The Guardian reports that Apple has acknowledged growing complaints that third-party repairs to the Touch ID home button of an iPhone 6 can brick the device when iOS is updated, and that it is a deliberate security feature.
There have been growing reports of an ‘error 53‘ following an iOS update to an iPhone 6, leaving the phone dead. A Guardian freelancer was one of those affected.
Freelance photographer and self-confessed Apple addict Antonio Olmos says this happened to his phone a few weeks ago after he upgraded his software. Olmos had previously had his handset repaired while on an assignment for the Guardian in Macedonia […]
He says he thought no more about it, until he was sent the standard notification by Apple inviting him to install the latest software. He accepted the upgrade, but within seconds the phone was displaying “error 53” and was, in effect, dead. When Olmos […] took it to an Apple store in London, staff told him there was nothing they could do, and that his phone was now junk …
iFixit’s Kyle Wiens said that hits on the company’s website showed that a great many iPhone 6 owners had experienced the problem, and that there was no way to fix it.
The ‘error 53’ page on our website has had more than 183,000 hits, suggesting this is a big problem for Apple users. The problem occurs if the repairer changes the home button or the cable. Following the software upgrade the phone in effect checks to make sure it is still using the original components, and if it isn’t, it simply locks out the phone. There is no warning, and there’s no way that I know of to bring it back to life.
Apple has now confirmed to the Guardian that the issue exists and is caused by code designed to protect the Secure Enclave.
We protect fingerprint data using a secure enclave, which is uniquely paired to the Touch ID sensor. When iPhone is serviced by an authorised Apple service provider or Apple retail store for changes that affect the touch ID sensor, the pairing is re-validated. This check ensures the device and the iOS features related to touch ID remain secure. Without this unique pairing, a malicious touch ID sensor could be substituted, thereby gaining access to the secure enclave. When iOS detects that the pairing fails, touch ID, including Apple Pay, is disabled so the device remains secure.
The company did not go as far as acknowledging that there was no possible recovery once the issue has occurred, but simply advised affected users to contact Apple support. We have asked Apple whether it is able to restore or repair affected phones and will update if we get a response.
Update: Apple has issued a more detailed statement pointing those who need assistance to Apple Support:
In a statement released following the publication of the Guardian’s story, an Apple spokesperson said: “We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks designed to protect our customers. iOS checks that the Touch ID sensor in your iPhone or iPad correctly matches your device’s other components.
“If iOS finds a mismatch, the check fails and Touch ID, including for Apple Pay use, is disabled. This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used. If a customer encounters Error 53, we encourage them to contact Apple Support.”
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Good!
Prepare for the outrage and conspiracy theories.
I, for one, appreciate the security measures Apple has built in to my iPhone and iPads.
Without telling anyone about it…
I’m pretty sure I heard about this on another Apple site last year. If someone takes their iPhone to an un-authorized repair because it’s cheaper. Then for some reason their finger print is compromised I wonder who is going to get sued? no one thinks about that though. Ughh society now, everyone wants everything for nothing.
They didn’t advertise it on a billboard, but last year they did say that the Touch ID sensor was tied to the phone and that it could not be replaced by non-Apple repair shops.
Why should they tell you not to do third party repairs? Apple doesn’t assure full functionality if you perform out of warranty repairs.
Too bad. How sad.
Because they don’t want to have to deal with the backlash of having thousands of angry iPhone 6 users? You know, a company might want to actually care a little bit about their customers?
it was obvious when they explained how the sensor is connected.
What would you expect? The masses don’t understand this stuff, it would be useless to do it. In the end it just works – you do something stupid like disabling security on your phone on a hardware level, it doesn’t work anymore, which again is another facet of “it just works”. Compromised locked phone means your data has been saved. Think about what the governments would be able to do if all it took was to change the sensor in order to have access to the phone!
bytesbobs: part of the problem (as noted in the Guardian article) is that a number of places do not have any Apple or Apple-authorized service facilities.
And, in my case, I’ve replaced a number of iPhone batteries myself for friends and family (although no iPhone 6 has needed one – yet).
Of course, why would they need to tell you this, its pretty much common sense and should be a given.
A security measure that only come in effect when you upgrade the OS, nice. If indeed a ‘malicious ID sensor’ was substituted in your phone, all your information would have been stolen unless you happened to upgrade the OS before you even touch that ID sensor.
