Household appliances will become easier to repair thanks to new standards being adopted across the European Union.
From 2021, firms will have to make appliances longer-lasting, and they will have to supply spare parts for machines for up to 10 years.
The rules apply to lighting, washing machines, dishwashers and fridges.
Decent start, but we still have a long road ahead of us on this issue.
I am a bit conflicted, or rather “in the middle”.
It makes sense for some appliances, like fridge where a new compressor, or a refrigerant refill will easily extend the life of an otherwise working appliance.
However for more delicate devices, like a microwave it is easier, cheaper, and also safer just to throw it away. It does not sound environmentally conscious, however a house fire would cause much larger amount of carbon emissions.
Same for mobile devices. I like being able to replace components on my larger laptop. However for a phone, it requires actual skill. (I have physically broken the battery during a cracked screen replacement. I then had to replace the battery too, but fixing the phone is too tedious and error prone). So for those devices, having independent repair shops seems like a good compromise.
That is the exact point. Some devices are purposefully made difficult to repair, and sometimes replacement parts are not even being sold.
This is especially frequent with Apple, where they use nonstandard screws, soldered in components and you cannot get spare chips without gutting other broken devices.
It doesn’t say the aim is to let the end-user to do it by himself. Device should be possible to repair either by whoever made it, or by independent repair.
[email protected],
You’re not wrong, apple certainly was guilty of all of this crap for a long time and they rightfully got a lot of public wrath over it. However they did recently start a new program…
https://www.osnews.com/story/130543/apple-now-offers-genuine-parts-and-tools-to-independent-repair-shops-but-we-have-questions/
I don’t know if it’s too early yet to see the effects or merits…? I’m still hoping that we can get legal right to repair laws pushed in this country. It’s a common sense solution to some really bad business practices. I’m never too optimistic about things like this though. Hell the whitehouse not only withdrew from the paris accords, the whitehouse appointed EPA administrator (that’s “environmental protection agency”) has pledged to eliminate environmental regulations. The damage is already happening and they’re now fighting states that have stringent environmental standards.
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/california-fuel-efficiency-standards-trump-administration-revoke/
This is not the time to be loosing ground…what a damn shame. Doing nothing would be better than this, they’re actively going out of their way to damage the environment.
Apple’s program is a hack so they don’t let the end user replace the battery anymore. I’ve done it successfully with 3 iphones. It’s not fun but not hard either. If apple is worried about the battery quality, they can sell parts on their website or at apple stores. I should be able to buy an OEM battery from apple for anything they make and replace it within reason for a fixed time period.
It shouldn’t mark it as unsafe in the software either. It’s a battery. They used to all be user serviceable parts in phones.
If apple doesn’t like that you have to take the thing apart, they can make a door to access it like the good old days.
Apple does not get a pass on this one.
laffer1,
I don’t really disagree with any of that. We need right to repair legislation to remind these companies that they can’t interfere with after market repairs.
It’s still fair to ask what impact the program has on the repair industry, if anything?
There might be some legitimate design tradeoffs that makes repairs hard or even not feasible (i.e.: costing more than a new device).
I am not saying manufacturers have conflict of interest here. However if you want a very thin, very fast, and very secure device it would not have the same repairability of my larger XPS laptop. When I get a ultra-thin laptop, I do not expect to repair it, but look at is as a disposable. When I get a desktop or a larger laptop, I want to be able to swap out parts (at least HDD/RAM/battery/fans).
Also this is a recursive process. How deep do you want to go? For example, if your PC’s PSU fails, do you just want to swap that out for a new one ($80 cost on a much more expensive PC), or do you want to crack it open and fix the capacitors? (a few dollars for the fix, however essentially a death trap. Many TV technicians have died due to charged capacitors in otherwise offline devices).
You have got to be trolling, but I’ll respond again, in case you aren’t.
None of those are even remotely valid counter-arguments because no one is saying that.
