I thought the same thing. The data *does* include both the back and the front glass, so shouldn't we actually expect a 100% rise in the number of cracked screens, making the 80% figure actually lower than expected? In any case I would agree at least anecdotally, both with the extremely "delicate" nature of the iPhone 4 as well as with poor quality overall in construction and very poor response from Apple when one does have issues.
I dropped mine from about knee height onto a sidewalk and it landed on edge, but the supposed "special alloy" of steel scarred up like it was literally made of cheese. A noticeable chunk of the steel band just fell out and I have three large scratches on the corner it fell on. The glass didn't break but mine was also one of those with the gap between the glass back plate and the chassis, as well as having a crooked phono jack that sometimes produces static. IMO Apple's quality control has pretty much gone straight down the toilet.
When I took it in to the Apple store (mere hours after I bought it), they wouldn't replace it unless I was going to take a "service model" (second hand refurbished), with only a 90 day warranty. Even though these are manufacturing flaws completely out of my control (I dropped it *after* this). While I was there though I tested the 12 or so phones on display, and two of them had the gap problem and one had a similarly angled headphone jack.
I find the iPhone 4 to be a shockinglylow quality product that breaks *very* easily and Apple's strong-arm response to blame it on the buyer just so far beyond the pale I don't have words for it.
I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe anything you say.
Very utilitarian looking in a Swiss army kind if way. Nicely done but not my style. I have the Apple bumper but for me it spoils the look and makes it harder to get in and out of pockets. I liked the 3G, liked the feel of it but the 4 is amazingly beautiful in my view. If it could loose 30% of it's thickness it would be even better. Maybe one day.
Exactly what happened to me. Mine fell from a lawn recliner barely 12-14 inches on to a concrete porch. Cracked from the home button to the antenna gap. Another $199 down the drain.
Me too. I dropped mine onto a relatively soft linoleum floor from 2 feet. Crack from home button to antena gap--it was still fully functional (I don't know about $199 down the drain) but I was dissappointed.
Took it to my Apple Store, admitted that it was my fault, and 5 minutes later I had a full replacement.
I have a case and much more care now, all is good now!
A (mostly) glass phone is more susceptible to damage? No way! Hard to believe.
Tell that to the morons in the aesthetics department at Apple. Apparently they didn't have a clue about this. Yes, put your antennae in direct contact with the hand and make sure you make the phone out of glass so that it shatters. Smart move.
I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe anything you say.
Everything I said above is pure un-exagerrated truth. I'm not that upset about the damage to my phone when I dropped it though because it was my fault I dropped it.
The thing I find shocking (and deserving of that word), is the policy of replacing a brand new phone with factory faults (however slight), with a refurbished phone and a 90 day warranty. That's just too close to out and out theft for my liking and I never would have thought they would do it until it happened to me.
Tell that to the morons in the aesthetics department at Apple. Apparently they didn't have a clue about this. Yes, put your antennae in direct contact with the hand and make sure you make the phone out of glass so that it shatters. Smart move.
They will never sell any of those doomed phones...
Everything I said above is pure un-exagerrated truth. I'm not that upset about the damage to my phone when I dropped it though because it was my fault I dropped it.
The thing I find shocking (and deserving of that word), is the policy of replacing a brand new phone with factory faults (however slight), with a refurbished phone and a 90 day warranty. That's just too close to out and out theft for my liking and I never would have thought they would do it until it happened to me.
Also, the sun will rise tomorrow morning.
too bad apple doesn't do 'completecare' like dell did.
I thought the same thing. The data *does* include both the back and the front glass, so shouldn't we actually expect a 100% rise in the number of cracked screens, making the 80% figure actually lower than expected?
As a counterpoint, it doesn't really matter how much glass, or what proportion of the device is clothed in it. The proportion of phones affected is higher. You could say that it is lower than expected, I suppose, but it's not particularly meaningful in context.
Quote:
When I took it in to the Apple store (mere hours after I bought it), they wouldn't replace it unless I was going to take a "service model" (second hand refurbished), with only a 90 day warranty. Even though these are manufacturing flaws completely out of my control (I dropped it *after* this). While I was there though I tested the 12 or so phones on display, and two of them had the gap problem and one had a similarly angled headphone jack.
Don't consumer laws protect against this kind of behaviour? It would (or should) be patently illegal to sell a broken device and replace it with a substitute with less warranty.
.. Don't consumer laws protect against this kind of behaviour? It would (or should) be patently illegal to sell a broken device and replace it with a substitute with less warranty.
That's what I thought. It seems almost criminal, but apparently this is their official policy. I've been arguing with various customer service reps for about a month at least and they all so far say the same thing.
the phone cost 800 bucks or so and they want me to take a second hand replacement (currently worth about two hundred dollars), and lose all but 90 days of the one year warranty.
