You accidentally let the phone crack the screen, although it can still be used, but the crack on the screen always makes you feel uncomfortable, so you make an appointment on the official website in advance, and go to the official store of the mobile phone on time, the staff and you say:
"It costs 2298 yuan to change the screen, and you can take it in a week. ”
What's going on, why is it so expensive to repair a mobile phone, and the process is so cumbersome!
Check on the Internet, third-party repair agencies can often give much lower maintenance prices than the official electronic products, and the official screen replacement is often thousands, but the third party sometimes only needs a few hundred dollars to repair.
This third-party phone repair is much cheaper
However, third-party repairs are likely to be risky, starting with a reminder from the electronics manufacturer. When you switch to some cheaper, non-original third-party accessories, such as a screen or battery, the phone will keep popping up to remind you that "we can't verify that you're using the original monitor/genuine battery", and even limit some of the phone's features, such as Face Unlock. The iPhone also restricted some third-party fast charging in 2019 with iOS13.1.
When you replace a third-party accessory, you may receive some pop-up reminders. Image source: thetechedvocate.org
The second is the safety of third-party accessories, mobile phone manufacturers remind you that it is not without reason, because there are no certified mobile phone accessories caused by explosions, short circuit accidents in an endless stream. Without good insulation, the charging head that has been tested at high temperature is more like a "time bomb" at home, which may not only burn the phone, but also cause fire accidents. Changing to other accessories can also make your phone hacked.
The use of unauthorized third-party accessories can lead to security issues. Image source: tuoitrenews.vn
The third point is that when designing electronic products such as mobile phones, independent maintenance was not considered.
Repairman Hugh Jeffreys posted a video in 2020 showing that he bought two iPhone12 phones to test if he could repair them himself. He succeeded in taking the two phones apart and then swapped the logic boards in the phones (the circuits in the phones that are responsible for the central control). It stands to reason that this is the original, and the logic board should be exactly the same.
But after the replacement, both phones had "compatibility issues", such as the camera not working properly, the battery health data could not be displayed, Face ID was also disabled, and so on...... But after changing back, the two phones are fine again...... At the time, the repair website iFixit believed that Apple had added some more complex similar "calibration" functions when pairing device components, which caused problems during its own repairs.
After swapping the logic boards, both phones had problems. Image source: Reference 5
Another problem is that electronic products are becoming smaller and more refined, and it is difficult for ordinary consumers to repair them by themselves. Someone mentioned that in the past, the keyboard could be removed, but now, if one of the keys in your laptop is damaged, it basically means that you have to replace the entire keyboard, or even the entire computer, with a new one, which is simply a replacement repair.
But...... The price of such delicate electronic products is that the repair (replacement) is too expensive, and the average consumer may still choose to give up the treatment. In the past, an appliance may last 20 years, but now many people may use it in a few years in the case of frequent system updates, cumbersome and expensive maintenance.
Ordinary consumers will think, "If you have this money, why not buy a new one". A complaint from the tech editor of the friend number X shell
However, mobile phones that cannot be repaired independently bring not only trouble and expensive, but also a lot of electronic waste.
In 2018, about 50 million tonnes of e-waste were generated, dubbed the "e-waste tsunami" by the United Nations. And more and more unnecessary, excess e-waste is causing environmental pollution and health problems. Therefore, whether the electronic equipment can be repaired independently has become a concern for everyone.
Dismantling and incineration of e-waste not only brings pollution, but also the heavy metals in it may also pose a health hazard. Image source: wiki
In October 2019, the European Union passed legislation requiring manufacturers of electronic devices to provide official accessories to repair professionals from 2021 onwards in order to reduce the rate of electronic product disposal. Later, the European Union also began to call for electronic products to only replace damaged parts, rather than directly replacing you with a new one. In the UK, in 2021, manufacturers were required to provide consumers with some simple and safe repair parts.
Independent repairs can reduce e-waste. Image source: wiki
In October 2022, the U.S. state of New York also passed a "right to repair" law, which states that electronics manufacturers are required to provide tools and parts to individuals or repairers to perform independent repairs.
In 2022, Apple phones launched a self-repair service that allows users to repair their phones by themselves with more than 200 genuine parts and tools, such as drivers, trays, battery presses, and repair manuals, in repair shops.
He really seems to want to teach you. Image source: Reference 2
The old screen and old battery that are replaced after repair can also be used to recycle the discount, although the money saved is not much (some people have calculated and found that they may only save 5~20 US dollars, and 20~30 US dollars in depreciation), but at least it reduces some waste......
Repair tools provided by Apple. Image source: Reference 2
However, the controversy over the right to repair continues, with some saying that no money has been saved, and some saying that independent repairs can also lead to cybersecurity issues, data theft, piracy and infringement issues.
While electronics manufacturers are already trying, it doesn't feel like much, so until repairs become cheaper and more convenient, the most money-saving way is not to buy a phone case.
Ay. Image credit: Giphy
So, how often do you change the electronics you have on hand?
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