Really – You have to use that kind of language to express your your feelings.
Just Poor Taste!
Just like any third party repair service for any product you pays your money and you takes your chance. These third party repair services obviously already know their replacement parts will brick the iPhones but they sell them anyway. When I had my car’s tires rotated the third party shop didn’t have the tool to re-calibrate the tire pressure sensors so the wrong tire was reporting low pressure. I had to take it to the dealer to get that done.
Yeah, it’s a buyer beware when taking any product to an un-authorized service center for anything. Whether it be a car, electronic device or any product the requires servicing.. The more complicated the product, sometimes they don’t have the tools or the right parts to perform the repair.
I have worked for an authorized Apple reseller and it’s always a battle when competing against the parasite un-authorized resellers. Companies typically don’t like buying from un-authorized dealers, but consumers can be dumb because they simply just buy solely based on price and nothing else. What’s more unfortunate is the mfg getting flack when an un-authorized service center screws up a product and the customer gets angry at Apple, when they should be upset at the repair facility they took their device to. I get a little frustrated when people that try to repair the device themselves when the user has no training and may not have all of the proper tools/parts to perform the repair properly.
The problem will be there are certainly not enough “authorized” repair facilities to handle the load of broken Iphones. If you live a long distance from a store, which is true for almost everyone in some states. What will be your options? One may have disabled a home phone, possibly switched over to apple pay and become far to dependent on the Iphone. How will Apple handle the extreme rise in service needs resulting from this?
I appreciate the security from the proper coded components, but I can easily install them myself and it would be a shame to wait 5 – 10 days or have to drive to Des Moines.
2 cents.
The outcry is already building up on the red tops… and an YouTuber already made a rant video about it.
I appreciate the fact that a stolen iPhone 6 (that could be the one I own), is even more worthless.
Seriously, f*** them, they are using stolen parts, they are fueling the demand for stolen iPhone, even with iCloud lock!
Chill. Theft is not the issue here. Security is.
So these unauthorized dealers cannot get your fingerprint info from the part(s) they removed from your phone?
Excellent.
This is hardly a secret. iFixit notes this on several repair guides.
But iFixit is quick to scream about how non-repairable Apple products are because it cuts into iFixit’s business model.
I’m GLAD Apple does things like this. Data security is more important than idiots *ahem* excuse me, users, trying to save a buck or two by going to some third party non-apple-authorized reseller.
a buck or two? Apple charges around 300$ for a flex cable which is less than say 50$ max! what do u have to say now?
I have to say where do you get your information from.
You should check your HATE youtube channels and blogs.
BTW, Google avoided more tax than Apple… were are the reports for that?
Nailed it.
Where do you get your facts from? Apple guestimated at as much as $10B in taxes that may be recouped just by the EU alone. Ireland is not Apple’s only tax haven. Google too will owe but with nowhere near the total revenues that Apple has run thru just Ireland how could Google mathematically avoid more tax than Apple?
gatorguy2: Google *could* owe more because margins are higher (and therefore percentage profits). Not likely but certainly possible.
“….how could Google mathematically avoid more tax than Apple?”
They can’t, and they haven’t. But you won’t find much truth on these forums I’m afraid.
If you ain’t got the cash get a better job or better yet take better care of your shit?
Nothing like being sheep. Always do what your Apple Overlord tells you. How dare you wish to have something you own fixed where you choose too.
you sir don’t understand security. If replacing a button would work it would be like using a fake key to open a door. Apple is doing the right thing preventing other finger sensors unlocking the phone than the one that is trusted. Reminds of those cars being stolen not by replacing the key but replacing the whole board of the car, which would use a different key, because the connection to the board was trusted. Fortunately apple checks the trusted connection – once it’s not trusted, the phone should be unlock able anymore, because a different fingerprint might be stored there.
damn those uncorrectable posts :(>>>Fortunately apple checks the trusted connection – once it’s not trusted, the phone shouldn’t be unlockable anymore, because a different fingerprint might be stored there.
I perfectly understand security. What if something happens to your phone and there is no Apple store around, I should be without my phone? Apple can simple put a program in place that after a 3rd Party repair like this is done, that you must call in and they verify you own the phone. As far as protecting your data if your phone is stolen, this does not in anyway do that, because it only bricks the phone after there is an update not instantly after the part is removed. This is about Apple making sure they get your repair money and being able to charge any price they choose with no fear of competition. It’s about GREEEEED not security.