From a design perspective I've noticed subtle issues with the 4. Worst one is the screen is too close to the edge and it's now hard to hold and type with one hand as your palm touches and creates mis-reads.
From all comments about the sides past the display being too large when the iPhone has always tried to minimize that it does crack me up a bit to here someone say that it?s too thin. It did seem a little more awkward to type on without a case.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Underhill
Not sure but Apple told me if it had been the front panel it would have been an entirely different story, costwise.
The display and touch-panel are glued to it, as well as it having some cutouts in the glass and requiring the entire phone to be taken apart, not just 2 screws, so it absolutely would be more expensive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_CA
You're not dropping it right.
I dropped mine twice last week in the same spot in an asphalt parking lot. Both times I was fumbling with my new headphones when it slipped and I was desperately trying to catch it about 4 feet up in the air. I can see it all in slow motion, but luckily nothing was damaged.
I did drop my MBP today and bend the aluminium of the display. It?s only a few months old so this really sucks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by doctorwho
Upon release of the iPhone 4 there was NOT A SINGLE protective case available for that handset. Upon release of the iPhone 3GS there were hundreds, if not thousands.
Weren?t the Bumpers out with the iPhone, though in very short supply? Overall, your point is very valid and I wonder how many users were using a protective case when the display broke. I?d also like to know what percentage of front glass panels were broken between these models.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody
I find the iPhone 4 to be a shockinglylow quality product that breaks *very* easily and Apple's strong-arm response to blame it on the buyer just so far beyond the pale I don't have words for it.
This is the highest quality phone and iPhone I?ve ever had the pleasure to use and i can?t imagine how you can make the statements you?ve made when there are clearly people with good experiences and easy replacements If you are stating it as anecdotal, it sure doesn?t read that way to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Yeah, too bad Apple's not following in Dell's footsteps. A tragedy.
... This is the highest quality phone and iPhone I?ve ever had the pleasure to use and i can?t imagine how you can make the statements you?ve made when there are clearly people with good experiences and easy replacements If you are stating it as anecdotal, it sure doesn?t read that way to me. ...
Your comments make no sense.
Everything I said, was from my personal experience with the iPhone and my generalised experience with "Apple products lately." Primarily I was talking about my personal experience with the current iPHone 4 and everything I said was just a factual rendition of what happened to me.
I don't understand why you say "How can you say (what I said)"? I can say what I said because that's what happened. I am telling anyone that cares to listen that Apple's policy is to replace a brand new phone with a second hand replacement phone, because this is Apple's stated policy to me in a variety of emails and phone calls I've had over the issue of my defective iPhone 4. These are simply facts. I was told specifically in person at the Apple store by two different representatives that "almost no one" gets a brand new phone as a replacement for the broken one they bring in. In most cases it's a contract phone, the warranty isn't at issue, and the person only paid the two hundred bucks for it anyway.
People are primarily being given "service models" that are assembled from returned iPhones and that contain some new and some refurbished parts. This is what I was told (multiple times), and this is what I was offered.
I don't *know* that iPhone 4's are overall having quality issues because I don't have hundreds of stories available to me to tell that for a fact. I did however do what I said I did and test the 12 phones available to me in the Apple store when I visited to get mine fixed, and the results were exactly as I said. I do also have lots of anecdotal evidence that comes to me in my work and from reading the same forums that you do.
In terms of the general lower quality of Apple's offerings lately I am basing that on being a technician at a large University that sees large number of Apple products on a daily basis and has to fix them for others. I also personally buy almost every Apple product that comes out, as do many members of my extended family and friends who also approach me for service and fixing things when they go wrong.
What I have seen is a distinct *drop* in the overall quality of the offerings. Especially with iPhones, and especially with iPods. This is not surprising, nor is it any kind of mystery. Apple has expanded it's operations probably a hundred fold in the time in question and is making many many more devices than it ever has before. Any time a company expands that rapidly and expands it's sales and product offerings that rapidly, it's almost a given that quality would drop so it's not like I'm advancing some weird theory here.
I can see how people might be upset about some of what I'm saying and perhaps I'm being overly adamant in my remarks, but it's just the facts and I'm adamant about it because I'm mad about being offered this shoddy deal from a company that I otherwise think is pretty hot stuff.
Comments
My father's not in a case either.
Ever seen a working iPhone 4 that is not in a case?
Yes, mine. Every day.
I thought the same thing. The data *does* include both the back and the front glass, so shouldn't we actually expect a 100% rise in the number of cracked screens, making the 80% figure actually lower than expected? In any case I would agree at least anecdotally, both with the extremely "delicate" nature of the iPhone 4 as well as with poor quality overall in construction and very poor response from Apple when one does have issues.
