Reason to buy Android: update bricks some iPhones that were repaired without authorization
Apple users are now receiving a pretty strong incentive to swap to Android. An emerging iPhone ‘feature’ is discovered to brick devices that were repaired by non-Apple entities. When a user upgrades to the latest version of iOS 9, some are reporting an “error 53” that renders the device unusable. Although the phone may have been functioning perfectly for weeks or months after a repair job, this error will effectively render the handset inoperable, and the Guardian is reporting that any data lost on the phone this way is unrecoverable.
“The problem occurs if the repairer changes the home button or the cable,” said California tech expert Kyle Wiens, owner of the iFixit website. “Following the software upgrade the phone in effect checks to make sure it is still using the original components, and if it isn’t, it simply locks out the phone. There is no warning, and there’s no way that I know of to bring it back to life.”
See also: Why I switched to the iPhone…. (and back again)
Some suspect that this is a move by apple engineered to undercut independent repairers. Repairing the home button through Apple will run upwards of $200, but smaller repair shops can perform the fix much cheaper. There are concerns that this might go against competition rules. The Guardian points out that car manufacturers are not legally able to insist that automobile owners get serviced exclusively through their shops.
The worst thing about “error 53” is that there is no warning and no fix. The only solution is to get a new phone. Antonio Olmos, a freelance photographer, fell victim to this issue after he had his phone repaired in a shop in Macedonia in September. Months later, when prompted to upgrade his software, Olmos accepted the update and his phone was immediately bricked. The self-proclaimed Apple addict was incensed when he learned that he had to pay £270 for a replacement.
“The whole thing is extraordinary,” said Olmos. “How can a company deliberately make their own products useless with an upgrade and not warn their own customers about it? Outside of the big industrialised nations, Apple stores are few and far between, and damaged phones can only be brought back to life by small third-party repairers. I am not even sure these third-party outfits even know this is a potential problem.”
Apple has been pretty cagey about the whole issue. The closest we’ve gotten to an explanation is a jargon-stuffed statement from a spokesperson:
We protect fingerprint data using a secure enclave, which is uniquely paired to the touch ID sensor. When iPhone is serviced by an authorised Apple service provider or Apple retail store for changes that affect the touch ID sensor, the pairing is re-validated. This check ensures the device and the iOS features related to touch ID remain secure. Without this unique pairing, a malicious touch ID sensor could be substituted, thereby gaining access to the secure enclave. When iOS detects that the pairing fails, touch ID, including Apple Pay, is disabled so the device remains secure… When an iPhone is serviced by an unauthorised repair provider, faulty screens or other invalid components that affect the touch ID sensor could cause the check to fail if the pairing cannot be validated. With a subsequent update or restore, additional security checks result in an ‘error 53’ being displayed … If a customer encounters an unrecoverable error 53, we recommend contacting Apple support.
Apple support, by all accounts, will then tell you that you need to buy a new device from them. If you’re an iPhone user and you’ve had your device repaired by a non-Apple entity, it might be a good idea to hold off on any upgrades for the foreseeable future.
Apple says the iPhone-breaking Error 53 is a security measure
If you’re an iPhone owner who hasn’t had a run-in with the dreaded Error 53, consider yourself lucky. The error — which usually forces iPhones with replacement screens or home buttons into a boot loop after attempting a software update — was widely considered a bug until Apple cleared things up in with The Guardian earlier today.
“We protect fingerprint data using a secure enclave, which is uniquely paired to the touch ID sensor. When iPhone is serviced by an authorised Apple service provider or Apple retail store for changes that affect the touch ID sensor, the pairing is re-validated,” Apple said. “This check ensures the device and the iOS features related to touch ID remain secure. Without this unique pairing, a malicious touch ID sensor could be substituted, thereby gaining access to the secure enclave. When iOS detects that the pairing fails, touch ID, including Apple Pay, is disabled so the device remains secure.”
Apple tacitly admitted that its exchange with The Guardian was a little jargon-heavy by releasing this new, official statement.
