Tech News Weekly 406: iFixit's Take on iPhone 17 'Scratchgate'
Date: September 25, 2025
Hosts: Micah Sargent, Emily Forlini
Featured Guest: Elizabeth (Liz) Chamberlain, iFixit
Episode Overview
This episode of Tech News Weekly dives into three of the week’s biggest tech stories and closes with a deep, hands-on segment. Micah Sargent and Emily Forlini discuss the potential end of those annoying cookie consent banners, dissect Amazon’s $2.5 billion FTC settlement over “dark patterns” in its Prime subscription process, and then welcome Liz Chamberlain from iFixit for a thoroughly detailed discussion of Apple’s new iPhones—covering both the highly publicized “Scratchgate” and evolving repairability features. The show finishes with a critical comparison between Apple’s new ‘Tech Woven’ and old ‘Fine Woven’ cases, all from iFixit’s unique teardown perspective.
Key Discussion Sections & Timestamps
1. The Fate of Cookie Consent Banners (01:52–11:28)
Main Points:
- Background: Cookie consent banners, required by a 2009 EU law (E-Privacy Directive), could be phased out, with new proposals allowing users to set global browser privacy preferences instead.
- Host/Guest Perspective: Both hosts express relief, calling the constant banners confusing and anxiety-inducing for average users. They argue these banners serve company liability more than user empowerment.
- Example: Emily recalls the 2009 web landscape (Facebook just opening up, people using Yahoo/Hotmail and MySpace), emphasizing how outdated the current law is.
- Potential Solution: Future browsers will let users manage cookie preferences one time for all sites.
"It makes me… I don’t want to have to make a choice for every single website I visit and… have to make a choice over and over and over again because my browser has protections in place… It just adds more anxiety than needs to be there."
— Micah Sargent [04:21]
Notable Quotes:
- “The word cookies has been confusing people forever. Like, why is it a cookie? ... Privacy good. Confusing banners that talk about baked goods bad.”
— Emily Forlini [11:28]
2. Amazon’s $2.5 Billion FTC Settlement and ‘Dark Patterns’ (12:10–28:19)
Main Points:
- Settlement Details: Amazon agrees to pay $1B in civil penalties and $1.5B to a consumer refund fund, after accusations they used manipulative UX (“dark patterns”) to enroll and retain Prime members.
- Dark Patterns Examined: Examples include ambiguous unsubscription flows (“Iliad flow”), misleading language like “No, I don’t want free shipping” as the decline button, and generally confusing cancellation procedures.
- Consequences: Two Amazon executives (Neil & Jamil) named directly in the FTC press release, a development both Micah and Emily think sends a strong message.
- Future Change: Amazon is required to simplify the Prime cancelation process and hire a third-party auditor.
- Industry Impact: Sets a precedent for the tech industry; conversation includes personal anecdotes and hopes for a universal “click to cancel” mandate.
Notable Quotes:
-
“This internal acknowledgment became a key piece of evidence suggesting that Amazon knew about the deceptive nature of its practices. And by the way, what did they call the unsubscription process? They called it the Iliad flow… a 4 page, 6 click, 15 option journey required to cancel a Prime membership.”
— Micah Sargent [17:34] -
“They actually named two Amazon executives in the FTC press release… It’s saying, you know, you can’t hide under the COVID of this organization. Like you as an individual… will also be named publicly as someone who deceived customers, which is huge.”
— Emily Forlini [18:22]
Key Quotes on Dark Patterns:
- “A reasonable consumer does not have a fair shot at understanding what's going on… You know it when you see it, or I guess you know it when you don't see it.”
— Micah Sargent [22:26]
3. iFixit’s Take on iPhone 17 Pro and Air: ‘Scratchgate’, Repairability, and More (31:33–46:08)
Guest: Liz Chamberlain, iFixit
Scratchgate: The iPhone 17 Pro’s Durability Issue (32:20–35:39)
- Background: Apple switched from titanium to anodized aluminum in the iPhone 17 Pro. The anodized layer scratches easily—especially at sharp edges, like the camera plateau—causing a new “Scratchgate.”
- iFixit’s Analysis: Brought in metal scientists to confirm: anodization is weaker at edges (spalling), which leads to flaking.
- Root Cause: "A smoother edge to the camera plateau" could have prevented the issue.
“At sharp edges, like at the edge of the camera plateau, the anodizing flakes away… If it wasn’t as sharp, it wouldn’t be doing this.”
— Liz Chamberlain [34:15]
Repairability: Big Steps with Screwed-in Batteries (35:39–37:55)
- First-Ever Screwed-in iPhone Battery: No more glue—just a screwdriver needed, making battery replaces easier for regular users.
- Still to Come: Will Apple sell the battery tray as a unit or just the battery? iFixit is waiting for parts releases.
“Apple has proven it. You can change this battery with just a screwdriver… It really simplifies things.”
— Liz Chamberlain [36:36]
The iPhone Air: Thin, Yet Repairable (38:59–41:19)
- Overview: Despite being Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever (5.6mm), the Air received a strong repairability score: dual-entry design, easily accessible battery, thoughtful layout.
