watchOS 8. 6 beta 4 now available to developers and public testers
Update: A day after making watchOS 8. 6 beta 4 available to developers, Apple is now making it available to public beta testers as well.
A week after releasing watchOS 8. 6 beta 3 to developers, Apple is now seeding the fourth test version of the upcoming operating system for the Apple Watch. Here’s everything new coming with watchOS 8. 6 beta 4.
Today’s build is 19T5570a. Most of the news related to this version regards Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, which are the features also available with iOS 15. 5 beta 4. These are the :
updates
Physical Apple Card now called “Titanium Card” in Wallet settings
Apple Pay rebranded as “Apple Cash” in the Messages app
iTunes Pass rebranded as “Apple Account Card” in the Wallet app
As analyzed by 9to5Mac, iTunes Pass will become a new card called the “Apple Account Card.” This card will be displayed in the Wallet app just like the Apple Card and the Apple Cash card. This way, instead of having to show a QR Code when shopping at an Apple Store, the user will be able to complete the purchase using Apple Pay.
Different from watchOS 8. 5, watchOS 8. 6 feels like a small update, since we are getting near WWDC 2022 keynote. The current version of the Apple Watch operating system offers a handful of new features, including 37 new emojis.
It also brings:
The ability to authorize Apple TV purchases and subscriptions;
COVID-19 vaccination cards in Apple Wallet, which now supports the EU Digital COVID Certificate format;
Updates to irregular rhythm notifications designed to improve atrial fibrillation identification (available in the United States, Chile, Hong Kong, South Africa, and many regions where the feature is available);
Audio Hints in Fitness+ offer audio commentary on visually-depicted moves during your workouts.
watchOS 8. 6 beta 4 is available alongside the fourth beta version of iOS 15. 5, iPadOS 15. 5, tvOS 15. 5, and macOS 12.4.
Let us know if you notice any differences in Apple’s new betas today in the comments or by.
In case you missed it, Coca-Cola has a new limited-edition beverage that was “born in the metaverse” and apparently is “pixel-flavored.” Called Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte, the drink originally premiered in Fortnite (sure!) and is available through the official Coca-Cola Creations website till it sells out. (It costs about $15 for a two-pack, by the way, so it is still available. )
What does “pixel-flavor” taste like, though?
What does “pixel-flavor” taste like?
Photo: Petrana Radulovic/Polygon
On a cloudy afternoon, five Polygon staffers gathered around a can of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte, eager to sample this strange and new beverage. The can itself was aesthetically pleasing, a pale purple accented with turquoise and fuchsia “pixels.” We gathered some cups — and crushed ice for those of us with more refined palettes — and poured out some fresh Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte.
After several sips it became clear that this is and not the average Coca-Cola Zero. Although there are certain undertones to a Coca-Cola Zero, it is not the same as a normal Coca-Cola beverage. However, before I can process those, I feel overwhelmed by artificial fruitiness. Is it citrus? Are there berries? Does it have notes of mint? In the end, I boil it down to “tutti-frutti,” which is both specific and incredibly vague. As it turns out, my colleagues have similar sentiments:
Tasha Robinson
It has the usual Coke problem of not tasting like much of anything after the first sip. It smells a little spicy and a little floral, and for a second at the beginning, you get the impression of something very sweet and fruity, like a maraschino cherry. It tastes more like sugar and acid.
Susana Polo
It tasted of confusion, but in a pleasant way. I absolutely would not drink an entire can.
Austen Goslin
It’s overpoweringly sweet, but the mysterious combination of unidentifiable artificial-fruit flavors that come through after that first blast of sugar is somewhat pleasant. That being said, I still wouldn’t want more than a few sips of it, and I’m not entirely convinced that it’s actually what pixels taste like.
Chelsea Stark
What is this fruit? Please tell me what this fruit is. Although I like Coke Zero’s sweetness levels, it is difficult to tell what type of fruit Coke believes a pixel of. But I would drink more.
Photo: Petrana Radulovic/Polygon
But in the end, one does not drink for the taste, but for the experience. To enter the metaverse, one drinks Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte and experience the pure essence of gaming. To unlock your true gaming potential, one drinks Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte. So, did the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte inspire us as gamers?
“Absolutely,” says Austen. “I will not elaborate further.”