“We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks designed to protect our customers. iOS checks that the Touch ID sensor in your iPhone or iPad correctly matches your device’s other components. If iOS finds a mismatch, the check fails and Touch ID, including for Apple Pay use, is disabled. This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used. If a customer encounters Error 53, we encourage them to contact Apple Support.”
So, fine, that’s fair — Apple’s concerns about an ersatz Touch ID sensor compromising an iPhone’s security aren’t off-base. The bigger issue comes into play when the phone’s owner tries to restore or update the software — that process triggers “additional security checks” that seem to flag the hardware change and trigger an Error 53. Most of the reports on Apple’s support forums and hobbyist sites like iFixit maintain this is when their devices get stuck in a boot loop, which seems downright crazy. Why doesn’t Apple just refuse to authorize the update and let the phone continue working (sans Touch ID, of course)?
Apple’s statement concludes with a note for customers who encounter an “unrecoverable” Error 53 to contact Apple support, but since the third-party hardware installation that caused the error also violates Apple’s warranty, the only way out seems to involve lots of currency. Even more concerning is how this issue seems to pop even when damaged phones haven’t been repaired by a stranger. The Daily Dot’s Mike Wehner has probably the most-cited case out there — his iPhone 6 Plus fell into the Error 53 pit after weeks of intermittent Touch ID spottiness, prompting to him to present it to puzzled Apple Store employees for an eventual replacement. While he was unlucky to get hit with the issue in the first place, at least he an Apple Store nearby that could help out — that’s certainly not the case for many other affected users.
MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Lifetime Plex Pass
For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Plex to offer one MacRumors reader a chance to win a lifetime Plex Pass that provides access to all of Plex’s premium features.
Plex is a media server and personal content library for TV shows, music, movies, and photos. It’s designed to organize personal media collections, allowing videos and music to be streamed to TVs, iOS devices, Macs, and more, both locally and remotely. With Plex, you can download the media server to your Mac, store your content in a folder, and then stream it directly to an iOS device or the new Apple TV via the Plex app.
Plex is especially useful for those of you with a fourth-generation Apple TV, which is the first Apple TV to officially support the Plex service. Check out our walkthrough of how it works below:
Plex is free to use, but unlocking all of its features requires the Plex Pass, priced at $4.99 per month, $39.99 per year, or $149.99 for a lifetime. A Plex Pass includes access to Gracenote Music Magic and Vevo Music Videos, both of which enhance your music collection through playlist creation and added music videos.
It also enables Mobile Sync features, Plex Home for managed accounts, and Cloud Syncing options to sync content from the Plex Media Server to a cloud storage provider. Other Plex Pass features include Camera Upload, access to Trailers, and early access to new Plex apps.
One MacRumors reader will win a lifetime Plex Pass through our giveaway. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prizes.
You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveawayhttps://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.jsThe contest will run from today (February 5) at 11:15 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:15 a.m. Pacific Time on February 12. The winner will be chosen randomly on February 12 and will be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond a before a new winner is chosen.
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Slow down, Apple: Perfect your iOS apps before moving to Android
Apple CEO Tim Cook let an intriguing bit of news slip earlier this week at a town hall meeting with the company’s employees. Apple Music for Android was apparently just a first step: The company is considering bringing more of its software and services to Google’s mobile OS.
It sounds a little crazy, as Apple’s message for decades has been how well its software and hardware work together. But both Google and Microsoft are infiltrating iOS with their own excellent apps, pushing many of Apple’s services to the side. Cook may feel he needs to fight back and bring more Apple apps to Android — but he first needs to make sure the company’s software runs better on its own hardware than it currently does.
It’s a refrain you’ve likely heard already. Many of Apple’s apps and services have become too buggy to recommend using full time, or they’re entirely outclassed by what Google offers. Raise your hand if you have a folder on your iPhone full of native Apple apps you never use … yup, that’s a lot of you. Now raise your hand if you use iCloud email, iCloud Drive or the default iOS Notes or Reminders apps instead of third-party options like Gmail, Dropbox, Wunderlist, Evernote and so on. Not nearly as many of you are raising your hand this time.
