Apple's T2 chip makes third-party Mac repairs impossible



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The demolitions of Apple hardware have repeatedly revealed how difficult it is to repair business devices. Apple does not want you to repair them, so why simplify things? But with the introduction of the T2 chip, Apple has moved from deterrence to immediate blocking repairs by anyone other than Apple's authorized service providers.

The T2 chip is a 64-bit ARMv8 piece that runs an operating system called BridgeOS. Apple first integrated the chip into the iMac Pro launched in December 2017, which addresses several security objectives, including boot process protection, encrypted key security, and system feature management. , such as access to the camera. T2 has since been added to the MacBook Pro 2018 which launched in July.

As reported by MacRumors, an internal document from Apple reveals that to perform some repairs on the iMac Pro and MacBook Pro with the T2 chip, exclusive diagnostic software is required. If Apple's diagnostic software is not used, a system will be rendered inoperative.

For the MacBook Pro, the diagnostic requirement applies to the display, the logic board, the Touch ID, and all top box repairs, including the keyboard, touchpad, speakers, and battery. . For iMac Pro, the software is needed if a repair of the logic board or flash storage is performed.

As you have probably guessed, Apple only makes the diagnostic software available to its own stores and authorized service providers. Therefore, if you own an Apple device equipped with a T2 chip, you will not be able to perform any repairs yourself or bring it to a non-Apple certified repair shop. What aggravates this situation is that once Apple has decided to no longer support models equipped with a chip T2, it will not be possible to repair them. They will become dead products.

If the high cost of buying an iMac Pro or a MacBook Pro was not enough, this proprietary software requirement during a repair imposes a strict limit on the life of a device. And it seems unlikely that Apple is limited to these two products. All future Mac will be equipped with a T2 chip, is not it?

Blocking repairs ultimately results in higher prices and planned obsolescence. The best way to fight this scourge is to support the right to repair initiatives and bills such as the California Act to Repair Act. You can also choose not to buy Apple, but it seems unlikely that enough people are willing to do so for Apple to notice.

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