In countries where Apple products such as the iPhone cannot be legally sold, unofficial technical communities undertake repairs etc.
Apple products, including the iPhone, are sold all over the world, but the sale of Apple products is prohibited in some countries, such as Cuba and Iran. In these countries, there are no Apple retail stores, so local technical communities are responsible for repairing and supporting Apple products.
Cuba's underground Apple technicians are thriving - Rest of World
Since the 1960s,
Measures for some products were eased in 2015 (PDF file) , but at the time of writing, it still remains difficult to obtain and repair Apple products. Additionally, the App Store has blocked IP addresses from Cuba, making it impossible to update apps or software. Therefore, to use Apple ID two-factor authentication in Cuba, you will need a phone number outside Cuba.
Not only is there no Apple retail store in Cuba, but there are also no resellers of Apple products, which has led to informal suppliers and individuals who can travel abroad to purchase replacement parts needed to repair hardware. Community is fostered. Mr. Garcia Padron is one of them, and he undertakes repairs of Apple products in defiance of the Cuban government's restrictions to ``create a profitable repair business.''
According to the overseas media Rest of World, there are no official government statistics regarding the technical community in Cuba, and it is difficult to determine the exact number. In addition, there are only a few stores in Cuba that can repair Apple products, and most of them are said to be in the capital, Havana.
According to Gutierrez, the problem of not being able to use the iPhone in Cuba can be addressed by installing
Additionally, some users bring their MacBooks to the tech community and ask them to install Windows. According to Rest of World, the MacBook is a symbol of status at Havana's universities and in Cuba's creative industry. On the other hand, in Cuba, the prevalence of Windows is higher than macOS, so it seems that people will be asked to switch from macOS to Windows. In addition, there are many cases where iPhones purchased from American mobile carriers are asked to have their SIM unlocked in order to be used in Cuba.
In 2011, the Cuban government relaxed regulations for citizens to set up small and medium-sized businesses. As a result, the number of repair shops specializing in Apple products has increased, but there are still strict restrictions on importing electronic equipment and replacement parts from outside Cuba.
Pupo Hondal, who runs a repair business in Havana, said, ``The Apple products we successfully repaired were originally supposed to be disposed of as waste in Cuba, where Apple products are not sold. 'We do magical work in Cuba, repairing Apple products that others might have disposed of.'
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