“It allowed me enter the Metaverse and up-level my Gamertude,” says Chelsea.
“Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte has distilled a fruit-themed match three puzzle/microtransaction game down to a taste sensation,” says Susana. “Also, no.”
“It’s absolutely inspired me to go back to my usual gamer fuel of choice, bottled Diet Dr. Pepper,” says Tasha.
As for myself, well, let’s just say I’m still processing just what Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte tastes like, but I did finally win a game in Nintendo Switch Sports. True gamer status, activated.
SoundCloud snaps up music AI tech firm to bolster music discovery
SoundCloud believes that the next big thing on its platform relies on AI and machine learning, as the company announced it has acquired Musiio, which will help SoundCloud’s existing music intelligence capabilities and help the company identify what’s next in music trends and talent.
Musiio’s technology focuses on B2B audio reference search, which means AI that can “listen” to music, automated tagging, and playlisting tools for the music industry. SoundCloud explains the impact of this acquisition:
By “listening” to more tracks than a human could ever comprehend and identifying characteristics and patterns, its AI allows users to better predict success, which in turn, can increase their ‘hit-rate’ and ultimately their revenue. Musiio’s leading product line and deeper integration with SoundCloud will make it a core part of SoundCloud discovery and enable SoundCloud to spot trends and talent before anyone else.
The interesting thing about Shazam by Apple is its unique approach. By the beginning of 2022, the audio tool announced its breakthrough artist predictions for the current year and said it relies on “the curiosity of everyday fans to tell a story of what’s next:”
Shazam uncovers artists from every corner of the world, using the curiosity of everyday fans to tell a story of what’s next. Every year, a different group of musicians emerges to dominate their respective areas of the music industry. This inspires listeners to search for the best songs.
Eliah Seton is SoundCloud’s President. He says, “Musiio speeds our strategy to better understand the music in a proprietary manner, which is crucial to our success .”
.”
The company has announced that it will incorporate Musiio employees, as well its CEO and CTO into its VPs.
9to5Mac will make sure to report back once Musiio’s capabilities are tied with the SoundCloud ecosystem.
Nintendo Switch Sports players are sneaking around profanity filters
Nintendo Switch Sports is a follow-up to the hugely successful Wii Sports, and it’s meant to be a wholesome good time for the whole family. To prevent anyone from posting anything inappropriate on an online match screen, Nintendo also has profanity filters. These filters are easy to bypass and players enjoy making crude jokes about their opponents.
But some users have already figured out how to manipulate these titles so that “Fan of Child” and “Fan of Mom My Milkers” jokes are prolific in the game right now. It’s not a hugely disruptive problem, as Nintendo keeps online communications relatively limited in the sports title.
It’s been a tradition of players to bypass NIntendo’s profanity filters. These filters often fail to address the problem of inappropriate material being posted on the platform. Nintendo Switch Sports fans have a lot of fun even though they use sanitized tools. This is because others can’t report them. It seems as though Nintendo Switch Sports shares many of the same problems as its predecessor, from people making inappropriate avatars to players accidentally breaking their TV screens.
Apple gives ‘Dream Studio Makeover’ including Mac Studio and Display to up-and-coming creative
Jared Polin of FroKnowsPhoto is a Philadelphia-based YouTuber with a following of over one million. On the channel, Polin uses his extensive photography experience to create “Fun and Informative” videos on the subject. Polin was able to make a difference in the lives of young creatives as part of Apple’s “Dream Studio Makeover.”
Recently, Apple reached out to the YouTuber in hopes of giving a “Dream Studio Makeover” for a young creative who doesn’t have access to the right gear; the company’s goal is to help a promising professional get access to some of the latest gear. Polin, a fellow Philadelphian photographer, reached out to Zamani even though he did not have any ideas. Zamani works with many young photographer/videographers and recommended rising star Cam Blumberg of @cam_videos on Instagram.
Polin invited Cam to visit the FroKnowsPhoto Studio to help him make his “Dream Studio Makeover.” Cam had no idea what would happen as he thought the tour would turn into a video to give him some promotion for his work.
Cam shoots primarily shoots basketball and is working on getting into music videos and documentaries. He was doing his editing work on a 2018 MacBook Pro and struggling to get by. Not only was he running out of internal storage on his MacBook, but the screen would often crash.
