Today, Google issued an open letter expressing its support for Oregon’s pending right to reform legislation. The memo, drafted by Director of Device and Services Operations Stephen Nickel, describes the proposal as a “compelling model for other countries to follow.”
Google also took the opportunity to release a white paper aimed at linking repairability claims to broader sustainability goals. The document also, of course, gives the company the opportunity to talk about its existing promises for device longevity, including the seven-year software support the company has promised for its flagship Pixel devices.
The right to repair movement has gained tremendous traction over the past few years. In October, California became the third state to pass a right-to-repair bill — after New York and Minnesota. To the surprise of many, the move was backed by Apple. At the time, at least 10 other states had their own versions in the works.
Sen. Janine Solman, the sponsor of the new bill, strongly criticized Apple’s apparent efforts to narrow the scope of Oregon’s proposal. After meeting with the company at their offices in California, the lawmaker relayed the following comment To the New York Times, “I said:[Apple is] Which makes it more accessible, but it’s not a real right to fix if you have absolute control.
In particular, the state legislator pointed out Apple’s reliance on proprietary parts. We’ve reached out to Apple and Senator Sollman for comment.
In November, The Times noted:
New batteries can trigger warning messages, replacement displays can mess up your phone’s brightness settings, and replacement selfie cameras can malfunction. These malfunctions are a result of Apple’s practice of writing software that gives it control over iPhones even after someone buys one. Unlike cars, which can be repaired with generic parts by auto shops and do-it-yourself mechanics, new iPhones are coded to recognize the serial numbers of the original components and may malfunction if parts are changed.
The newspaper cited iFixit reports, noting that some of the seven different parts could trigger Apple’s warning system during the repair. This is up by four since 2017, according to the report. Apple cited both security and ease of consumer use as reasons for its reliance on first-party parts. Meanwhile, companies like Google and Samsung have partnered directly with third-party solutions like iFixit, including their own home repair option for Pixel devices.
Google’s language places special emphasis on customer access. “The repair should be easy enough for anyone to do, whether they’re a technician or a do-it-yourselfer,” Nickel says. “This requires that we, as manufacturers, design products in a way that enables simple, safe and correct repairs wherever and by whomever they are made. This is what we call design for serviceability.”
This morning’s news arrives shortly after Google confirmed layoffs and restructuring affecting its Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit lines.