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Business
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Electronic Waste -- iMac, iPhone, iRepair
電子廢棄物——iMac, iPhone, iRepair
Apple performs an unusual U-turn
蘋果進行了一個不尋常的180度大轉彎
Apple’s purpose has always been to empower the users of its wares.
蘋果的目的一直是讓用戶能夠充分使用其產品。
“People are inherently creative. They will use tools in ways the toolmakers never thought possible,” once opined Steve Jobs, the computer maker’s late co-founder.
“人天生就有創造力。他們會以工具制造者從未想過的方式使用工具，”這家電腦制造商已故的聯合創始人史蒂夫·喬布斯曾這樣說。
So it was always odd that the firm went to great lengths to stop customers fixing its products.
因此，該公司竭盡全力阻止客戶修理其產品總是令人感到奇怪。
Repair manuals were kept secret; genuine replacement parts were hard to come by; and, most recently, replacing the screen of the latest iPhone disabled the gadget’s facial-recognition feature.
維修手冊是保密的；原裝的替換零件很難獲得；并且最近，為最新款的iPhone更換屏幕會使它的面部識別功能失效。
No longer.
情況不再如此。
In a series of moves that surprised many, Apple earlier this month promised a software fix to make the new iPhone model more repairable, and on November 17th announced that it will allow individuals to mend their devices and provide manuals, tools and parts.
蘋果做出了一系列令眾人吃驚的舉措，本月早些時候它承諾進行軟件修復，使新款iPhone更具可維修性，并在11月17日宣布，它將允許個人維修自己的設備，并提供手冊、工具和零部件。
Even its critics applauded, especially the leaders of a growing global “right-to-repair” movement including Kyle Wiens, the boss of iFixit, a website that sells parts and publishes free repair guides.
就連它的批評者也對其大加贊賞，尤其是日益壯大的全球“修理權”運動的領導者們，其中包括凱爾·維恩斯，他是iFixit的老板，iFixit是一家銷售零件并發布免費維修指南的網站。
Yet the likely impact of the “Self Service Repair” programme is unclear.
然而，“自助維修”計劃可能產生的影響尚不清楚。
A new online store will open from early next year.
一家新的網上商店將于明年初開始營業。
Owners who return used parts for recycling will get credit toward a purchase.
將廢舊零件返還用于回收的用戶將獲得購買積分。
Independent repair shops can join in, without signing onerous agreements with Apple.
獨立維修店業可以加入進來，無需與蘋果簽署繁瑣的協議。
And, crucially, repairs by individuals will no longer void the warranty (damage done while tinkering is not covered).
更重要的是，個人修理將不再使保修無效（維修過程中造成的損害不在保修范圍內）。
But the toolmaker is ceding less ground than first appears.
但這家工具制造商作出的讓步比最初看起來要少。
Apple’s replacement parts, like its premium devices, cost a pretty penny.
蘋果的替換部件，就像它的高端設備一樣，價格不菲。
A new screen for the iPhone 12 is priced at $268.
iPhone12的新屏幕售價為268美元。
Nor is it clear to what extent Apple will make its devices easier to repair.
目前也不清楚蘋果將在多大程度上使其設備更易維修。
Because even swapping a battery requires removing the easily breakable screen, not many will try this at home.
因為即使是更換電池也需要先移除易碎的屏幕，所以沒有多少人會嘗試在家里這樣做。
Still, if Apple went further, its repair programme could become a model for the smartphone and, perhaps, the wider electronics industry.
不過，如果蘋果能更進一步，其維修計劃可能會成為智能手機乃至更廣泛的電子行業的典范。
Even its current form will push rival device-makers to follow suit.
即使是目前的形式，也會促使競對設備制造商效仿。
“When it comes to repairs, Samsung Electronics is doing even worse than Apple,” says Mr Wiens.
維恩斯表示：“在維修方面，三星電子做得甚至比蘋果還差。”
Apple’s move, he adds, has in one fell swoop given the lie to many arguments that electronics firms use against making gadgets easier to repair, such as that people might hurt themselves.
他補充說，蘋果的這一舉措一下子揭穿了許多電子公司反對讓電子產品更容易維修的說法，比如人們可能會傷到自己。
Apple has also managed to get ahead of the regulatory trend, says Nabil Nasr of the Rochester Institute of Technology, who is working on a study for the Group of Seven (G7) wealthiest democracies about the life cycle of consumer-electronics products.
羅徹斯特理工學院的納比爾·納斯爾正在為七國集團中最富有的民主國家進行一項關于消費電子產品生命周期的研究。納斯爾說，蘋果也成功地走在了監管趨勢的前面。
Regulators, he explains, are tackling the problem of e-waste—it may soon become difficult for firms to comply with all the mandates.
他解釋說，監管機構正在處理電子廢棄物的問題——公司們可能很快就會難以符合所有的規定。
In America, for instance, legislatures in 27 states are now discussing right-to-repair bills.
例如，在美國，27個州的立法機構正在討論維修權法案。
The European Union is also moving towards passing such rules.
歐盟也在朝著通過此類規定的方向邁進。
Apple-watchers wonder if the firm will try the same strategy elsewhere in its business.
蘋果觀察人士想知道，該公司是否會在其業務的其他領域嘗試同樣的策略。
It could make pre-emptive concessions, for example, in the heated controversy about how it governs the app store on the iPhone.
例如，在關于它對iPhone應用商店的管理方式的激烈爭議中，它可以先發制人地做出讓步。
On November 9th a federal judge in California denied Apple’s request to stay part of a recent ruling.
11月9日，加州一名聯邦法官駁回了蘋果公司要求繼續參與最近一項裁決的請求。
This requires it by December 9th to allow app developers to inform their users how they can pay them directly and avoid Apple’s fees of up to 30% of the purchase price.
這要求蘋果在12月9日之前允許應用程序開發商告知用戶如何直接向其支付，從而避免蘋果收取高達購買價格30%的手續費。
Perhaps Apple might loosen up there, too.
或許，蘋果在這方面的限制也會放寬。
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