Apple has changed its self-repair program in a way that makes it a formidable alternative for consumers, but can also make a lot of sense for enterprise IT – especially for those who want to repair iOS devices, either for a company-owned device or a BYOD user device.
It is worth noting that the need for users to always have their phone can make it less attractive with the mass-staff distribution of remote manpower. Still, for the still insignificant number of users in large corporate buildings, this is an attractive option.
Let’s start with the fun part, which describes how ridiculously bad these changes are for some people. MacRumors Did A wonderful deep dive into the experience; Here are some of my favorite lines.
“The repair kit comes in two separate packages and the two boxes weigh 79 pounds.”
For some consumers, working with such heavy packages (I want brownie points to avoid the urge to call it a “heavy problem”) is a problem. If Apple wants to discourage customers from using this service, this is a good start.
“You will receive it for one week before sending it back via UPS, otherwise Apple will charge you 1,300.”
What if life intervenes and the consumer can’t wrap things up in a week? Why weren’t they given one month or, better yet, three months? This will provide much more flexibility.
Also, re-packaging about 80 pounds of gear and getting it on the UPS – which may not be close – is a big hassle. And why only UPS? We may have an indication of that one. Another Apple-centric site, AppleInsiderLooking for a gorgeous piece A strange deal between Apple and FedEx.
What was so weird? FedEx sends message to customer who lost Apple Watch, returned to Apple, says “We must reject your claim ‘because an addition was in the delivery agreement’ which states that you have agreed not to file a claim as a result of the transport service provided by FedEx ‘. Apple is not responsible for the lost package going to Apple.
And that’s exactly what Apple was going to tell everyone about That Arrangements? It appears that the agreement only allowed Apple to argue with FedEx about losing a package, not a shipper, which does not work for other packages. All in all, it seems best to avoid FedEx for running Apple
Return to self-repair details. Later MacRumors Detailed program costs different, it’s math.
“That means the total cost to replace the battery on the PiPhone 12 mini– is $ 95.84, and by comparison, it’s $ 69. Apple has swapped it outSo repairing your own is not really expensive.“
Let this sentence sink in a moment. Apparently it costs 39% more to use the self-service option than to let Apple do it How does that value make any sense? It’s a lot like a mechanic telling a customer, “One of you is dead Carburetor. You have two choices. You can have a seat in the waiting room and we’ll replace it at $ 69 or you can do all the work yourself at $ 95.84. Your decision. “
The only obvious conclusion is that Apple wants to offer this program because of the Right-to-Repair Act but no one wants to use it.
My favorite: Apple emphasizes that consumers use Apple repair tools that are both proprietary and expensive. Again, from MacRumors:
“Note that you can order parts alone without the tool kit, but Apple’s repair manual instructs users to use tools in the kit that would otherwise not be in their hands, such as Apple-designed battery presses. You can buy all the tools individually so that you have them for repair, but Apple’s components are expensive. A battery press costs 115, a torque driver $ 99, a heated display removal pocket $ 116, and a display press costs $ 216, and all of these are required for battery removal according to Apple’s repair manual. “
Wait, it gets worse.
“For the actual repair process, Dan found it difficult, even with Apple’s instructions and tools. It was frustrating to enter, and the kit lacked the components required by the manual, such as tweezers and heat protective gloves. Dan had to go to the store on two separate occasions to get more supplies and because of this, the repairs took a much better part of the day. Dealing with glue was time consuming and almost self-repairing.”
Interesting part here. While Apple’s self-repair program is ridiculously bad for consumers, it can be a very cost-effective approach for enterprise IT.
Mobile device repair is complicated for IT. There are four categories of users for this purpose. One, Office-based users who have a company-owned iOS device / devices. Two, Office-based users who have an iOS device that is their own (BYOD). Three, remote users who have a company-owned iOS device / devices. Four, remote users who have an iOS device that they own (again, BYOD).
To be clear, options one and two assume that users work in a building with an IT presence. If there is no meaningful IT presence where they work, then this narrow purpose is considered effectively remote.
What Apple’s self-repair program will do is make IT’s own repairs cost-effective. To be cool and corporate for a moment, this is most understandable for Option One, but much less for others. If users could simply go to the IT floor, drop off their phone (presumably, they’ve already arranged it with IT so that someone has time to help), this is understandable for everyone. It’s a cost-savings for IT, most likely.
But the cool and corporate fact is that most BYOD users will pay out of their own pocket to have their phone repaired. Even when repairs directly enable a corporate function that they would not otherwise need. For example, their phones can fight against IT-selected VPNs or enterprise firewalls. The most obvious situation is when the user is not willing to hold a phone for a while, but has to use it to connect to the enterprise system. Even then those users Can Say IT: “You want this function? You pay to have my phone with you.”
In fact, most BYOD users will not be bothered, especially if they are remote And Such repairs should be fairly close to an Apple store. This is the classic BYOD argument. Given that the phone is owned by the user and the user uses it for many personal purposes, the question of who should pay for the various repairs is open. Either way, corporate users are banking enough on phone needs that if IT forces them to wait long enough, they will crack and pay for the repairs themselves.
Although I have argued many times about how some errors come with remote work, one of the rare errors that IT has found to repair on site. Users do not like to leave their mobile devices for more than one day unless it is absolutely necessary. Of course, if the phone is completely dead, it doesn’t matter.
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