I don’t want to wax hyperbolic and say that Apple’s software is irrevocably broken and not worth using. I actually use nearly all of its services pretty extensively, and when they work well they are absolutely better at working across multiple Apple devices than a lot of third-party options. ICloud Calendars, Notes, Reminders and even Apple’s email app with iCloud Mail work fine if your needs are basic, and the way they integrate between iOS and OS X is a killer feature. But, true to form, there isn’t a lot of customization or flexibility there.
Apple’s apps have become either too bloated and complex or too basic with key features missing.
And if the app isn’t too basic, it’s too overwrought and complex. The greatest examples of these problems are illustrated in iTunes, which has grown into an unwieldy, bloated monster doing too many things at once, and Apple Music, which is powerful but not terribly intuitive. The company’s new Photos app for the Mac and corresponding iCloud Photo Library for iOS are more examples; once you take the time to figure out how they work, they’re a solid, sometimes excellent solution. But at first glance, understanding how your photos are backed up and synced through iCloud is not at all clear.
Then there are the bugs. I frequently have an infuriating time making AirDrop work. My first experience with the company’s new Music Memos app led to song sketches disappearing and reappearing at iCloud’s whim. And too often I find that the App Store isn’t downloading updates for me, even though I have auto-update turned on. None of these are dealbreakers per se, but I wager that most iOS users have their own list of bugs that pop up from time to time with no apparent explanation.
That’s not to say that the competition is perfect, either. No software works flawlessly all the time, and Apple does a lot of things right. Continuity and Handoff between the Mac and iPhone are great features, and iMessage for Android would be an absolutely killer app. But it would be even better if Apple tightened up its software ship first. I get excited every year when Apple shows off upcoming iOS and OS X updates at WWDC, but things rarely play together as well as they do in the company’s expertly managed demos.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t an upside for Apple here: Cook is clearly looking at the success Google and Microsoft have had bringing their services to iOS lately. Microsoft has been unable to get people to buy its phones, but under CEO Satya Nadella, the company now offers Office, Bing and even Cortana on the screens people use the most — that’s iOS and Android. And for years now Google has put nearly all of its often-excellent services on Apple’s platforms. (The less we talk about the one notable exception, the abominable Gmail for iOS, the better.)
Apple might try the “put your apps where everyone is” strategy that Google and Microsoft have used.
Historically, Apple has resisted this strategy, refusing to bring its software to platforms it doesn’t control. ITunes and now Apple Music have been the notable exceptions, and both served an obvious purpose. ITunes for Windows helped accelerate iPod sales, and the dominance of the iTunes Store eventually made it easier for everyone to buy an iPhone back when you needed iTunes to manage your phone. And mobile is probably the most important place a streaming service needs to be; not having Apple Music on Android would make it near impossible to compete with Spotify.
The case for bringing other services to Android is a little murkier, but basically it comes down to the same “put your software where users are” strategy that Google and Microsoft already follow. Android won the market-share battle, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. But having access to services like iMessage, the iCloud suite, the iTunes Store and Apple’s new photo-syncing solution would make using an Android phone with a Mac (or an iPad) a lot easier. And Apple made it clear last week that it will rely on its growing services business to drive revenue in the months to come.
If Apple can simplify its more complex apps while adding a few features to its more basic offerings, a cross-platform Apple app suite would be a lot more appealing. There’s a middle ground that the company has had a hard time hitting lately in software design and functionality. But if it can get back there, Apple will have a chance of making some inroads on Google’s home turf.
Apple Possibly Working With Energous on Extended Range Wireless Charging for Future iPhones
Amid rumors that Apple is working on extended range wireless charging capabilities for future iPhones, there has been some speculation that Apple has partnered with Energous to implement the technology. Energous is the company behind WattUp, an emerging wireless charging technology that uses radio frequencies to charge devices from up to 15 feet away.
Though there’s no concrete proof of a relationship between Energous and Apple, a new research report from Louis Basenese of Disruptive Tech Research highlights a large pool of circumstantial evidence pointing towards a potential partnership, so it’s worth taking a look at Energous’s technology, both in that context and as an example of the wireless charging techniques that are currently being pursued by tech companies.