” It’s about GREEEEED not security.” Really? What if you loose your phone and all some one needs to do to get into it is use a fake home button that tricks the secure onclave to let that person in and use apple pay at will. Would love to see your post about how stupid it is that apple doesn’t check for fake parts. These 3RD parties that are fixing the Phone should know about this and tell the person they cant fix the home button. But they didn’t. who’s greedy now?
Actually, when the home button is replaced by a third party, it disabled the touch ID portion of the system and anything that depends on it immediately. Even if they are using a genuine Apple part that DOES have the sensor on it, because it hasn’t gone through the re-verification Apple mentioned. That is a sufficient security measure. The error 53 issue doesn’t occur until the device is updated, at which time it bricks the phone. If the error 53 issue was intended to be a security measure it would immediately brick the phone when powered on after the part was replaced. But by only running a check during an update of the device they are proving that it’s not security they are worried about, but simply protecting their bottom line through illegal means.
Well, if Apple really grates on you that much, buy an Android or a Windows phone.
PEOPLE – Remember – You VOTE with YOUR DOLLARS. Don’t like what Apple (or anyone else for that matter) does or restricts you to doing – BUY SOMETHING ELSE.
Whining for the sake of whining is just childish and annoying and it clogs up the posts.
I wonder how many people are actually impacted by this, I would never have my phone repaired by an unauthorized 3rd party. And why does the Guardian have to throw in that this guy is a so-called Apple fanboy? To make Apple look worse because it happened to an Apple fan?
Every year I buy the previous year’s iPhones used on eBay. This way I have a complete set of iPhones to test my apps with (and because I love iPhones). So how do I as a used iPhone buyer know if the home button has been replaced by some previous owner and will be bricked by a future update that Apple puts out? If the iPhone is going to brick, it should do so the moment the home button is replaced not at some future date.
Good point! I hadn’t thought of that! What if someone selling a phone has had the home button repaired and is running an older version of iOS that hasn’t bricked it yet…You go to restore it, install latest iOS — bam. That device you just bought is now 100% useless. This seems like a very ridiculous course of action for Apple to take. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t just disable TouchID — not the entire device.
Fuck Apple
Yet here you are. On an apple blog.
That sounds really kinky. I’ve heard of people doing it with other fruit. Tell us how it turns out.
What a childish reply.
But isn’t getting a third party repair void your warranty anyway? Get your devices repaired by authorized Apple Repair center and you won’t have this problem. This is a security issue, why wouldn’t you want device secured…
two issues with it being a security issue. one the only thing compromised would be the fingerprint data and by extension apple pay. no reason to disable the phone. secondly the fact that it only checks when the phone is updated makes it useless as a security feature. what attacker is going to update the phones software before performing a malicious attack using the compromised hardware
I’m at a loss on this…
A lot of commenters here are just morons. And Apple’s “explanation” is full of shit.
First off, the ONLY indication that Apple, iFixit, or anyone else has EVER given regarding the use of non-Apple button repair parts was that the TouchID/Secure Enclave would stop functioning. OK, fine. Consumers then should have the choice of deciding between going with a more costly Apple repair and maintain functionality, or saving the money and have a non-functional TouchID. It’s that simple. AT NO POINT has Apple warned that that was not going to be an option. I know a LOT of people who don’t use TouchID…ever. I’ve also known people who did use it, but decided they could live without it when considering repair costs. That should be a consumer decision, and Apple should not be destroying property based on a consumer’s decision. (In the US we saw this similar kind of greedy, anti-consumer behavior with the automobile companies in the past…let’s just say they weren’t portrayed in the best of light. Apple should most certainly reconsider here. In my mind, however, this is just more of the same with this vile greedy exec team at Apple. And I am a HUGE Apple fanboy of over 30 years.)
Second, Apple’s explanation is flat out either a lie, or their prior security claims about TouchID have been. Can’t be any two ways about it. They said that the enclave/button PAIR was secure. Up until this point it was the narrative that if the PAIR was broken, the enclave would still be secure. THAT is exactly what you’d WANT to have happen. But THIS explanation now indicates that a rogue button component can be used to “break” the SecureEnclave. Uh…then it isn’t “secure”. WTF, Apple? I mean, this is basic security stuff…and you’re screwing it up. It makes no sense. And Apple can’t have it both ways. Also, anyone who knows jack shit about encryption knows this latest claim is likely a lie. Either that or Apple is REALLY REALLY inept at encryption and TouchID/Secure Enclave should not be trusted AT ALL.
