Snippet: Apple Shipped Me a 79-Pound iPhone Repair Kit to Fix a 1.1-Ounce Battery ☍
Sean Hollister for The Verge:
The thing you should understand about Apple’s home repair process is that it’s a far cry from traditional DIY if you opt for the kit — which I did, once I saw the repair manual only contains instructions for Apple’s own tools. (You can just buy a battery if you want.)
I expected Apple would send me a small box of screwdrivers, spudgers, and pliers; I own a mini iPhone, after all. Instead, I found two giant Pelican cases — 79 pounds of tools — on my front porch. I couldn’t believe just how big and heavy they were considering Apple’s paying to ship them both ways.
The entire article felt weird to me in that Hollister is complaining about what he got to do the repair versus the expectation of what he should have gotten. Other than the very quick turnaround (you’re given seven days based on the deposit, but the clock starts ticking the minute you have the tools, sometimes before the parts), the entire process is designed to be exactly like any Apple Authorized Service Provider, but in your own home.
Does it seem like this kind of hassle is something the average (or even tech-inclined) person would want to mess with? Probably not, but it is an option. Aside from redesigning iPhones to have easier-to-swap components, leading to bulkier designs that most people haven’t asked for, I don’t see a way around this. It doesn’t even save you money and there are a number of places besides Apple Stores that use genuine parts, so it isn’t some sort of scheme to funnel people into Apple Stores to get them to buy more things—kind of reminds me of the conspiracy theory that Apple makes iPhones worse after two years so you’ll buy another…but wouldn’t you be disgusted and start looking elsewhere?
Nonetheless, if you are interested in doing repairs on your iPhone yourself, it seems you’ll get all the tools you could ever want or need and for things more complex than battery swaps, it might be a worthwhile endeavor, especially if your phone is damaged or out-of-warranty.