Submitted via IRC for SoyCow9228
Those stickers on gadgets that say you'll void your warranty if they're removed? You've probably come to expect them whenever you purchase a new device. The FTC has just made clear, however, that those warranty notices are illegal when it fired off warning letters to six companies that market and sell automobiles, mobile devices and video game consoles in the US. It didn't mention which automakers and tech corporations they are, but since the list includes companies that make video game consoles, Sony and Microsoft could be two of them.
[...] Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement:
"Provisions that tie warranty coverage to the use of particular products or services harm both consumers who pay more for them as well as the small businesses who offer competing products and services."
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2018/04/11/ftc-warranty-warning/
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 13 2018, @01:35AM
Phone manufacturers most likely use whatever connector their battery suppliers use. The battery suppliers use whatever connector their assembler has available that meets their requirements.
Customizing the parts always costs more.
Straw man; that's not a connector.
The devices you are thinking of cost a lot more to produce than a cellphone did 4 years ago. Also note survivor bias: most people don't keep broken equipment.