In another post’s comments area recently I said that Apple needed to facilitate non-Apple repairs in emerging markets, that to continue to do otherwise was appallingly disrespectful to the less-wealthy people in those markets. I guess we have our answer to how Apple sees those people, merely as profitcenters to be mined.
Because you’re an expert on how this all works. Let us know what your class action lawyer says.
I’m sorry? Did I mention suing? I did not. I inferred that Apple users should be angry with Apple. Consumer power is more powerful than any lawyer. Stop buying Apple products (I have). Buy USED Apple products (I do). Stop paying Apple unnecessarily (I have). COMPLAIN to Apple (I do). Buy Apple stock and COMPLAIN to Apple (I do). SHAME THEM on public forums (I do). All of these things are better than wasting time on a class action lawyer. What do YOU do to exert your consumer power, troll?
Oh…and yeah, I’d consider myself a cryptography “expert”, thanks for suggesting the title; I’ve worked with it for over two decades. You?
It’s sad.more.than anything. The Apple defenders. Most third parties use genuine parts anyway. It’s just now you need an apple tech to get iOS to work with a new fingerprint reader even if it is genuine made by Apple.
People whine about security, yet they vote for the ones who are about to take it from you…
It’s great that the Touch ID is paired with the iphone however this shouldn’t brick your phone – instead it should lock it with your Apple ID or something like when you’ve got find my iphone enabled and do a restore – you have to sign in with your Apple ID otherwise you won’t be able to use your iphone. Bricking the iphone is just ridiculous.
Also You have to sign in with pin anyway to start using Touch ID for the first time after restart/power on, so no need to brick the phone! Just requiring to sign in with your Apple ID would do!
appleid is less secure than the secure enclave so i see no reason to allow it to access the secure enclave. but there is no reason the pin couldn’t be used to still access the phone just disable the secure enclave maybe with a warning on each boot that the hardware is compromised
For the touch-id – and it’s obvious security implications if someone was to interfere with the sensor ? OK by me.
Would not want to see it spread to other components – e.g. you get a 3rd party battery replacement and your phone is killed – as a way of forcing us into expensive, Apple monopoly, repairs.
what security implications beyond the fingerprint sensor and apple pay? you can still log in with a pin until you go to update showing the enclave is not necessary for most of the phones features. the fact this check is only run when you perform a software update makes it useless even as a security feature because no attacker is going to update your phone before attacking. only reason would be if apple used the secure enclave for verifying updates but even then it should be simple to just disallow updates when it is compromised
I don’t get why everyone here is saying things like oh wow great good for Apple! Not everyone has the money to fork out to get the phone replaced at Apple when they can do it themselves or take it somewhere else for way cheaper. inb4 “If they don’t have the money then don’t buy the phone” and “Well they shouldn’t have broken it” because all you guys obviously know everything about everyone’s situations.
I drive an Audi, which is a $63,000 German car. I could take it to a garage mechanic or express oil change place for maintenance, but when you’ve paid that much for something, you want your maintenance to be done by someone that knows your brand of car explicitly. So my oil changes and other maintenance costs me more than taking the car to Joe Blow, but that’s the price of having “nice things.” I knew going in that the cost for maintenance would be higher than getting a Ford, and if I couldn’t afford maintenance then I wouldn’t have gotten the car.
My point is, Apple products are expensive. I don’t see why anyone would trust their $600+ phone to any third party repair shop, it’s too expensive of a device to NOT trust anyone other than the manufacturer to repair. Can’t afford to take it to Apple? Then take your chances and when your phone is bricked by a repair shop, deal with it. Or, buy an Android phone and throw it away when it breaks – they’re cheap enough.
I, for one, support Apple with the security of the fingerprint reader. Security is the main reason that my phone, tablet, and computers have an Apple logo on them. I will say that this security feature is flawed since that it doesn’t work until the OS is updated, it should immediately take effect when the fingerprint reader is replaced. But even still, I’m glad that security feature is there.