I dropped mine from about knee height onto a sidewalk and it landed on edge, but the supposed "special alloy" of steel scarred up like it was literally made of cheese. A noticeable chunk of the steel band just fell out and I have three large scratches on the corner it fell on. The glass didn't break but mine was also one of those with the gap between the glass back plate and the chassis, as well as having a crooked phono jack that sometimes produces static. IMO Apple's quality control has pretty much gone straight down the toilet.
When I took it in to the Apple store (mere hours after I bought it), they wouldn't replace it unless I was going to take a "service model" (second hand refurbished), with only a 90 day warranty. Even though these are manufacturing flaws completely out of my control (I dropped it *after* this). While I was there though I tested the 12 or so phones on display, and two of them had the gap problem and one had a similarly angled headphone jack.
I find the iPhone 4 to be a shockingly low quality product that breaks *very* easily and Apple's strong-arm response to blame it on the buyer just so far beyond the pale I don't have words for it.
I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe anything you say.
Have you seen this case?
http://www.elementcase.com/iphone4.html
Very utilitarian looking in a Swiss army kind if way. Nicely done but not my style. I have the Apple bumper but for me it spoils the look and makes it harder to get in and out of pockets. I liked the 3G, liked the feel of it but the 4 is amazingly beautiful in my view. If it could loose 30% of it's thickness it would be even better. Maybe one day.
Exactly what happened to me. Mine fell from a lawn recliner barely 12-14 inches on to a concrete porch. Cracked from the home button to the antenna gap. Another $199 down the drain.
Me too. I dropped mine onto a relatively soft linoleum floor from 2 feet. Crack from home button to antena gap--it was still fully functional (I don't know about $199 down the drain) but I was dissappointed.
Took it to my Apple Store, admitted that it was my fault, and 5 minutes later I had a full replacement.
I have a case and much more care now, all is good now!
A (mostly) glass phone is more susceptible to damage? No way! Hard to believe.
Tell that to the morons in the aesthetics department at Apple. Apparently they didn't have a clue about this. Yes, put your antennae in direct contact with the hand and make sure you make the phone out of glass so that it shatters. Smart move.
I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe anything you say.
Everything I said above is pure un-exagerrated truth. I'm not that upset about the damage to my phone when I dropped it though because it was my fault I dropped it.
The thing I find shocking (and deserving of that word), is the policy of replacing a brand new phone with factory faults (however slight), with a refurbished phone and a 90 day warranty. That's just too close to out and out theft for my liking and I never would have thought they would do it until it happened to me.
Also, the sun will rise tomorrow morning.
Tell that to the morons in the aesthetics department at Apple. Apparently they didn't have a clue about this. Yes, put your antennae in direct contact with the hand and make sure you make the phone out of glass so that it shatters. Smart move.
They will never sell any of those doomed phones...
They will never sell any of those doomed phones...
People buy expensive and fragile crap all the time.
Everything I said above is pure un-exagerrated truth. I'm not that upset about the damage to my phone when I dropped it though because it was my fault I dropped it.
The thing I find shocking (and deserving of that word), is the policy of replacing a brand new phone with factory faults (however slight), with a refurbished phone and a 90 day warranty. That's just too close to out and out theft for my liking and I never would have thought they would do it until it happened to me.
Also, the sun will rise tomorrow morning.
too bad apple doesn't do 'completecare' like dell did.
Have you seen this case?
http://www.elementcase.com/iphone4.html
Thanks for sharing. Nice find.
I thought the same thing. The data *does* include both the back and the front glass, so shouldn't we actually expect a 100% rise in the number of cracked screens, making the 80% figure actually lower than expected?
As a counterpoint, it doesn't really matter how much glass, or what proportion of the device is clothed in it. The proportion of phones affected is higher. You could say that it is lower than expected, I suppose, but it's not particularly meaningful in context.
When I took it in to the Apple store (mere hours after I bought it), they wouldn't replace it unless I was going to take a "service model" (second hand refurbished), with only a 90 day warranty. Even though these are manufacturing flaws completely out of my control (I dropped it *after* this). While I was there though I tested the 12 or so phones on display, and two of them had the gap problem and one had a similarly angled headphone jack.
Don't consumer laws protect against this kind of behaviour? It would (or should) be patently illegal to sell a broken device and replace it with a substitute with less warranty.
.. Don't consumer laws protect against this kind of behaviour? It would (or should) be patently illegal to sell a broken device and replace it with a substitute with less warranty.
That's what I thought. It seems almost criminal, but apparently this is their official policy. I've been arguing with various customer service reps for about a month at least and they all so far say the same thing.
the phone cost 800 bucks or so and they want me to take a second hand replacement (currently worth about two hundred dollars), and lose all but 90 days of the one year warranty.
Go Apple?
