Apple has told us that they’re omitting the headphones and power adapter on the new iPhone 12 models for environmental reasons (although we still don’t understand why they include a USB-C cable with so many existing USB-A power adapters they refer to). This was of course mainly done to save money. The used 5G technology which has become more expensive and to keep the margin despite the increased price they also saved on accessories.
So don’t let Apple confuse you with the fact that it’s about the environment: The iPhone 12 is designed to be even more difficult to repair than before. If you change the battery or the display yourself, current iPhones already start complaining, but at least they do work. They may get uptight and switch off True Tone for the display and annoy you with hints for a few days, but there is also a good side to this: you can see if the iPhone has been repaired before if you buy one used.
But now Apple is pushing it even further: it is no longer even possible to exchange original components between two iPhones. In the above video by Hugh Jeffreys it becomes clear that Apple makes the camera unusable if you swap it. This also applies to an original component from another iPhone. Face ID may have a security aspect to it, but preventing free repairs on the camera is most likely simply an attempt to control the devices life cycle. Apple is a strong opponent of the right to repair and puts a lot of effort into lobbying against it.
So now we’ve reached the point where you can’t even turn two half-defective iPhones into a working one. Apart from the fact that the camera is unlikely to break down very often and should therefore not cause any problems in everyday life, one thing should become clear to you: You pay for the hardware you buy from Apple, but the company keeps you from actually owning it and getting it repaired the way you want it. This will not necessarily be noticed in the first few years of use, but it will become apparent when Apple thinks the devices are too old and cannot be repaired for money (iMac users can tell you a thing or two about it).
We would like to point this out to you. Of course we still buy Apple – but the company is still pushing to make it impossible to repair their own devices. Which is pretty much the opposite of sustainability. So you should keep an open eye on this and always keep in mind that Apple is fighting tooth and nail against a right to repair.