Basenese posits Apple is working with a partner rather than developing an in-house solution due to the small number of patents the company has filed surrounding wireless charging — just five, with none filed since 2013. As evidence that partner is Energous, he points towards their common manufacturing partners (TSMC and Foxconn), their membership in ANSI working towards standards for wireless power transfer compliance testing, and most notably, the fact that Energous’s RF-based wireless charging system is the only long-distance solution nearly ready to launch.
In early 2015, Energous also inked a deal with an unnamed consumer electronics company, positioned as one of the top five companies in the world. Names weren’t mentioned, but that’s a short list — Apple, Samsung, HP, Microsoft, and Hitachi. Basenese believes Apple is the likeliest partner by process of elimination.
From that list, we can easily eliminate HP and Hitachi, as they don’t make phones. Since Samsung makes its own chips and WATT is working with TSM, we can cross it off the list, leaving only Apple and Microsoft. In reality, though, Microsoft is an also-ran in the mobile phone market and rumored to be exiting it. So we’re left with one company. Of course, the identity will remain a mystery, as AAPL’s notorious about insisting on secrecy with partners and employees.
Wireless charging capabilities have been implemented into several smartphones, including those from Apple’s direct competitors, but Apple executives have downplayed wireless charging in the past due to its dependence on built-in chips, mats, and close proximity. In a 2012 interview, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller said it wasn’t clear “how much convenience” magnetic induction and resonance wireless charging systems offered because they still need to be plugged into the wall.
Final Cut Pro X now handles 4K export to some Apple devices
Final Cut Pro X didn’t get the warmest of receptions when it was released in 2011. But Apple’s made many changes to its video-editing software since, listening to user feedback and adding features that were missing from Final Cut Pro 7. And it keeps getting better. The latest version (10.2.3) of Final Cut Pro X brings 4K export to compatible Apple devices, such as the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, as well as the iPad Pro and new Apple TV. You can now share videos to multiple YouTube accounts too, which is useful for individuals who have channels with different purposes.
Naturally, you’ll also find a set of bug fixes and overall stability improvements. An issue that’s been addressed, for instance, is one where black frames would show up on videos imported from an iPhone, along with a handful of other problems. You can grab the updated Final Cut Pro X from the Mac App Store.
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Mac App Store
Apple will reportedly accept damaged iPhones for trade-in
Apple’s iPhone recycling program is handy for getting rid of your old handset when you buy a new one. However, the initiative doesn’t allow customers to trade in older models if they have screen damage, a broken camera or buttons that don’t work. 9to5Mac reports that the policy is about to change. Apple is reportedly prepping to expand the recycling/trade-in program to accept iPhone 5, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones with a reasonable amount of damage. The company is said to offer credits of $50, $200 and $250 for those devices, respectively.
The company is also looking to help your properly install a screen protector on your new phone. Apple Stores will offer to put on the protective accessory with dedicated machines, partnering with Belkin (and others, perhaps) on the setup. Before now, the retail locations wouldn’t lend a hand with screen protectors in case there was a mess up. According to 9to5Mac, if the machines don’t install the covering correctly, the Apple will cover the cost of a new one. The service is said to start rolling out today, so perhaps the option will be available at your local store soon enough.
Source: 9to5Mac
Apple Watch discounted by up to £120 at Currys PC World
Apple’s debut smartwatch has received some hearty discounts at Currys and PC World stores across the UK. Point your browser to either retailer’s website and you’ll notice a number of deals that take between £50 and £120 off the normal asking price. To give a few examples, the basic 38mm Apple Watch Sport can now be picked up for £249 with a white or black strap (it normally costs £299) and the regular 42mm stainless steel Apple Watch can be bought with a milanese loop band for £439 (down from £559). Not bad if you were in the market to buy one anyway.
Apple tells Supreme Court not to hear Samsung’s patent trial appeals
We have more Apple and Samsung lawsuit news, and we all know what that means. After years of legal battling, the two companies have finally decided to compromise and stop the never-ending lawsuits and have agreed to just get along.
