Investigation into Apple's 'planned obsolescence'

The Paris Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into Apple's alleged efforts to render its old iPhones unrepairable. The complaint was filed by an activist group called 'Halte a L'Obsolescence Programmee' (HOP). The complaint centers around the practice of'serialization', where spare parts are matched with serial numbers to a specific generation of iPhone. Apple can detect when a phone has been repaired with unauthorized parts and remotely "degrade" its performance.