I take it that you’d thank Audi for bricking your car were you foolish enough to attempt to repair it yourself. :P
Well, let’s think about this. The fingerprint sensor on your phone is a security device, much like a car key. If I tried to change out the door locks or ignition switch of a car myself, or have some random mechanic do it, I would certainly hope that my car “bricks.” That’s why we incorporated chips into car keys, so that it’s harder to swap the locks on a stolen car. A job like that would need to be done at the dealership.
“The fingerprint sensor on your phone is a security device, much like a car key. If I tried to change out the door locks or ignition switch of a car myself, or have some random mechanic do it, I would certainly hope that my car “bricks.”” bad analogy for a couple reasons first this is more like you switched out a component that allows you to use a keyfob to open the car locks and now can no longer open them with a key. second this is you changing that component then being fine using it for moths till audi put out a software update and then being unable to use the key. it is a feature that disable all functionality of the phone rather than what is actually compromised and the timeframe in which it does it means that it is still a simple matter to execute a malicious attack it only serves to disable phones well after the replacement it should be checked at every boot and it souldn’t disable features that don’t need the enclave. for instance when you boot your phone you can’t log in with your finger you have to put in your pin the first time. that is a security feature. this is a moneygrab
I love how people keep talking about security. How does this secure your phone? Does Apple release updates every day? NO! That means someone could steal your phone change the sensor and steal all your data long before any update bricks the phone. Stop being sheep and do some critical thinking, the only way this would be a security feature is if the phone bricked as soon as the part was changed. This is all about money, Yes Apple can be as greedy as any other company.
i could see the check being run at boot. you kinda need power to actually do a software brick like you suggest. kinda hard to software brick it when you have the battery pulled during a repair
Error 53 will also happen if you replace an old worn non functioning home button, when the iP6 gets old and the home button clicker no longer works many more people will face this issue (I’m sure many reading this had the iP4 with this issue). In New Zealand we have no Apple Store and to get our screen repaired through Apple support it cost $544 NZD ($360 USD) we also end up with a refurbished phone and it takes 10 days. We should be able to get our phones that we own repaired by whoever we like, It’s just madness that Apple brick a $1000+ phone because of a $5 part.
Wow lots of ppl on here supporting Apple??? Are you serious? How can you possibly say this is acceptable? They must be Apple employees, or just plain stupid.
How does this not violate the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act (at least within the US borders)?
The act is what allows you to put parts from say AutoZone or whichever 3rd party yo choose on your car without needing GM or Ford or … ‘s permission. To applies to all products sold in the US.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson–Moss_Warranty_Act
So many defenders of personal responsibility here. /s
If the device is out of warranty and the manufacturer has made no notice to non-Apple repair stations, then Apple may be liable for fraud here. Since a non-Apple depot gets its parts from the mfg, then the mfg has the responsibility to make this notice to the service techs.
One of my co workers used to design fingerprint scanners for door entry systems and computer logon, apparently bloomberg had a keyboard with a fingerprint reader over a decade ago, years before the iphone. When I showed him this article he was laughing.
These devices are relatively simple and rely on technology similar to a digital camera with a capacitive sensor for each pixel scanning what is essentially an image of your fingerprint. It would require a hacked sensor being able to scan your fingerprint, keep a copy of it in its own flash memory independent of the iPhone’s where your data is stored, (that it would be impossible for it to access) and send it’s own stored image of your real fingerprint to the processing software run by the ios software at the request of the hacker. All of this would require the hacked fingerprint reader to have its own flash memory large enough to store the fingerprint image, cpu (probably another ARM) to be able to access the flash, (read and write to it) and a serial peripheral interface bus link to connect this separate ARM CPU to the fingerprint reader input on the Apple A9 System-On-Chip. Even today with SmartWatch Sized chips with built in ARMs and spi buses it would probably be very tricky to integrate this functionality into a fingerprint reader for circumventing security and would probably require the hacker access to the phone a second time after installing the hacked reader.
If I remember correctly the fingerprint readers are paired to the iphone anyway meaning there is probably some unique code in the iOS firmware or on the A9 SOC meaning that if the codes need to match as of this software update otherwise the error will occur even if the new reader is manufactured by Apple and obviously is genuine.
I’m guessing an apple tech must now reprogram the iOS software or code on the SOC to match that of the new reader in order for it to work.