The items Cam received as part of the makeover include: Mac Studio, Studio Display, and 14-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro. He also received an iPhone 13 Pro Max, HomePod Mini, and various accessories. Everything he got is the latest model across Apple’s lineups.
9to5Mac’s Take
The end of this video shows Cam’s studio prior to and after the makeover. His space breathes new life in it now after the makeover. Previously working off of an older laptop, Cam now has a slew of items to amp up his creative work.
This video is so heartwarming. It’s great to see creatives young and old get the chance to do what their passions. Apple should reach out to other YouTubers to offer others the chance to see a makeover of their studio. If you’re in the mood to watch more feel-good videos involving Apple products, I recommend checking out ThatWasEpic’s YouTube channel. You’ll find them posting engaging videos that give away Apple products like MacBooks or AirPods.
What are you thoughts about the results of “Dream Studio Makeover?”?
Activision sued by New York City over sale to Microsoft
Activision Blizzard has been hit with another lawsuit, this time from New York City. The suit was filed Monday in the Court of Chancery in Delaware as part of a complaint to push Activision Blizzard to reveal documents for investigation of possible wrongdoing.
The new suit, first reported by Axios, comes from various New York City employee retirement and pension funds which own Activision stock. The group alleges that Activision Blizzard’s board, and specifically CEO Bobby Kotick, cost the company value, underselling the game publisher to Microsoft as a means of benefiting itself and escaping potential liability.
The suit also alleges that Kotick “was aware of numerous credible allegations of misconduct by the company’s senior executives — but did nothing to address them or prevent further offenses.”
The suit asks that Activision Blizzard be forced to hand over many documents, including those related to the company’s recent acquisition by Microsoft, as well as several longer-standing requests about the company’s workplace issues and Kotick’s knowledge of them.
This alleged breach of fiduciary duty would leave Kotick facing liability, according to the suit, making him unfit to negotiate the sale of the company to Microsoft. Because of his compromised position, the suit claims, Kotick negotiated an unfavorable deal for shareholders, which the suit says was designed as an escape plan for himself and the company’s directors.
“The speed with which Kotick moved to not just set an offer ceiling, but to execute an agreement, was to be expected,” the suit reads. “Not only did the Merger offer Kotick and his fellow directors a means to escape liability for their egregious breaches of fiduciary duty, but it also offered Kotick the chance to realize substantial nonratable benefits.”
The merger price itself is also a point of contention in the suit. The final price of $95 a share, the suit alleges, was just a 1.16% premium to Activision’s 30-day average stock price prior to the first lawsuit it faced from California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing. The suit also takes issue with Activision’s choice to promote the the deals being a “45.3% premium,” because this price was only true after the company’s value was lowered by the bevy of lawsuits, which were brought about by the “board’s own misconduct,” according to the suit.
Reached for comment, a spokesperson for Activision Blizzard told Polygon, “We disagree with the allegations made in this complaint and look forward to presenting our arguments to the Court.”
This latest lawsuit is just one of many that Activision Blizzard has faced in the last year, beginning in July 2021, when the company was sued by California’s DFEH. Several suits followed, including one on the part of several company shareholders, and one from March 2022 that alleges rampant sexism within the company’s workplace. In January 2022, Microsoft announced it planned to acquire Activision Blizzard, with Kotick staying on as CEO at least until the acquisition is expected to be complete.
Apple Park drone photography captures return to office work at headquarters [Gallery]
Earlier last month, Apple employees started to gradually return to work at the corporate office in a hybrid format. As of now, Apple Park employees have to come into the office one day per week, but according to company policy, by May 23, they will need to be in the office at least three days per week. Some drone photography shows their return to office work at headquarters.
Images shared by 9to5Mac reader David Sexton show life in Apple Park in the last few days. He also sent some drone videos of Apple’s headquarters back in 2016 while it was still being constructed.
In one of the photos, it’s possible to see that Apple employees are back at Apple Park as there’s a line waiting in the Cafe. In another photograph at night, it’s possible to see a couple of employees playing basketball.
Sexton was able to take a few different flights with the drone, and although it was previously reported that Apple wanted its employees to come back to work, it’s nice to see that they’re indeed coming back.