- Rumors Debunked: Contrary to fears, thinner didn’t mean less repairable.
“You open that back panel and can basically see all the components that you might want to repair… For the most part, components don’t get in the way of each other and that’s possible with thin design.”
— Liz Chamberlain [39:43]
MagSafe Air Battery Pack Teardown (41:19–42:22)
- Discovery: MagSafe battery pack for iPhone Air contains the exact same battery as in the device—physically interchangeable.
- Implication: Modularity and part sharing may improve repair and supply for future models.
Apple’s 3D Printing & Global Supply (42:22–43:54)
- Details: First instance of a 3D-printed component (USB-C port housing) in an iPhone. Suspected reason: titanium supply from Russia is geopolitically trickier now.
- iFixit's Ongoing Research: Still digging into the precise manufacturing technique.
Repairability Score Details (44:36–46:08)
- Score Rationale: Both Pro and Air scored 7/10 due to modularity, parts availability, and official manuals. The Air gets points for dual-entrance design; the Pro for its screwed-in battery.
- What Could Be Improved: Reintroducing/keeping dual-entry designs throughout the lineup.
4. iFixit’s Hands-on: Tech Woven vs Fine Woven Cases (47:30–54:19)
Why the New Material? (47:41–49:23)
- Backstory: Fine woven launched to replace Apple’s leather cases—intended for durability, recycled content, and style—but proved disastrous in real-world testing (“could not handle greasy fingers… Basically everything would stain it…”).
- Gross Out: The team shares photos of used cases looking “gross” after real-life use.
What’s Different in Tech Woven? (49:54–50:42)
- iFixit’s Lab Findings:
- Thicker fibers in tech woven cases.
- Key improvement: a resin coating that repels liquids and stains.
- Standard stains (oil, coffee, hot sauce) now wipe off with ease.
Are There Weaknesses? (51:09–52:13)
- Edge Weakness: Under knife damage or at unsealed edges, liquids do wick into the fabric (unlike the old problem with keys, now only a knife gets through).
- Conclusion: Improvements, but still not as robust as fully sealed plastic or silicone cases.
“With fine woven, we were able to scratch it with keys, which is also frightening… This time, tech woven, we couldn’t scratch with keys, but we could scratch with a knife.”
— Liz Chamberlain [51:09]
Should You Buy Tech Woven? (52:48–54:19)
- Liz’s Advice: If you loved fine woven but hated the stains, tech woven is a clear upgrade. If you want maximum protection, traditional materials (sealed cases) are still safer.
“Those edges worry me. I wouldn’t personally buy a tech woven case at this point.”
— Liz Chamberlain [53:53]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On cookie banners:
- “I realized I get just the tiniest bit of anxiety when I see a cookie banner… I’m just going to select the thing that gets this banner away the fastest. And it’s just kind of ridiculous.”
— Emily Forlini [05:10]
- “I realized I get just the tiniest bit of anxiety when I see a cookie banner… I’m just going to select the thing that gets this banner away the fastest. And it’s just kind of ridiculous.”
- On dark UX:
- “No, I don’t want free shipping” as a decline button? Everyone wants free shipping—it’s so misleading."
— Emily Forlini [23:32]
- “No, I don’t want free shipping” as a decline button? Everyone wants free shipping—it’s so misleading."
- On repair culture:
- “As excited as we were to see the electrically debonding adhesive… It's cool, really exciting from a nerd perspective. But again… I think a screwdriver is a lot less intimidating.”
— Liz Chamberlain [36:36]
- “As excited as we were to see the electrically debonding adhesive… It's cool, really exciting from a nerd perspective. But again… I think a screwdriver is a lot less intimidating.”
- On Apple’s case evolution:
- “If you’re a big hot sauce fan, perhaps this was a little bit better for you. Unless you’re also a big utility knife fan, which it’s not so great.”
— Micah Sargent [53:28]
- “If you’re a big hot sauce fan, perhaps this was a little bit better for you. Unless you’re also a big utility knife fan, which it’s not so great.”
Where to Find Guests
- Emily Forlini: @EmilyForlini on social media, work at PCMag, and the Super Intelligent Podcast ([28:33]).
- Liz Chamberlain & iFixit: All socials as @iFixit or iFixit.com ([54:44])
Takeaways
- Cookie banners: May be a relic of the past if the EU’s new proposal moves forward.
- Amazon settlement: Landmark sum and first time individual executives are publicly named in such a dark pattern case; UI design must be cleaned up.
- iPhone 17 Pro/Air: Apple’s design continues to balance form and function, sometimes to a fault. iFixit finds both real problems (Scratchgate) and real progress (screwed-in battery, modular Air design).
- Apple Cases: Tech woven is a definite improvement over fine woven, but still not perfect; iFixit's attention to real-world durability remains unmatched.
Useful Links
- iFixit Teardowns: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown
- FTC Amazon Settlement Press Release: [FTC.gov]
- PCMag: https://www.pcmag.com/
This summary covers all major content and serves as a comprehensive guide to episode 406. The discussion is frank, entertaining, and sharply focused on user experience, corporate accountability, and consumer empowerment in tech.