I bet that this is their test run or a precursor for Apple to soon implement digitally-signing hardware to each other in order to end third-party repairs of their devices.
It is rather peculiar that we’re also hearing news of Apple providing screen protector installations as well as trade-ins of broken iOS devices. Anything to avoid and prevent anyone but Apple Stores and authorized service centers to do anything with their products.
So if a thief would want to put a malicious touch ID sensor on your phone, thief would still be able to make you use the device for some time… then, if and when you update, you are holding a brick… would be safer to just brick the damn thing the second it detects a non official Touch sensor part… The update then brick statement makes 0 sense.
Everyone in the IT field understands that fingerprint technology is not a secure technology. Come on Apple. This is just a way to get more money. So what will the next phone have a whisker security measure that is equally redundant?
This is for profit folks. If this were truly about security then Apple would have a measure in place to unlock the bricked phone after valid ownership is verified. With Apple stores being few and far between lets not only pay close to $1000 for the phone but go even further out of the way to have Apple repair it. This is not only nuts its bananas. WHO is dumb enough to believe this madness?
My phone breaks first repair shop along the way gets the business. Why? Because I need my device to be functional asap. Why not invest in more partnerships? After all there are some third party repair shops who will only use OEM Apple parts to repair most Apple devices.
Apple you cant be so arrogant as to think that you wont lose loyal customers with these tacky tactics. What happened to your integrity?
To say that a fingerprint module provides great security is just plain asinine. Provide the update to marry new touch sensor to system board upon repair and stop being so damned greedy.
Its kind of useless. If somebody going to stole your data, they wont stupidly doing IOS upgrade. So this kind of security is Apple effort to generate service revenue and keep IOS user they cash cow. Keep producing milk IOS users!
Did you update your phone to the latest? If you did, your own argument is now null and void.
Apple is in fault for not advising this upfront. That’s it. The rest is explained and justified.
it’s not a bug, it’s a feature !!! who do they think they’re fooling
I do repairs for a living and I can tell you this is complete nonsense. Normally everybody who knows jack about phones knows that when replacing a screen from Apple devices with Touch ID support the button must be transferred from the old screen. If you don’t do it and install a button from another device the phone would still work but every time you try to set up the Touch ID an error would come up. So people avoid losing or damaging the button during the disassembly process. Like I said “EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS”.
Unless there was some sort of black market for reverse engineered home buttons that could somehow make them work on a different logic board I don’t see why this is a problem. Remember the button must take a picture which has to be compared to the one the phone has stored.. So I doubt an advanced hacked button can come up with that.
For those talking without any knowledge of things or those who want to defend Apple at all costs let me tell you that if you are out of warranty the only way Aple would fix anything on your phone is by paying a hefty fee for an out of warranty replacement device (if an iPhone 6s it’s about 299 if 6s plus $329+tax, same for the 6 and 6S). So think about this.. Let’s say you have a perfectly working device which happens to have a bad home button, the part itself could cost Apple less than 5 bucks to make.. Instead of charging you whatever the part is worth plus their margin they charge you for an entire phone and then they get to keep yours on top of it.
iPhone genuine parts are not available anywhere, so you have only one choice and that is to go through Apple and like I said they don’t repair anything other than screens at their stores or repair facilities, now, that’s assuming you wanna keep the Touch ID functionality. Let’s say you decided to go for the alternative and sacrifice Touch ID… Now your phone is bricked bc Apple crippled it on purpose..
Tell me if that’s not a monopoly? They wanna disguise it as a security feature but I doubt it so very much that the average Joe will go through the trouble of having a custom Touch ID button designed to find out if her girlfriend is cheating.. I think it’d be far easier for him to wait for her to go to sleep and take the damn print. Its al about their profits. Don’t be fooled by their PR.