Last week, 9to5Mac reported that some employees were organizing under a new group called “Apple Together.” They are advocating for employees’ well-being and rights.
The letter sent to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook provides multiple reasons why the employees of Apple Together believe remote work should still be an option.
We tell all of our customers how great our products are for remote work, yet, we ourselves, cannot use them to work remotely? How can we expect our customers to take that seriously? How can we understand what problems of remote work need solving in our products, if we don’t live it?
You can read the full report here. That said, here’s the latest look at Apple Park, now coming back to life with the return of some of the employees.
It’s also important to note that a month from now, some developers will be able to attend an in-person WWDC 2022 experience as well as be the first to see the new Developer Center at Apple Park.
Here’s everything still to come from Apple in 2022
Apple’s already had a busy start to 2022 with the announcement of the new Mac Studio, the Studio Display, and more. There is still a lot more to come throughout the rest of the year, however, including the company’s latest round of new Macs amid the Apple Silicon transition, the iPhone 14, and much more.
Apple products coming in 2022
Redesigned MacBook Air details
One of the most hotly-anticipated new products on the way from Apple is a completely revamped MacBook Air. The new MacBook Air is rumored to feature a flat-edged design, ditching the iconic tapering design that is slimmer at the front and gets thicker towards the back.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also reported that the 2022 MacBook Air will come in additional colors, similar to the colors of the 24-inch iMac. Also similar to the iMac, the new MacBook Air will reportedly feature white bezels and a white keyboard. Rumours also suggest that the MacBook Air may feature a similar notch to the MacBook Pro. However, it is not clear if this will happen.
Finally, in terms of processor power, the new MacBook Air will reportedly be the first Mac powered by the next-generation M2 chip. Bloomberg has reported that the M2 processor will have the same number of computing cores as the M1 but run faster.
The new MacBook Air (or potentially just “MacBook”) is reportedly slated for a release sometime in mid-2022. It will reportedly be “slightly” more expensive than the current MacBook Air, which starts at $999.
In related news, Apple is also working on a new entry-level MacBook Pro powered by the same M2 chip.
Read more: Here’s everything we know so far about the 2022 MacBook Air
Apple Silicon Mac Pro confirmed
Unsurprisingly, the Apple Silicon transition will also continue into 2022 — and could be the year that the transition is completed. According to Bloomberg, Apple is planning a new Mac Pro powered by Apple Silicon. This machine could be around half the size of the current Mac Pro in terms of design.
Apple even teased the launch of the new Mac Pro during its special event in March. Apple Vice President John Ternus stated that there was only one product left: the Mac Pro. But, that’s for another day .”
The new Mac Pro is rumored to come in 20 or 40 computing core configurations, made up of 16 high-performance or 32 high-performance cores and four or eight high-efficiency cores. GPU options would reportedly include 64-core and 128-core options.
Read more: Here’s what we know about Apple’s plans for the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR
New iMac (but no 27-inch version)
While Apple introduced the all-new 24-inch iMac in April of 2021, fans of the larger 27-inch iMac are still waiting. In fact, the 27-inch iMac was removed from sale following the launch of the new Mac Studio and Studio Display.
While Apple was once rumored to be working on a 27-inch iMac powered by Apple Silicon, 9to5Mac exclusively reported recently that there is no 27-inch iMac in the near-term pipeline. While the company could certainly launch one sometime in the future, we aren’t expecting it anytime soon.
With that being said, Apple is working a new version of the colorful 24-inch iMac powered by the new M2 chip. This machine is expected to be released sometime later in 2022.
Redesigned iPad Pro
The iPad Pro got a notable update in 2021 with a transition to the M1 chip for power as well as a mini-LED display in the 12.9-inch. Not long after the 2021 iPad Pro was announced, rumors started circulating about what to expect from the next-generation model.
Bloomberg has reported that Apple is developing a redesigned iPad Pro with a glass back. This change would allow for the iPad Pro to support wireless charging for the first time, as well as reverse wireless charging.
Reverse wireless charging would allow you to place a wireless charging-compatible device, such as an iPhone or AirPods, on the back of the iPad Pro to recharge that device. The power would be shared from the iPad Pro to the other device.
