For a very For a long time now, Apple has been thinking of letting you repair your own things. The company has even to-to-toe with the U.S. Congress to repair its technology. Then, last November, Apple announced that it would give users access to official repair manuals and “genuine Apple devices” to fix their devices. This week, the company launched that program, providing self-repair kits for new iPhones. The thing is, Apple isn't giving people free rein.
Apple has tight control over its devices. In order for a repair to be considered valid, users must use (and purchase) Apple Sealed parts. Purchasing serialized devices from Apple makes them more exclusive than third-party devices, and therefore more expensive. Apple is also developing the tools you need to fix your device for rental through its repair program. A one-week rental of a tool kit will cost you $ 49.
Right-to-repair advocate iFixit (which also sells its own phone parts and device repair kits) said Friday that it was skeptical of the program, noting that the program was “not an unwinnable win for repair enthusiasts” that Apple would believe. For now, Apple's repair program offers parts for the iPhone 12 and 13 and third-generation iPhone SE. The company says it will provide parts and services for Mac computers later this year.
In the wake of a French law requiring manufacturers to display a repairability rating on their products, the right to repair movement has taken off. Companies like Samsung, Google, and John Deere (type) are working to get out before the law, which will demand that their devices be made more repairable.
Here is some other news from the gear desk.
Android 13 Cometh
The first beta for the next version of the Android operating system is available this week. Developers interested in testing a pre-release version of Android 13 can download it for free and tinker with the new technology (if they do it on a supported Pixel device). The mobile OS will be in beta for a few months, before smoothing out in a final release that will drop sometime this fall. Google is due to unveil further features of the software at its next I / O event, scheduled for May 11-12. We will have a link to watch the keynote address on WIRED the day before the event.
Macs made money
This is the season of earnings reporting, a joyous time of year when companies rush investors to find out how much money they have lost so far this year. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that while its user base has grown slightly, its Metaverse division has lost 3 billion to the company. In the same week that Elon Musk bought Twitter, the company acknowledged that it had increased its user base by several million over the past few years and lost $ 128 million this quarter. Amazon posted a net loss of $ 3.8 billion in the first quarter of the year, which it attributed to the epidemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Apple sales, on the other hand, have risen, despite supply chain problems, thanks to an ungodly high number. Device sold.
Ikea wrote a book
A new book uses the power of beautiful photography to spot people in obsolete, sustainable-minded lives. We and our planet ($ 30) is a collaboration between design and architecture publisher Phaidon Press and relationship breaker superstore chain Ikea. (No, you don't have to combine the pages of a book.) Coffee-Table Tom is a showcase of wealthy living that inspires people interested in combating the effects of climate change. For those who are less interested in creating bamboo structures or vertical gardens, the book packs in plenty of gorgeous Ikea-heavy lifestyle photography. It is also available in French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Meet Snap Gnat
ICYMI (as kids say), Snap is a big deal. About 330 million users join the platform every day, even if it doesn't get as much attention as small sites like Twitter. The company has some hardware ambitions that are experimentally limited. It had tried a pair of AR Spectacles before. Now, Snap has got a new selfie drone.
This week's WIRED gadget lab podcast, hosted by Lauren Good and Michael Kallor, talks about Snap's new flying camera, how the company fits into the social media landscape, and what's with all these pimple-popping videos.
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