Apple Accused of Using the Wrong Screws For iPhones

[Maura]

[ame=http://vimeo.com/18764019]Apple's Diabolical Plan to Screw your iPhone on Vimeo[/ame]​

Bit of a strange one this, picked up by MacRumors, who report on a blog posting on ifixit by Kyle Wiens, entitled “Apple’s Diabolical Plan to Screw Your iPhone”. In the post, Wiens rails against Apple’s use of the custom “pentalobular” screw on the iPhone and other devices, saying that this particular type of screw is “tamper-resistant” and non-standard, which means that its incredibly hard to find a screwdriver to use on it. Wiens says that Apple first used the screw in the mid-2009 MacBook Pro, to stop people replacing the battery, and is currently using a similar screw in the MacBook Air’s case. According to Wiens, Apple has been using the pentalobular screw in many iPhone 4s that are on sale internationally, although the US iPhone 4s have tended to use your basic Philips screw that takes any old screwdriver. That could all be about to change though, as Wiens says he has heard of many people who have taken their iPhones into Apple for service, only to find when they get them back that the Philips screws have been replaced by pentalobular screws.

What this basically all means, unless you’re a screw nut (sorry!) is that it’s harder for people to customise their iPhones or mod them in any way or even repair them. However, if you’re determined to open one up and take a look under the hood, iFixit are offering “iPhone 4 Liberation Kits”, including a screwdriver that will actually work with the pentalobular screw.

Source: Apple Taking Heat for Switching to Custom Screws on iPhone 4 and Portables - Mac Rumors

 

[Terreos]

Apple really goes out of their way to keep people from messing with their devices don't they? I don't see why they waste their time as there will always be people who will figure out a way. :messages: