Apple cops to iPhone 8 production oops, offers to fix borked phones Apple has 'fessed up to a production issue that affects iPhone 8s – but not those sold in Europe. It said that a "very small percentage" of the devices "contain logic boards with a manufacturing defect". "Affected devices may experience unexpected restarts, a frozen screen, or won't turn on. Apple will repair eligible devices …
I sometimes wonder if Apple deliberately build in faults (hardware or software) so that they can offer a repair but only once any other issues have been fixed at the customer expense, especially since the make it so hard for 3rd party repairs to be done.
It's as if they treat it as an additional revenue stream. I wonder how much they make on the additional repairs compared with how much these recalls cost.
Surely a company that makes as much as they do wouldn't think of doing such a thing though.....
When they're already charging something like 4 or 5 times the production cost for the phone, they can damn well afford to give out some free replacements to fix their own mistakes.
The question is: Why would you want to buy a device from a company that makes such mistakes, uses your money to fix them, and then still charges over-the-odds for the device, AppleCare, etc. and STILL makes the largest profit of just about any business in the world?
Everyone has to make a profit. Sure. But Apple literally make disgusting amounts of money from their customers, whom they could have twice as many of if they charged a sensible price.
I am one of those who pay the idiot tax (begrudgingly) and who puts up with less than the best hardware, though tbh I am not sure I see the maximum benefits of any of it anyway. The overwhelming reason I do pay the idiot tax, is Googles less than stellar privacy policy and their demands to know all there is to know about you. That plus, all my apps are on here and I cannot be bothered to re purchase them for Android and to a very much smaller extent, I am used to iOS and don't really like the Android way.
I massively resent the idiot tax but thats why I pay it.
You seem to think there are companies that build phones that are sometimes faulty, and companies that build phones without any faults. That's not the case.
You have companies that sometimes build faulty phones, offer to fix them, and the register reports. You have companies doing the same, and the register doesn't report. And the same with phones with faults that don't get fixed.
For Samsung phones, you only hear about it if they explode. For Huawei phones, for example, you just don't hear about it.
For Huawei phones, for example, you just don't hear about it.
Let me tell you all about them. Huawei you say? The reviews keep praising the high-end line, but the lower-end series like the Y5 and the likes ... it's a totally different story. Fat black bqzels around the screen like a Chinese no-name clone, that awful gold color, pale LCD where every color is washed the hell out, and that totally-not-iPhone UI (especially Settings) ...
You've missed the point. It's not that their phones are low-end ... it's that they've taken low-end to a whole new level. "Gutter-end" doesn't even come close.
My first touchscreen smartphone (that was actually mine) is a Galaxy Star. Compare it to the Huawei Y5 ... They're eons apart in build quality.
How do you prove the fault was present at purchase if Apple don't offer a product recall based on how the product's failing a year or two later?
Certainly in the UK (six year guarantee), if you appear five years after purchase with this problem and a cracked screen, they'll say "it's doing that because you dropped it so hard the screen cracked" not "yes, it's a recognised problem, we'll fix it for free".
How do you prove the fault was present at purchase if Apple don't offer a product recall based on how the product's failing a year or two later?
If it is the logic board then it's a slam dunk, other than that first six months the defect can be assumed, after that the customer haa the burden of proof. Biggest problem in Europe is the lack of class action approach (without the stupid compensation claims) to enforce recalls. Germany is due to get one this year, or probably just after VW's liability lapses, where a single test case should suffice for a group of customers. I think other countries are mulling similar approaches.
Here's hoping that I don't have to pay for the repair to my MacBook Pro because Apple put the ports in stupid places.
One: No "six year guarantee" in the UK. Six years is when any obligations run out. If your phone breaks after one year 364 days you have lots of time to complain (six years). If your phone breaks after two years and a day, out of luck.
Two: The device should have worked for a reasonable amount of time. If it doesn't, and there is no sign of damage, then it is a production problem. There's your proof.
"... only if the defect was present from purchase ... and Apple have clearly said that this isn't the case :-)"
Manufacturing defects are by definition present at the time of purchase. The failure mode may not have manifested itself until a later date (no clue if that's relevant to EU law or not).
Curious as to how far Apple will push the "damage which impedes the ability to complete the repair" clause. If the screen is cracked but still functional, does that qualify?
Apple are so nice to their customers by offering this free repair - because they want their customers to stay loyal and ensure they cough up another grand when they release their next iPhone. Customer loyalty (or in Apple speak 'blind lemming syndrome') is very important to Apple, but their customers money is even more important. They'll do whatever it takes.
Well they're all under warranty currently, since its a one year warranty here in the US and I guess longer in other places that mandate it.
However, in a couple weeks the first ones will be older than a year, so they needed to let people know in case they have this type of failure that it can still be fixed for free even though the warranty period will have expired.
I bought my iphone 7 secondhand for $400 ( about 250 pounds) with AppleCare but I can sell it for that much now, one year later. That’s why some Mercs/BMWs/Audi’s are a cheaper lease than other cars that cost half as much - they depreciate. Even on a brand new phone you lose less than any other similarly priced droid. I sold a 5 year old iPad for £150 on eBay - my droid tab from the same year that cost a little less new sold for £20. I went snorkeling with my iPhone it in Thailand - The underwater photography is great by the way. I got a free same day apple care replacement 2 months ago as speakerphone Mic was not working.
Cracked my screen today and again same day free replacement today - if it was a UK phone I would have to pay £ 25 excess but as it’s foreign it’s free. The specs are lower but actually look at side-by-side comparisons and benchmarks of usage, The iPhone comes out better than higher Specced droids. Faster smoother etc. i’ve been coding for 25 years and thought I knew computers. 8 years ago Had an HTC desire that was specced better than an iPhone that cost 3 times as much butwas shocked when I saw someone use an iPhone - it was twice as fast though the specs were lower. Android has caught up and the latest Samsung / pixel flagship cameras are better - but the iPhone still smoother less crashes. And with AppleCare the screens and damage are basically free And you get an international same day replacement warranty
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