Disposable devices, car manufacturers that refuse to sell parts, farmers forced to hack their own tractors. It sounds ridiculous, but this happens today, and one of the main players in blocking repairs and modifications is Apple. The iPhone 12 debuted at the end of October, and with each generation, enthusiasts and professionals alike must explore the new restrictions set by the manufacturer. YouTuber Hugh Jeffreys bought two iPhone 12s and performed a couple of experiments with them…
The simple fact that multiple YouTube channels are dedicated to Apple device repair shows that the Cupertino giant operates under different rules. Each new model and series introduces an additional barrier or restriction that makes the work harder for both professionals and enthusiasts with the skills and proper tools. It's incredible that in many parts of the world people talk about the "right to repair", and that it has to be fought for in court.
Apple can argue that its idea is to "offer an experience" that could be diminished by a poorly done repair, and that the battery "represents a risk" to the user if mishandled, but at its core, the company wants to control its entire hardware chain, and its restrictions are absolutely arbitrary. One of the most compelling examples comes through Hugh Jeffreys' channel, who bought two brand new iPhone 12 units and started swapping parts between them:
The Experiment
The first step was to open the smartphones, and after removing their pentalobe screws at the base, Hugh discovered that the adhesive used in the iPhone 12 is more resistant than in previous models. From a technical standpoint, the iPhone 12 retains the IP68 rating, but now it supports up to 6 meters of depth for 30 minutes, while the limit for the iPhone 11 is 2 meters. On the first phone he had to use a heat gun, but on the second he increased the temperature of his separator plate to 120 degrees, and everything became easier.
Another relevant detail is that Apple inverted the position of the PCB. Hugh also discovered a "rounded" screw in the SIM card mechanism that was impossible to extract. The most effective way to trigger all the restrictions is to swap the motherboards between the two phones, so Hugh did exactly that. One of the initial symptoms is that the power button stops working, and the smartphone only turns on after plugging in the charger. As soon as it finishes loading its operating system, the barrage of warnings is immediate: "Problems" with the battery, "problems" with the screen, and Face ID disabled.
https://old.neoteo.com/granjeros-estadounidenses-hackean-sus-tractores-con-software-ucraniano/The Fallout
What does that mean? On one hand, the battery stops reporting its health status and capacity. On the other, TrueTone disappears from the settings options. And without Face ID, the user must use a passcode to enter the phone. But there's more: The camera behaves erratically, and its app crashes more than once. As expected, both devices returned to normal when Hugh reinstalled the PCBs in their original positions; however, he did one more test: swapping only the cameras, the strange behavior continued.
In summary, Apple maintains its strategy of pairing or linking iPhone components to the motherboard, and now cameras are added to the list. In recent years, various platforms have emerged that allow reprogramming components to a certain extent, but many have become ineffective. The most perverse part of this process is that the "warnings" also occur with original Apple components: The two iPhone 12s Hugh bought are new, and they still reject each other's parts.