All people are asking for is information about the product and the ability to replace replaceable components. Schematics and manuals exist for all these things. It used to be that when you bought products, it came with all that information. I get that it’s expensive to ship it, so at least make it available. It doesn’t matter if you charge for it. Someone will be able to use that information, which already exists. It’s all required for manufacturing and testing purposes.
So let me get this straight… You’re saying that since you don’t care, no one else should? Give me a break! You’re what’s wrong with society.
There are websites out there with all sort of folks who take things apart and repair them. Simple example: A while ago the WiFi controller (PCIe kind) on my laptop took a dump. I guess I could have purchased a new $400+ laptop, but this one was perfectly fine. So instead, I bought a $20 WiFi controller, replaced it, installed the drivers, and I still have the laptop, 2 years later. All these companies are doing is buying COTS components and assembling them. There’s no mystery to it. The problem is that some choose to tie you unnecessarily. See this link, for an example: https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/25/20884287/apple-iphone-11-pro-max-display-screen-replacement-verification-warning. That’s the sort of crap people are fighting against. It’s deliberate and arguably malicious.
This is complete nonsensical because you currently have that exact option. I recently had a PSU fail, and while I just bought a new one, I also took the old one apart for parts. Guess what? All components in a PSU are surface mounted! Anyone with basic electronics knowledge can replace them, if they so choose.
But many more didn’t. What’s your point? If you don’t know how to do something, don’t do it. We’re not saying that people who cannot repair a CRT TV should be out there taking it apart. But the option should exist for those who are capable.
No, I’m not trolling. Thanks for the implication 🙂
It might be better to give a concrete example.
I have a Surface Pro in addition to the XPS laptop. The Surface Pro recently developed a large crack on the screen. But I do not expect to repair it (it still works, but of course the situation is sub-optimal).
The issue is that even when I can get a replacement screen (which is available for ~$115 on eBay), it is very unlikely to get the device to its original state (the chassis is also bent, there there is no possible way to make that metal perfect again).
It is not for lack of materials, or instructions (thanks to iFixIt: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft+Surface+Pro+4+Teardown/51568). I have the tools and the knowledge to repair it. However that does not mean a repair would be successful.
Sukru,
OSnews is a community of tinkerers. The site has stories about porting Unix V6 to RISC-V, the latest release of Linux From Scratch, etc. It sounds like you’re trolling when you argue that tinkering is not a worthwhile pass time.
What you’re saying is that it’s not worth it to you. That does not mean it would not be worth it for someone else. Just because you do not think it is worth your time and effort doesn’t mean repairs should be made purposefully obtuse. Maybe someone else doesn’t care if the device is bent, that would be the case had you just bought the device and it broke. Or maybe they have a Surface Pro with bad mainboard and just need a working board from a donor. As a matter of fact, I bet you could find a “Surface Pro for parts” on Craigslist… probably for less than the $115 for a new eBay screen.
I’ve already replied to 2 of your posts, and in both I gave examples of when repair was more cost effective and reasonable than buying a new device. You just seem to think that since you don’t care, it shouldn’t be a right guaranteed to others.
You don’t care how this effects others’ life, you only think about your narrow instance. Then you come up with unrealistic examples and strawman arguments to justify your position. It’s selfish, and borderline psychopathic mentality. That’s what irks me.
Sorry for lengthening the thread, but I think I need to repeat the original point: repairability is compromise, and like all other design choices it comes at a cost.
Yes of course, I would have liked to have an easy replacement for my surface screen. However,
1 – There is virtually no “slack” on the sides of the chassis. In order to tolerate a screen replacement after corner dents, they would have to have a padding: hence compromise in size
2 – They used the cheapest technique they could in 2015: glued on screen. A better design would require more research: hence a compromise in price
3- The flush screen mount completely seals the front side. A screw based solution might not be as tight fitting: hence a compromise in cooling design
Do not get me wrong. I like tinkering with devices. I waste my time building a portable Raspberry PI machine, instead of buying a cheaper device off the shelf. However sometimes not all compromises are worth it.