Actually, Apple told the Supreme Court that it shouldn’t hear Samsung’s appeal over their massive patent dispute after Samsung filed for the court to hear everything back in December. It’s not really a cheerful ending, but we can still hold out hope for that first thing.
After paying over half a billion to Apple, Samsung wants the Supreme Court to hear the case, specifically how it relates to Apple’s design patents. Google and Facebook have publicly sided with Samsung here to try and get a reasonable decision made about the validity of those design patents, but Apple says the trial has gone on long enough and there’s no reason to keep escalating things. Samsung (and many other companies) worry that if the verdict is upheld, it could set an awful precedent going forward for other companies trying to create innovative products.
Both companies have a point, and there’s two ways to look at things. The case has dragged on for years, so it makes sense to go ahead and wrap things up. On the other hand, though, when your legal battle takes multiple years to resolve, what’s another few months on top of things, especially if it makes sure to set the correct precedent for the market?
No word on how this will end up, but we’ll keep you updated after a decision has been made.
source: re/code
Come comment on this article: Apple tells Supreme Court not to hear Samsung’s patent trial appeals
Users Facing ‘Error 53’ Bricking Message After Third-Party iPhone 6 Home Button Repairs
Some iPhone 6 users who had their smartphones repaired by third-party technicians are reporting that a mysterious “error 53” message is permanently bricking their iPhones (via The Guardian). Users who have had Touch ID on their iPhone 6 fixed by a non-Apple technician, and agreed to update the iPhone to the most recent version of iOS, are facing an issue which essentially prevents all access to the iPhone.
Freelance photographer Antonio Olmos is one such affected iPhone 6 user who had his iPhone repaired in Macedonia while working. He said “it worked perfectly” after the repair shop finished fixing the broken screen and home button, but once he updated to iOS 9 he got an “error 53” message and could no longer access any of his personal content on the iPhone. An Apple Store in London was shown the issue, and staff there admitted there was nothing they could do for him besides sell him a new iPhone.
“The whole thing is extraordinary. How can a company deliberately make their own products useless with an upgrade and not warn their own customers about it? Outside of the big industrialized nations, Apple stores are few and far between, and damaged phones can only be brought back to life by small third-party repairers,” Olmos said. “I am not even sure these third-party outfits even know this is a potential problem.”
Speaking with The Guardian, iFixit‘s Kyle Wiens said that the issue, while still unclear, appears to be Apple ensuring only genuine components are being used for repairs. Once a third party changes the home button or internal cable, the iPhone checks to be sure that all original components are running the phone, and if there are any discrepancies users face the “error 53” message and can’t access their data. Since mentions of “error 53” span a few versions of iOS, it’s unclear specifically which software update began the phone-locking error message.
An Apple spokeswoman commented on the issue, referring to protective security features intended to prevent “malicious” third-party components from potentially compromising a user’s iPhone as the main reason for the “error 53” message.
“We protect fingerprint data using a secure enclave, which is uniquely paired to the touch ID sensor. When iPhone is serviced by an authorised Apple service provider or Apple retail store for changes that affect the touch ID sensor, the pairing is re-validated. This check ensures the device and the iOS features related to touch ID remain secure. Without this unique pairing, a malicious touch ID sensor could be substituted, thereby gaining access to the secure enclave. When iOS detects that the pairing fails, touch ID, including Apple Pay, is disabled so the device remains secure.”
She adds: “When an iPhone is serviced by an unauthorized repair provider, faulty screens or other invalid components that affect the touch ID sensor could cause the check to fail if the pairing cannot be validated. With a subsequent update or restore, additional security checks result in an ‘error 53’ being displayed … If a customer encounters an unrecoverable error 53, we recommend contacting Apple support.”
Other than that, Apple hasn’t commented on the issue or outlined exactly what the company can do for those affected by the iPhone bricking error message. Mentions of “error 53” have been around since at least last April, where some users have encountered the issue in software updates as early as iOS 8.3.
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