Error 53 is breaking iPhones fixed by third parties

• By Russell Brandom

Apple is facing renewed criticism over an old problem called Error 53, which has been breaking phones repaired by third-party repair shops. A new story from The Guardianfocuses on journalist Antonio Olmos, who broke his phone screen while covering the refugee crisis and was forced to have it repaired in a third-party store. Olmos' phone worked fine after the repair, but a subsequent update produced an "Error 53" screen. When he took the phone to an Apple store, staff told him the phone would have to be replaced out of pocket. The update had effectively broken his phone.

It's not the first time Error 53 has popped up, although the issue seems to cause the most problems after a new version of iOS has been pushed out. In April, The Daily Dot detailed similar issues and the same end result: once a phone met with Error 53, there was nothing to do but send it back to Apple HQ.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/5/10923780/error-53-iphone-screen-repair-third-party

If for whatever reason you'll need to change your home button which contains the Touch ID, then you'll also need to change the logic board that the new Touch ID was paired with. Each Touch ID is paired to a specific logic board and vice versa. Otherwise you'll get error 53 upon restoring with iTunes.

How arrogant of Apple.

If I buy any item it belongs to me to do as I wish with.

Apple seem to have the attitude that even though someone has bought the phone and got it repaired elsewhere then Apple will refuse to update/have anything to do with it from that point.

IMPO Apple products are no better or worse than say Samsung's or Huai Wei but are more expensive and certainly over hyped.

This is a security issue. The Touch ID is a security feature. If anyone tampers with a security feature, and doesn't have the proper knowledge to re-authenticate, then yeah the device could get locked. (As it should when any security features are tampered with in a wonky way).

A thoroughly cynical and venal move by Apple. I hope they get taken to the cleaners in the litigation shitstorm which is coming their way over this.