to always test new versions of apps on old hardware, so sometimes the last update to an app breaks it for that device, sometimes due to bugs, sometimes due to increased memory requirements. Since the App Store allows no downgrades, this leaves the user with an app that is unusable on that model of device. If Apple allowed either app downgrades or independent installation of apps, these devices would remain completely functional for users of those apps. | ||
===Blocking third party browsers=== | ===Blocking third party browsers=== | ||
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{{Ph-I-ConR}} | {{Ph-I-ConR}} | ||
==See also== | |||
[[Right to repair]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||