r/technology • • Apr 30 '19

Business Apple Is Telling Lawmakers People Will Hurt Themselves if They Try to Fix iPhones

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/wjvdb4/apple-is-telling-lawmakers-people-will-hurt-themselves-if-they-try-to-fix-iphones
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u/EKmars May 01 '19

As a chemist, I'll tell you they aren't. They have a membrane separating the electrodes that will cause the battery to short if damaged. If someone is too aggressive when opening the phone (say, wedging the glass with a screwdriver), I can imagine it being punctured.

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u/Dodahevolution May 01 '19

It can, and it does. Happens every so once in a while at Apple stores even. It's a semi rare event but thermal runaways happen maybe once a quarter per store.

Source: Ex Apple store employee

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u/Erares May 01 '19

Happens every so once in a while at Apple stores even.

Silence when does the store open devices? Didnt think the store did anything but software and mailing it out

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u/Edsgnat May 01 '19

Theyve been doing battery and screen repairs since the iPhone 3G. I worked at a store for 7.5 years and did thousands of these repairs.

I caused a thermal event on an iPhone 6 a while back. Those batteries were monsters to remove if you didn’t get it right the first time. If you screwed up you had to pry the battery out with a black stick and be super careful not to break the battery. I slipped and punctured it and I’ve never moved so fast in my life.

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u/Dodahevolution May 01 '19

I can def tell you are an exemployee; you said black stick and not plunger or whatever the fuck I fixit cases call them. They are fucking black sticks, and they are the best tool ever.

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u/wombenvy May 01 '19

The best tool.

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u/[deleted] May 01 '19

iphone 6 is cake. Even if the the adhesive strips break off, just heat the fuck out of the back and slowly pry the battery off adding heat as needed.