Apple's anti-repair and anti-refurbishment practices: Difference between revisions
→Relevant incidents: Add drafts for Greenwashing, underpowered base models, blocking third party app and browser installs. Needs more work and sources. |
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===Blocking operating system downgrades<!-- Will emulate "Operating system downgrades" from parent article -->=== | ===Blocking operating system downgrades<!-- Will emulate "Operating system downgrades" from parent article -->=== | ||
=== Greenwashing === | ===Greenwashing=== | ||
Apple claims to be environmentally friendly and invests significant amounts of funds in corresponding PR campaigns,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Environment {{!}} Mother Nature |url=https://www.apple.com/environment/mother-nature/ |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=Apple}}</ref> but the reality is not quite as green. | Apple claims to be environmentally friendly and invests significant amounts of funds in corresponding PR campaigns,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Environment {{!}} Mother Nature |url=https://www.apple.com/environment/mother-nature/ |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=Apple}}</ref> but the reality is not quite as green. | ||
==== Green energy sharing ==== | ====Green energy sharing==== | ||
Apple shares manufacturing capacity at Chinese companies FoxConn and Pegatron with other companies. If Apple uses 20% of their manufacturing capacity, and company B, C, D, and E also each take up 20%, and the company doing the manufacturing runs on 20% renewably generated energy, now Apple as well as companies B, C, D, and E will each publicly claim that their manufacturing runs 100% on renewable energy. In other words, each company will claim the 20% renewable energy was used for ''their'' production.<!-- This desperately need sources to back it up --> | Apple shares manufacturing capacity at Chinese companies FoxConn and Pegatron with other companies. If Apple uses 20% of their manufacturing capacity, and company B, C, D, and E also each take up 20%, and the company doing the manufacturing runs on 20% renewably generated energy, now Apple as well as companies B, C, D, and E will each publicly claim that their manufacturing runs 100% on renewable energy. In other words, each company will claim the 20% renewable energy was used for ''their'' production.<!-- This desperately need sources to back it up --> | ||
==== CO<small>2</small> Certificates and forest projects ==== | ====CO<small>2</small> Certificates and forest projects==== | ||
… | … | ||
=== Underpowered base models === | ===Underpowered base models=== | ||
Most contemporary Apple devices do not have upgradeable or replaceable storage and memory. | Most contemporary Apple devices do not have upgradeable or replaceable storage and memory. | ||
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Since many of these devices are not user upgradeable, this floods both the used market and the landfills with unnecessarily underpowered devices that could otherwise be used for many more years. | Since many of these devices are not user upgradeable, this floods both the used market and the landfills with unnecessarily underpowered devices that could otherwise be used for many more years. | ||
=== Blocking third party apps === | ===Blocking third party apps=== | ||
Apple only allows apps to be installed on their mobile devices through their own App Store (there are exceptions to this in the European Union, but due to what many have called Malicious Compliance, this possibility is more of theoretical nature). | Apple only allows apps to be installed on their mobile devices through their own App Store (there are exceptions to this in the European Union, but due to what many have called [[Malicious Compliance]], this possibility is more of theoretical nature). | ||
When a device loses manufacturer support and the App Store stops working, or when Apple deletes or blocks versions of apps from the store which are compatible with that version of the operating system, the user no longer has any way to install or re-install any software on their devices. | When a device loses manufacturer support and the App Store stops working, or when Apple deletes or blocks versions of apps from the store which are compatible with that version of the operating system, the user no longer has any way to install or re-install any software on their devices. | ||
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Moreover, Apple does not appear to always test new versions of apps on old hardware, so sometimes the last update to an app breaks it for that device, sometimes due to bugs, sometimes due to increased memory requirements.[1] Since the App Store allows no downgrades, this leaves the user with an app that is unusable on that model of device. If Apple allowed either app downgrades or independent installation of apps, these devices would remain completely functional for users of those apps. | Moreover, Apple does not appear to always test new versions of apps on old hardware, so sometimes the last update to an app breaks it for that device, sometimes due to bugs, sometimes due to increased memory requirements.[1] Since the App Store allows no downgrades, this leaves the user with an app that is unusable on that model of device. If Apple allowed either app downgrades or independent installation of apps, these devices would remain completely functional for users of those apps. | ||
=== Blocking third party browsers === | ===Blocking third party browsers=== | ||
Apple does not allow other browser engines other than their own Safari engine on their mobile operating systems. While the EU is an exception due to regulatory constraints, Apple has put conditions in place that make this so unattractive for both developers and users that at the time of writing, no browser vendor offers their engine to Apple's mobile devices. | Apple does not allow other browser engines other than their own Safari engine on their mobile operating systems. While the EU is an exception due to regulatory constraints, Apple has put conditions in place that make this so unattractive for both developers and users that at the time of writing, no browser vendor offers their engine to Apple's mobile devices. | ||