More recently, however, 9to5Mac learned that Apple has scaled back its plans for an iPad Pro redesign. The company plans to create a bigger glass Apple logo, which would allow wireless charging.
Another change reportedly coming with the 2022 iPad Pro is an expansion of mini-LED display technology to the 11-inch iPad Pro for the first time. This is the display technology that first came to the 12. 9-inch iPad Pro in 2021.
Apple’s iPad Pro models are usually released in the spring.
Read more: Here’s everything we know so far about the 2022 iPad Pro
iPhone 14 without a notch details
And, of course, we can’t forget the iPhone 14. The iPhone 14 is rumored to be a major overhaul to the iPhone lineup, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicting that the lineup will consist of two 6. 1-inch models and two 6. 7-inch models.
The 2022 iPhone lineup could look something like this in terms of marketing names: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Kuo says that the iPhone 14 Max will represent the lowest price ever for a large 6. 7-inch iPhone, potentially at around $900.
While some earlier reports suggested the iPhone 14 could feature a design similar to the iPhone 4, the latest rumors say Apple is planning a more modest redesign instead. In fact, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max are expected to to look nearly identical to the current iPhone 13. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, however, are rumored to ditch the notch.
Instead of the notch, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are expected to feature a new hole-punch + pill-shaped design. It makes sense for Apple to adopt this design with the iPhone 14, with the “punch-hole” housing the camera that’s currently located in the notch.
The iPhone 14 will also include dramatic improvements to the front-facing camera, according to Kuo, with support for auto focus for the first time. In terms of the rear camera, Kuo says the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be upgraded to 48-megapixels, an increase from the 12-megapixel sensor in iPhone 12.
The iPhone 14 lineup is expected to be announced and released sometime in September of 2022.
Read more: Roundup: Here’s everything we know so far about the iPhone 14
Apple Watch Series 8 with new health features
The Apple Watch lineup is also expected to be overhauled in 2022. Kuo has reported that Apple will release three new Apple Watch models in the fall of 2022, including a new high-end Apple Watch Series 8, a new Apple Watch SE, and the previously-rumored rugged sports version.
In terms of health technologies, the Apple Watch Series 8 is expected to add a body temperature sensor, enabling additional health and fitness tracking.
Unfortunately, we’re still waiting on more details about what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 8 and other models coming in 2022.
Read more: Here’s everything we know so far about the Apple Watch Series 8
AirPods Pro 2 with new design and features
Apple is also reportedly planning new second-generation AirPods Pro for release in 2022. These AirPods Pro 2 are expected to feature a new focus on health tracking and fitness technologies, as well as an all-new design. In an interview with Apple’s Vice President Kevin Lynch, Lynch mentioned that AirPods could be used to “father other data” in health monitoring.
Bloomberg has reported that the second-gen AirPods Pro will feature a “more compact” design that removes the stem that current sticks out from the bottom of the AirPods Pro. This could be similar to the Amazon Echo buds, which feature a stem-less design that is completely round and rests inside the user’s ear.
These changes, however, are not guaranteed. Apple is said to have faced challenges removing the AirPods Pro stem while also still including features like transparency mode, the H1 chip, and noise cancellations. As such, Apple might settle on a less ambitious redesign of the AirPods Pro.
Read more: Here are the latest rumors on when to expect new AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
Other: iOS 16, AR/VR, and more
These are just the major new products we expect from Apple in 2022. There are many other possibilities on the table, including iterative updates to the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, new accessories, and much more. Apple is also expected to announce its latest round of software updates – including iOS 16 – at WWDC in June.
While 2022 is expected to be the year of Apple’s AR/VR headset, more recent rumors say that Apple has been forced to delay this launch until 2023 due to design and software issues. It’s still possible that Apple provides a preview of the headset this year, but a release is seemingly out of the question.
What are you most excited to see from Apple in 2022? Please let us know in the comments
Take a look at Arkane’s canceled Half-Life 2 spinoff set in Ravenholm
Noclip, a producer of video game documentaries, has released an hour’s worth of gameplay footage of a canceled Half-Life spinoff by Arkane Studios. The game, which was called both Half-Life 2: Episode 4 and Return to Ravenholm at different times in its development, took place in the former Resistance stronghold, now headcrab and zombie-infested city of Ravenholm. Ravenholm is one of the most fondly remembered levels from Half-Life 2; it’s like a survival horror game managed to sneak in as a chapter. However, it’s only one chapter, so it’s intriguing to see how an entire game in this locale might have played out.