It’s not a home button. It’s a fingerprint sensor that protects your sensitive data and enables financial transactions. I wouldn’t take my Barclays Bank debit card chip to Bloggs Chip Sensor Repairs
When you drive a Rolls Royce you don’t take your Rolls Royce to third party dealerships…
It depends. Some car shops can fix Rolls Royce cars to factory new condition, but they are VERY expensive because getting parts for vintage Rolls is very difficult but there are restoration shops that fix a Rolls, etc. to factory new or as close as they can get. But it’s RIPPING expensive. But a relatively new Rolls? They will probably tell you to take it to a dealership or someone that’s an authorized service center. Cars are a little different in some ways. They typically don’t have fingerprint sensors and they don’t typically store personal data like a mobile payment system and things like that. Go watch programs on Velocity, there are several programs that can take certain vintage cars and bring them back to life. I watched an episode of Graveyard Cars that took a totally smashed vintage Mopar car and they brought it to factory perfect condition. The body was completely mangled beyond recognition as it was essentially totaled, it was also rusted with lots of holes, the engine was rusted, etc. etc. and the car they finished with was in some ways better than when it rolled off the assembly line because they use higher quality paint. It’s unbelievable what these restoration shops can do with practically ANY car in any condition. But, it’s RIPPING expensive and time consuming and sometimes their resale value is more, about the same or less than the total cost to restore. But it can be done. But anything under warranty? NOPE. Only an authorized dealership or repair center will do warranty repairs.
But if I bought a GM car, I wouldn’t take it to a Ford dealership to replace critical parts with Ford parts, that’s for sure. :-)
People need to become educated on computers and smartphones. I hate it when I go to the local Apple Store and i see these kiosks that claim they can fix an Apple product. They might be able to fix some things, but you still stand the chance of getting your device hosed because they aren’t factory trained service techs with access to the proper replacement parts, proper diagnostics and other tools that are required.
What’s silly is that some people have the DIY or the “I own the device I can have anyone I want fix it, even myself” mentality. The fact is, Apple has to ensure security of the data for the customer. That’s a high priority. They tell people to have authorized service providers service their product and they warn people to back up their data before an OS update or if the device hasn’t been backed up recently. I get warnings if I haven’t backed up my device for longer than a relatively short period of time because the automatic back ups happen if they are plugged in, locked and connected to WiFi, which my device isn’t always that way when I recharge the battery.
Either way, people need to realize that the days of taking devices to these non-authorized service providers or doing the service yourself will potentially brick the phone and it’s not advised. If you have a bricked phone I think the last party that serviced your device is probably the responsible one and if they were un-authorized service providers, then it’s good luck getting your device replaced. At least if Apple did something to brick your phone, they would certainly replace it. They do guarantee their work, but as far as data recovery? Back you data up prior to bringing in for service and OS updates, so then your data isn’t lost forever should the device get bricked.
i can see lawsuits coming against apple again :)
I’m allowed to change my own oil in my car without the automaker
shutting down my car. I’ve done all repairs on my iPhones myself, so this is a pretty shitty Highjacking of my personal data.
Great. I live in a country that has no Apple stores, yes NONE. You can buy an iPhone here through a third party and of course buy yours overseas and bring it here. So today my child knocks my brand new iPhone 6s off the counter and cracks the screen. What now? There is no Apple store in the whole country. Buy a plane ticket somewhere that has an Apple store? Wait until the end of the year for our annual holiday. Ridiculous! And my situation is far from unique. I have one friend who doesn’t use an iPhone, everyone else I know does. In our home we have numerous apple products and have only bought Apple for ten years. Surely there are better ways to cater to their customers around the world who don’t have access to an Apple store.
The comments here, defending Apple, are the same sort of thing the automotive industry tried to pull off, by insisting you’d have no warranty if you repaired your car elsewhere, other than a dealership, but the EU didn’t allow it. It’s a bit arrogant to slate people for seeking alternative repair methods for products they bought with their money, but I tried to do everything right, except repair my screen as soon as it broke. When the phone itself failed due to a Charge IC, Apple called it a brick, and said I should buy a new one, because the broken screen could have caused the power issue. Really. My local repairer cost me £70, while I changed the screen myself, and this is where my home button issues began. I really wanted to keep within my EU consumer law protection, but Apple didn’t care about me. I went local, and got the phone back up running again. I went diy on the screen, since my warranty was now void, and have torn a ribbon by mistake.
If Apple didn’t just want my money, they would design the touch ID to take a snapshot of the print, and then the phone’s secure software processes it. That way, any touch ID unit would work without compromising security, much like Michelins work, on your car, and so do Dunlops… and if you just can’t afford it, Avons will do just fine without killing you. For sure, when my contract is up, I will get different phone. Probably a Samsung, which apparently won’t break when dropped from knee height or bend when left in your pocket. Until then, I’ll learn to get used to Assistive Touch.