[Wormius]

A head's up for anybody getting 3rd party repairs done to your iPhone. This is quite concerning if you happen to get, or have had your iPhone's fingerprint reader or screen repaired by a 3rd Party. The security concerns that Apple says are behind it are a flakey, I think. There are better ways to confirm the phone is not stolen.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/201...d-party-repair

http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...omers-security

http://www.macworld.com/article/3030...-security.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2016/02/...lling-iphones/

On its website, Apple says the Error 53 message means the phone’s fingerprint sensor is either broken or has been replaced. The company says that can happen after “an unauthorized or faulty screen replacement.”

In a statement, Apple said, “We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks designed to protect our customers.”

Apple said its software checks that the fingerprint sensor matches the device’s other components. If the check fails, “Touch ID, including for Apple Pay use, is disabled. This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used.”

Kyle Wiens, head of electronics-repair site iFixit.com, said Error 53 has become a big issue for iPhone users, sparking 70 conversations on his site, including one with 173,000 views.

Independent repair shops often replace the fingerprint sensor or its small cable when replacing cracked screens or broken home buttons on iPhones, Mr. Wiens said. Effectively killing a phone because of a replaced or faulty fingerprint sensor is a harsh policy, Mr. Wiens said, particularly because the replaced sensors are often recycled Apple parts and function as well as the original.

He said the policy appears to fit a recent pattern to give Apple more control over iPhone repairs and undermine third-party vendors. In another example, he said Apple uses proprietary screws on iPhones and refuses to sell screwdrivers that fit them.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “That’s the same as Ford saying we’re not going to let any mechanics work on our cars because they’ll change the key.”