Ravenholm starts with the player enjoying some breakfast and exposition from Father Grigori, the priest and sole survivor of the city. Unfortunately, zombies bust in through the windows and you’re forced to flee. This footage is broken up into “chapters”, which are interspersed by Danny O’Dwyer’s context.
We also see how combat could have looked. This included melee attacks and physics, so that the player was incentivized for knocking zombies over railings or into spikes. However, enemies might have also been able to pry themselves off of traps or remove barriers over time. Fans of Arkane games will see a lot of familiar tricks and tactics available to the player, like laying an elaborate trap using arcs of electricity. These tools would carry over to subsequent Arkane projects like Prey and Deathloop.
While Ravenholm never made it to a complete state, and this hour of footage and commentary is full of placeholder and incomplete assets, it’s a fascinating find. The project was ultimately canceled because of its confining place in the timeline, as well as a fear that the setting may have been “played out.” This is the most in-depth look we’ve ever seen at what could have been.
There’s a lot to dig into, like never-before-heard music, cut content from Half-Life 2, and some truly terrifying footage of headcrab zombie swarms. If you are interested in Arkane, Half-Life, and game development in general, it is worth the full length.
Apple’s self-service repair: A first step with plenty of room to improve [Video]
Apple has launched its self-service repair website, where you can order parts and tools for recent iPhones and access repair manuals. It’s a nice move to see, and the ability to buy original parts is something right-to-repair advocates have been asking for for a while, but some users seem disappointed by the limited offerings and see it as too little, too late. Let’s take a look at what’s there, what isn’t, and what it takes to get your iPhone fixed using genuine parts.
To start with what’s available: Currently, it offers replacement parts for the iPhone SE (third generation), iPhone 12s, and iPhone 13s. For the supported products, the site offers replacement batteries, bottom speakers, cameras, displays, SIM trays, and taptic engines. The site also offers repair tools, either individually for sale or in a weekly rental as part of a device-specific kit. The tools range from torque drivers and adhesive cutters to specialty heated display removal tools and presses.
Returning replaced parts
When I first looked at the prices, I was slightly surprised by how high they are – some of them are roughly on par with bringing a device to Apple and getting a first-party repair. But the credit received for returning the replaced part should be considered. The credit amount varies based on the specific component – about $25 for a battery, $30 for a screen, and over $50 for a camera – as high as $67 for the iPhone SE camera. That brings the price for the component down from $111 to $44.
While the credit alone is nice, it is also important as it helps ensure that the components can be recycled properly. Apple has its own iPhone disassembly robots to take apart iPhones so they can be recycled, and this credit for returned components provides an incentive for people to return broken components for recycling, rather than them ending up in a landfill. That’s especially important for lithium batteries, which can be a fire hazard and shouldn’t be placed in standard garbage or recycling bins. We often cover improvements in lithium battery recycling over on Electrek. As the need for high-density energy storage continues to grow, with increased EV adoption and grid storage solutions, there is a growing need for lithium, and battery recycling is part of that solution. More recycling facilities are being announced on a seemingly regular basis, so providing a credit for returns is an excellent way to incentivize the environmentally friendly action that can help make the batteries for new phones.
Limited device support
One of the many complaints at the launch has been how limited the part selection and device support are. You can go to Apple.com today and buy a brand-new iPhone 11, but if you drop it tomorrow you can’t buy the replacement screen. Apple announced the creation of the site last year, so I hoped they would launch the site with support for more devices. While it’s easy for tech enthusiasts to look at the devices we have in our pocket at say, “Well, people should upgrade anyway,” plenty of people don’t want to – and shouldn’t have to – buy a new phone every other year. If the devices they have work for them, why upgrade rather than just fix them and reduce e-waste? Apple’s own paper released as the site launched highlights the extended life of Apple products, noting that iPhone 12 and 13s retain more of their value than any other smartphone models released the same year.