One thing I think we all can be confident about is that IPHONE5 will be more durable.
too bad apple doesn't do 'completecare' like dell did.
Yeah, too bad Apple's not following in Dell's footsteps. A tragedy.
How's Dell doing, btw?
It's unfortunate that such a great phone is more likely to get damaged.
One thing I think we all can be confident about is that IPHONE5 will be more durable.
Or less. But does it really matter?
Ever seen a working iPhone 4 that is not in a case?
And a significant number of my associates. Yeah. Sorry. I hate it when a perfectly good snark gets slammed like that.
From a design perspective I've noticed subtle issues with the 4. Worst one is the screen is too close to the edge and it's now hard to hold and type with one hand as your palm touches and creates mis-reads.
From all comments about the sides past the display being too large when the iPhone has always tried to minimize that it does crack me up a bit to here someone say that it?s too thin. It did seem a little more awkward to type on without a case.
Not sure but Apple told me if it had been the front panel it would have been an entirely different story, costwise.
The display and touch-panel are glued to it, as well as it having some cutouts in the glass and requiring the entire phone to be taken apart, not just 2 screws, so it absolutely would be more expensive.
You're not dropping it right.
I dropped mine twice last week in the same spot in an asphalt parking lot. Both times I was fumbling with my new headphones when it slipped and I was desperately trying to catch it about 4 feet up in the air. I can see it all in slow motion, but luckily nothing was damaged.
I did drop my MBP today and bend the aluminium of the display. It?s only a few months old so this really sucks.
Upon release of the iPhone 4 there was NOT A SINGLE protective case available for that handset. Upon release of the iPhone 3GS there were hundreds, if not thousands.
Weren?t the Bumpers out with the iPhone, though in very short supply? Overall, your point is very valid and I wonder how many users were using a protective case when the display broke. I?d also like to know what percentage of front glass panels were broken between these models.
I find the iPhone 4 to be a shockingly low quality product that breaks *very* easily and Apple's strong-arm response to blame it on the buyer just so far beyond the pale I don't have words for it.
This is the highest quality phone and iPhone I?ve ever had the pleasure to use and i can?t imagine how you can make the statements you?ve made when there are clearly people with good experiences and easy replacements If you are stating it as anecdotal, it sure doesn?t read that way to me.
Yeah, too bad Apple's not following in Dell's footsteps. A tragedy.
How's Dell doing, btw?
... This is the highest quality phone and iPhone I?ve ever had the pleasure to use and i can?t imagine how you can make the statements you?ve made when there are clearly people with good experiences and easy replacements If you are stating it as anecdotal, it sure doesn?t read that way to me. ...
Your comments make no sense.
Everything I said, was from my personal experience with the iPhone and my generalised experience with "Apple products lately." Primarily I was talking about my personal experience with the current iPHone 4 and everything I said was just a factual rendition of what happened to me.
I don't understand why you say "How can you say (what I said)"? I can say what I said because that's what happened. I am telling anyone that cares to listen that Apple's policy is to replace a brand new phone with a second hand replacement phone, because this is Apple's stated policy to me in a variety of emails and phone calls I've had over the issue of my defective iPhone 4. These are simply facts. I was told specifically in person at the Apple store by two different representatives that "almost no one" gets a brand new phone as a replacement for the broken one they bring in. In most cases it's a contract phone, the warranty isn't at issue, and the person only paid the two hundred bucks for it anyway.
People are primarily being given "service models" that are assembled from returned iPhones and that contain some new and some refurbished parts. This is what I was told (multiple times), and this is what I was offered.
I don't *know* that iPhone 4's are overall having quality issues because I don't have hundreds of stories available to me to tell that for a fact. I did however do what I said I did and test the 12 phones available to me in the Apple store when I visited to get mine fixed, and the results were exactly as I said. I do also have lots of anecdotal evidence that comes to me in my work and from reading the same forums that you do.
In terms of the general lower quality of Apple's offerings lately I am basing that on being a technician at a large University that sees large number of Apple products on a daily basis and has to fix them for others. I also personally buy almost every Apple product that comes out, as do many members of my extended family and friends who also approach me for service and fixing things when they go wrong.
What I have seen is a distinct *drop* in the overall quality of the offerings. Especially with iPhones, and especially with iPods. This is not surprising, nor is it any kind of mystery. Apple has expanded it's operations probably a hundred fold in the time in question and is making many many more devices than it ever has before. Any time a company expands that rapidly and expands it's sales and product offerings that rapidly, it's almost a given that quality would drop so it's not like I'm advancing some weird theory here.
I can see how people might be upset about some of what I'm saying and perhaps I'm being overly adamant in my remarks, but it's just the facts and I'm adamant about it because I'm mad about being offered this shoddy deal from a company that I otherwise think is pretty hot stuff.