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posted by janrinok on Thursday August 08 2019, @12:35PM   Printer-friendly
from the can't-stand-competition dept.

https://www.ifixit.com/News/apple-is-locking-batteries-to-iphones-now

By activating a dormant software lock on their newest iPhones, Apple is effectively announcing a drastic new policy: only Apple batteries can go in iPhones, and only they can install them.

If you replace the battery in the newest iPhones, a message indicating you need to service your battery appears in Settings > Battery, next to Battery Health. The "Service" message is normally an indication that the battery is degraded and needs to be replaced. The message still shows up when you put in a brand new battery, however. Here's the bigger problem: our lab tests confirmed that even when you swap in a genuine Apple battery, the phone will still display the "Service" message.

It's not a bug; it's a feature Apple wants. Unless an Apple Genius or an Apple Authorized Service Provider authenticates a battery to the phone, that phone will never show its battery health and always report a vague, ominous problem.


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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @12:52PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @12:52PM (#877421)

    This could be the last bit of ammunition needed to pass some of the right-to-repair bills that are floating around in nearly half the states in the USA.

    Apple--shooting themselves in the foot?

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  • (Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @01:02PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @01:02PM (#877428)

    This could be the last bit of ammunition needed to pass some of the right-to-repair bills

    We can only hope so. But, the crapple still has an enormous cash pile with which to bribe politicians to prevent those same right-to-repair bills from becoming law.

    So there's still a risk that the laws won't make it.

  • (Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @03:05PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @03:05PM (#877490)

    But they are not trying to kill third party repairs, that is pure slander. They are trying to stop terrorists from installing exploding batteries in the phones of children!

  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @03:43PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @03:43PM (#877513)

    Apple recently integrated the T2 chip across the phone and MacBook lines which, among other things, is used to lock out third-party repairs. They would not have done so if they were concerned about right-to-repair legislation. I was about to order a new MB Air but decided not to because of this fact. Well, that and the shit keyboard, dated specs, lacking ports, discontinued Mag-Safe, etc. Shame really, I liked my 2015 Air. Time to start hunting for something similar for Linux.

  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday August 08 2019, @05:00PM

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Thursday August 08 2019, @05:00PM (#877548) Journal

    Why not just seal the thing in epoxy and be done with it? They'll have to offer a three year guarantee though, at least. But they could probably live with that.

    Or maybe they make more on repairs than they do on sales. Eh, whatever, as long as there are alternatives, they're welcome to do what they want.

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..