If Surface Pro 4 was more repairable, it would no longer be the same device. It would have been larger, more expensive, and slightly worse.
Also that does not mean I expect all devices to be like that. Or I would support torpedoing repair attempts (like using proprietary screws, or applying glue when not necessary, DRM locking chips, etc). My only concern is that some devices need not be 100% repairable, as long as the customer has upfront knowledge about the issue.
sokru,
Every one of your responses shows that you are still missing the point that this is about the right to repair. If you choose not to repair something, you are entitled not to. That’s your prerogative. However you’ve got no business declaring what others can or cannot do, especially if they can do the job more competitively than apple (or you for that matter). That’s what this is all about: the right to get your property fixed on your own terms.
This kind of crap is exactly why we need right to repair. Deliberately making devices that cannot be repaired and withholding the necessary tools is fundamentally anti-consumer and on top of that it’s bad for the planet. Of course companies make up excuses for it, but on osnews we all ought to be smart enough to understand that the real motivation for actively impeding aftermarket repairs is their bottom line.
sukru,
Oh hogwash, haha. If you personally choose not to repair a device, ok, but I have serious problems with you speaking on behalf of people who are willing and are able to do the repairs. It’s really not up to you or even apple to decide. There is undeniably a conflict of interest there!
It’s also disappointing to see that you are fine with treating things as trivially disposable to the detriment of our planet.
Apple are notorious for pushing new components rather than repairing old ones, I don’t even think most apple repair shops have a qualified electrical engineer to diagnose circuit problems, they go strait to “board’s dead, gotta replace it”. I seem to recall Rossman’s channel had a customer who came to him with a defective cable, apple wanted to charge a grand to replace the board even though absolutely nothing was wrong with the board.
I couldn’t find any published numbers to back this claim, can you? Regardless, what’s this have to do with repairing phones? Anything at all or is it just a scare tactic?
Sorry if my tone’s aggressive, I just have no more patience for people defending bad corporate behavior.
Friedrich Nietzsche
That’s you, right there. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us only because you cannot do it!
An anecdote to prove your anecdote wrong: My sister recently dropped her $1,000 iPhone 10 in the pool. Phone wouldn’t turn on, anymore. She went to Apple, and they told her the only solution was to get a new phone. She then took it to a phone repair shot and they fixed it for $300.
Manufacturers have a conflict of interest when it comes to repairs. They make more money when you purchase a new product, so what is the incentive to provide repair parts?
teco.sb,
I think the OP didn’t consider that the right to repair is just as beneficial to the professional technitions themselves. The problem is they often cannot get official parts or schematics either since the manufacturers would rather the products were scrapped than repaired. Some companies such as apple go so far as to prohibit recycling centers from repairing/reusing parts from the old phones that come in. This is absolutely insane from an ecological perspective, but killing off the secondhand markets = more profit and for better or for worse apple’s stockholders have been very well rewarded.
Yeah I love this new development. I’m often critical on the EU but this is a great move. Even “hard to fix” devices are often so by design; e.g. the “FairPhone” is easy to take apart and fix, which is also a design goal for the upcoming LibrePhone.
And yes I agree with Thom that this is just a start. I would love to see these kind of rules applied to more products.
Also I have one very old phone that still works, from around the ’30s. Very solid design. Easy to fix. Like it is not hard to design good stuff. It just becomes a little bit more expensive and the more fragile design wins in the marketplace because the “hidden” costs, the costs for our society (waste processing & replacement costs) are not included on current marketplaces.
“Yeah I love this new development. I’m often critical on the EU but this is a great move. ”
Agreed. More of this please, EU, and less crap like “link taxes,” time wasted passing utterly unenforceable laws requiring merchants outside the EU to collect and remit VAT, etc.
I’d love Right To Repair laws adopted here in the US but unfortunately our government is controlled by corporate money/influence so if it’s not in the interest of profit, it’s not going to happen. The US doesn’t do things based on morals, science, or conscious. It’s purely about money. That’s it. Nothing else matters and it will never change until we get money out of politics. And that will never happen either.