By building durable hardware, providing ongoing software updates and convenient access to repair, consumers can use our devices longer. For example, MacBook Pro lasts an average of 2-4 years longer than traditional PCs. Apple products tend to have higher resale values, and are passed on to new users more often. For example, iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 retain more of their value than any other smartphone model released in the same year. By designing products to last, we are doing the right thing for our customers, and we are doing the right thing for the planet by getting the most out of the finite resources we use to build them.
Hopefully, as new iPhones are released, parts for older ones remain on the site, and the support will expand to older devices. There are plenty of people using iPhone 11s, Xs, and even earlier devices that could use replacement parts. The program also doesn’t have parts available for any of Apple’s laptops or other devices – just iPhones. In the announcement, Apple said that it plans to add support for Apple Silicon Macs later this year. Even for the supported devices, there are a number of repairs that the site doesn’t provide parts for – including for the buttons and lightning port.
Dissuading use?
Apple is hardly encouraging its customer to repair their own devices. Not in the slightest. Apple’s paper titled “Expanding access to service and repairs for Apple devices” goes over the different ways that customers can get their devices repaired. That’s first-party repairs by Apple, either by mail or in an Apple store, Apple Authorized Service providers, independent repair providers, and the new self service repair. The first part of the self service repair section talks about who Apple thinks shouldn’t use the program.
For the vast majority of customers, the safest and most reliable repair is achieved through an Apple Store or one of the thousands of Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers around the world. Repairing modern electronic devices that are complex, highly integrated, and miniaturized isn’t easy — and these technicians have the expertise, training, parts, and tools to get the repair done right.
The way I see it, the ability to use Apple’s first-party tools and guides makes it easier for anyone to fix their own devices, but it’s admittedly hard to argue that it’s the best solution for most people, who would prefer to just have someone else deal with it.
The repair manual
After you get through the table of contents and warning, you get to the part about ordering parts – and it has a code in it. In order to purchase a replacement part, you must input the code. I don’t think that’s an awful solution, as it allows Apple to cover its bases and ensure anyone replacing parts has read the initial warnings at the very least. However, when ordering parts, you don’t just need the Manual ID – you also need to Serial Number or IMEI number of the device that you will be replacing the parts in. The input serial number must match the serial number of the returned part in order to get the returned part credit.
I’ve found the actual instructions to be incredibly thorough. The manuals go into detail with each step, including lots of additional warnings and tips to ensure even someone who has never repaired a phone before can get by.
There are 31 steps to remove a display and then another 30 to add a new display. Every repair is just as detailed. Once you’re done with the physical repair, though, you’re not necessarily finished. If you replaced a display, battery, or camera, you need to complete a system configuration. The manual redirects you to Apple’s self-service repair support for instructions on the system configuration, which then requires you to reach out to the support team by chat or phone to get the process started. The manual mentions how system configuration is needed to transfer calibration values or link biometric authentication components. While that’s fair enough, it would be nice if this software tool could be streamlined to not require reaching out to the support team to finalize a repair. You even need to reach out to the support team when you are returning a replaced battery.
SPOT – Third-party operation
Reaching out to the support team has been made a necessary part of repairs, but that’s not Apple’s own support team you’re reaching out to. The self-service repair website is its own thing for a reason: It’s run by a third party. If Apple really wanted to push the new offering, it could have integrated replacement parts sales directly within the Apple Store. That would have made the process much more straightforward. As it is, you must order the parts from selfservicerepair.com, which sends you to Apple.com to download the manual. The specific PDFs push you to Apple’s support page to initialize the system configuration process, which then sends you back to the self service repair website in order to reach out to their support team. Apple could have created a one-stop-shop for all things Apple repair, but instead, they walled it off behind a separate domain with limited device and parts support.
I haven’t even touched on the more intricate board-level repairs and lack of schematics, but that’s a bit more of Louis Rossmann’s specialty, and he went into detail on that when he covered the launch of the service.
9to5Mac’s Take
While I’ve been quite critical of the self service repair program, I truly believe it is a positive step forward for the company – I just also think that there is plenty of room to improve. The service available today is not the best that Apple could have created. Still, having Apple’s official parts and tools available for purchase by individuals, who can also follow Apple’s detailed instructions, will allow customers to feel more confident when performing their repairs. Hopefully, as Apple releases new devices, the company will keep consumer repairs in mind and expand the program to more of their devices and components.
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