14 DAY TRIAL // Today, April 1, 2014, Apple Inc. acquired iFixit, the renowned repair shop that blasts Apple every time the company releases a device that’s hard to pry open and repair. Starting today, “Apple is [...] making devices last long enough for repair to become irrelevant.”
Visitors of ifixit.com are greeted by the acquisition announcement which reads, “It’s finally here. We're thrilled to announce that we are joining forces with Apple starting this summer. It has been an exciting adventure for all of us at iFixit, and we can’t thank our dedicated community enough. Let’s start our next chapter together.”
A link is provided to those interested in learning more about Apple’s acquisition of iFixit. Those who follow the URL are offered what looks like a press release (embedded below) from the repair shop confirming the acquisition.
The team of tinkerers has archived all of the existing iFixit guides and content on a special page “until the acquisition is complete,” it claims.
As part of the deal, which strangely falls on April 1, Apple pledged to start making the most replaceable devices on the market.
“Apple is now making devices last long enough for repair to become irrelevant. So instead, iFixit has published a list of Apple’s most replaceable devices. Every Apple device on this list has been given the EPEAT Diamond certification, the global standard for e-recyclability,” says iFixit.
Starting now, if your battery is less than 100%, you get an instant upgrade. If the screen protector has a bubble under it, an instant replacement phone will be handed to you. When your device turns one, you get an “upcycle.”
A program called “Replace My iPhone” allows both adults and children to just buy a new device from Apple. All iPhones starting today are “EPEAT Diamond” certified, meaning they are extremely environmental friendly.
See iFixit’s Smartphone Replaceability Index for more information on how the staff analyzed each smartphone and awarded a replaceability score between zero and ten, with ten being the easiest to replace.
The company’s CEO, Kyle Wiens, admits that “Everyone has a number. I didn’t think there was a reasonable number that would make me say, ‘You know I was going to change the world with repair documentation but here’s a number.’ In the end, Apple gave us a number that we couldn’t refuse.”
In case you’re not fooled by the announcement, visit ifixit.com/Guide to get your repair-guide fix, and see you tomorrow when things might look different on the iFixit site.