iPhone 4 users

[SiggyZ]

Think before you take it into an Apple store for service.

Apple 'User-Proofing' iPhones With Unremovable Screws, Sources Say

Apple is replacing iPhone screws -- but it may be the consumers who are really getting screwed.
In line with its infamous philosophy of maintaining absolute control over its products, sources said U.S. Apple stores are replacing screws on iPhone 4s brought for servicing with tamper-proof screws to prevent anyone else from opening the device.

Kyle Wiens, chief executive of iFixit, a prominent Apple repair and parts supplier, said the purpose of the new screws is to keep people out of the iPhone and prevent them from replacing the battery. He said he noticed in November that screws were being switched.

"If you took your car in for service and they welded your hood shut, you wouldn't be very happy," he said, comparing it to shutting owners out of their iPhones.
IFixit, based in San Luis Obispo, California, has become famous in the technology world for performing "teardowns" of Apple devices, often within hours or minutes of a new product launch. The company promotes repair to cut down on electronic waste that goes to landfills.

According to two people with first-hand knowledge of the practice, when a customer brings an iPhone 4 into a U.S. Apple store for repair, tech staff swap out commonly-used Phillips screws, with which the device is shipped, and replace them with so-called "Pentalobe" screws.

Customers are not told about the switch, these people said.

It was not clear how widely used the replacement screws are, but one of these people said the screw swap was begun in the fall and is now standard practice at U.S. Apple stores. This person said the iPhone 4 shipped with Pentalobe screws in Japan.

Apple had no comment for this story, but it is well-known that Apple discourages individual modifications of its products.

The iPhone 4 went on sale last summer and became Apple's fastest-selling version of the iconic device, starting at $199 with a two-year wireless contract. More than 16 million iPhones sold in the quarter ending December.

Apple will replace iPhone batteries free if the device is under warranty, but otherwise charges $79.

Wiens said that with the old screws the iPhone 4 battery was easy to change although that was not known to many customers. "Apple wants to be in the business of selling you the new battery," Wiens said.

The world's largest technology company acts swiftly to protect its secrets. When an iPhone prototype was found by an outsider in a bar last year and sold to tech blog Gizmodo, Apple kicked up a furor and investigators raided a journalists' home.

Pentalobe screws require a screwdriver that is not commercially available, Wiens said. The screw is similar to a commonly used Torx screw, but has five points instead of six.

Wiens said iFixit, which sells repair kits for iPhones and other Apple products, searched everywhere for a Pentalobe screwdriver before specially commissioning a supplier to make one for them -- and even that is not a perfect match, he said.

The Pentalobe screw first appeared on the battery section of a Macbook Pro laptop in 2009, Wiens said. It also can be found on the exterior of Apple's new MacBook Air notebook.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/...ws/?test=faces

[jiveass]

fuck that screw....i know people who can make that shit to undo the screw....hell i took a wii apart with a razorblade...and it has a screw thats shaped like a triangle...that scew seems harder to turn than that pentalobe shit....

piece of shit wii screw.....9 of them bastards...2 of them were inset like a motherf@cker

[ButtHoleSurfer]

Apple followers are Sheep!

[Blackbird WS6]

anther reason NOT to buy that pos lol

[Hi-Po]

Head on over to the Open Source community and leave that Apple BS behind.

Steve Jobs can suck a baby elephants dick.

[SiggyZ]

I can understand this if Apple only changes to these new screws in iPhones that have yet to be shipped to stores because these new screws will cost them less money to use. But changing out a customers screws to the new ones when a customer brings their phone in for repair, pretty much negates the idea that their reasoning for doing so is to save money using less costly screws.

And if Apple is having an issue with customers bringing in iPhones that they had something to do with damaging and it's not a product defect, then they should charge the customer for the repair, even if it's still under warranty. That practice has been around for awhile with many products.

Apple has zero business changing out the screws in a customers phone unless the customer is aware of and is okay with them doing so. If this is true, it seems to me Apple is trying to control and/or make extra money off already purchased iPhones.

[Hi-Po]

it seems to me Apple is trying to control and/or make extra money off already purchased iPhones.

You might be on to something there...


Trying to control and limit user input is what Apple does.

Android is Open Source. Do whatever you want.

[SiggyZ]

That's what it sounds like to me. I've got a BlackBerry and it's easy as hell to get inside and replace the battery and upgrade the memory. And I'm no Apple hater as I have both a 5th generation iPod Nano and 4th generation iPod Touch and love both of them. And when the battery needs to be replaced, I'll be the one buying and replacing it.

You might be on to something there...


Trying to control and limit user input is what Apple does.

Android is Open Source. Do whatever you want.

[Smkn_TA]

The headlight adjustment/aiming screws on my ws6 are torx screws. I think GM wanted to rip me off by making me take it to a dealer to get it adjusted.

[SiggyZ]

Torx screws are cake to turn/take off. Terrible comparison.

The headlight adjustment/aiming screws on my ws6 are torx screws. I think GM wanted to rip me off by making me take it to a dealer to get it adjusted.

[Smkn_TA]

Torx screws are cake to turn/take off. Terrible comparison.

"Torx screws are commonly found on automobiles, motorcycles, bicycle brake systems, hard disk drives, computer systems and consumer electronics. Initially, they were sometimes used in applications requiring tamper-resistance, since the drive systems and screwdrivers were not widely available"

From a website on the history of Torx screws. It's an APT comparison.

[SiggyZ]

You're missing the point. Phillips screws are what's been used on the iPhone and are easy to remove (like Torx screws). Apple is now replacing them with Pentalobe screws.

"Torx screws are commonly found on automobiles, motorcycles, bicycle brake systems, hard disk drives, computer systems and consumer electronics. Initially, they were sometimes used in applications requiring tamper-resistance, since the drive systems and screwdrivers were not widely available"

From a website on the history of Torx screws. It's an APT comparison.

[JHayesLS1]

F'in Apple. I still love my iphone. Haven't had an urge to open any phone up to be honest, I'm afraid of screwing it up.

[tnthub]

Compaq used these screws for years and HP still does on many products... It isn't rocket science. Apple is just generating additional store traffic and some added margin for their sales efforts. If someone is too dense to figure out how to select the proper screwdriver they probably shouldn't be changing their own battery. Heck, they probably shouldn't even be using a phone.

[CJREX]

Almost all of these tamper proof screw designs can be turned by wedging the appropriately sized flat blade in there.

Just got to have a quality tip that doesn't bend.

[02ultraZ]

The problem is you can't buy the pentalobe screw just anywhere, like you can with the torx/Phillips...

[35th-ANV-SS]

The real problem is too many people live on their phones these days instead of contributing to society in a healthy, positive manner.

[JonB]

F'in Apple. I still love my iphone. Haven't had an urge to open any phone up to be honest, I'm afraid of screwing it up.

Neither has millions of other iphone users. Truth is no one gives a crap but a few nerds and apple haters that want to open it up and screw(no pun intended) around with it. I'm sure other phone/electronic makers have and still do the same thing just its apple so its a big f'in deal. Sorry but I am not about to crack open my $500+($200-300 with contract) phone, I'll leave that to the pros aka apple. Honestly i'm perfectly fine with apple fixing my apple product.