iFixit CEO Names and Shames Tech Giants For Right To Repair Obstruction

[Retro]

This is pretty annoying. One can't even do a DIY job on iPhone battery replacement any more, but instead have to pay Apple a premium to do it for them.

iFixit co-founder and CEO Kyle Wiens has exposed how companies including Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft manipulate the design of their products and the supply chain to prevent consumers and third-party repairers from accessing necessary tools and parts to repair products such as smartphones and laptops. Speaking during the Productivity Commission's virtual right to repair public hearing on Monday, Weins took the opportunity to draw on specific examples of how some of the largest tech companies are obstructing consumers from a right to repair.

iFixit CEO names and shames tech giants for right to repair obstruction

iFixit chief Kyle Wiens claims Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft are monopolising the supply chain and designing products to prevent users from being able to easily repair them.

www.zdnet.com

 

[HEXdidnt]

I'm a little surprised any of them have been allowed to do this, considering monopolies are largely considered to be A Bad Thing. It's not even as if they're being subtle about it, and software updates inevitably require we buy new hardware eventually. This is pure avarice on the part of already multi-billion-dollar corporations.

 

[Mort]

Built in obselence. Not a new thing - earliest book I can remember the concept mentioned was the 1966/1968 "Of Godlike power" (aka "Earth Unaware") by Mack Reynolds. Strange book - but the concept highlighted by iFixit - is very true as raised many times in the book.

Shocking but sadly NOT a surprise.