Apple rolls out iPhone 5 sleep/wake button replacement program in U.S. and Canada
Apple on Friday launched a replacement program for faulty iPhone 5 sleep/wake buttons after finding a "small percentage" of units manufactured before March 2013 include parts that may stop working.
As noted by Apple, the new program covers possibly defective iPhone 5 models produced through March 2013 The dedicated website was first spotted by The Loop.
According to the program's informational webpage, Apple said it "has determined that the sleep/wake button mechanism on a small percentage of iPhone 5 models may stop working or work intermittently."
Customers with iPhones exhibiting the described behavior, and who have a qualifying serial number, can have the component replaced free of charge. Apple has also provided a quick serial number verification tool on its website to check for preliminary program eligibility.
Replacements, which take about four to six days after receipt, are conducted at an Apple Repair Center and owners can bring in their phone personally or send it through the mail. Apple notes that all units will be examined for eligibility prior to repair, including whether the handset is in working condition. Cracked screens and other damage that may impair sleep/wake button replacement will need to be fixed before installing the new part, which comes out of the customer's pocket.
While their handset is being services, eligible customers may request an iPhone 5 loaner model (16GB only) from participating Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers.
Apple faced a similar issue in 2013 when the company was taken to court over allegedly faulty wake/sleep button flex cables on the iPhone 4.
As noted by Apple, the new program covers possibly defective iPhone 5 models produced through March 2013 The dedicated website was first spotted by The Loop.
According to the program's informational webpage, Apple said it "has determined that the sleep/wake button mechanism on a small percentage of iPhone 5 models may stop working or work intermittently."
Customers with iPhones exhibiting the described behavior, and who have a qualifying serial number, can have the component replaced free of charge. Apple has also provided a quick serial number verification tool on its website to check for preliminary program eligibility.
Replacements, which take about four to six days after receipt, are conducted at an Apple Repair Center and owners can bring in their phone personally or send it through the mail. Apple notes that all units will be examined for eligibility prior to repair, including whether the handset is in working condition. Cracked screens and other damage that may impair sleep/wake button replacement will need to be fixed before installing the new part, which comes out of the customer's pocket.
While their handset is being services, eligible customers may request an iPhone 5 loaner model (16GB only) from participating Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers.
Apple faced a similar issue in 2013 when the company was taken to court over allegedly faulty wake/sleep button flex cables on the iPhone 4.
Comments
I bought my iPhone 5 in December of 2012, and I noticed the button always seemed weak. My mom now has it, so I'll have to see if she's willing to send it in for this service.
Do I have a legit complaint here? All I want is some iTunes credit. This apple memo is more or less admitting fault ifs the button which have been there for 16 months
Kudos to Apple!
Apple guy on the phone basically said I was SOL because I didn't drive over 70 miles and pay $250 , which I didn't have at the time to fix a problem that the local guys fix. All I asked for was iTunes credit. He said. 'No' what should I do now. Any reasonable person would do what I had done vs driving 70 miles and paying $250
Ask someone else! I believe Apple has sometimes in the past instituted a reimbursement for already-done repairs--as an official policy, not a special request for one person. Maybe such a policy will emerge; if not, maybe someone else can make an exception for you.
I'd have made the same choice as you: pay $65, not $250!
The problem might be if the provider you went to was not Apple-authorized. You can probably check and see if he's listed at http://locate.apple.com
I got a 5 the day it came out. A month ago I Had to have the sleep/wake button replaced. I called Apple and they said it was out of warranty and id have to pay a few hundred. I am an hour away from the closest apple store. So I went to the local phone repair guy and he did it $65
Do I have a legit complaint here? All I want is some iTunes credit. This apple memo is more or less admitting fault ifs the button which have been there for 16 months
"If you believe you have paid for a replacement due to this issue, contact Apple regarding a refund."
https://ssl.apple.com/support/iphone5-sleepwakebutton/
Also the article only mentions US and Canada but the program page has a country drop down and worked fine for me here in the UK.
Good! I was getting :mad: wondering how come it was only US and Canada customers being treated fairly.
Mine's got this issue. Glad they've acknowledged this is an inherent problem before I paid for it to be fixed myself. Downside though, guess I'm going to have to wipe out my jailbreak, thereby losing my tethering capability. Bummer.
I got my iPhone5 when it first came out. I had mine replaced October of last year for exactly that problem. I figured there was something up because the (very helpful) assistant took my phone after my pushing the button once and immediately replaced it with another one. It's almost like they knew the phones were going to start coming in with bad buttons.
Nonetheless, unlike the other players in the game... I buy Apple not only because I think they make the best-quality products, but because they also stand by their products if-and-when they don't quite live up to their expectations. That's called "service".
I had the exact same issues! Must have been a bad batch.
Brill! In UK, it's available from 2nd May. I’ll be in first thing. My phone is eligible.
Last autumn, it got worst over a few weeks, then pretty well stopped working. I can get it to work with great difficulty, but it takes an alignment of the stars. Apple replaced my faulty battery for free, but I had to wait for this fix.
For any of you with temperamental sleep buttons, your saviour lies at Settings:General:Accessibility:Accessibility Shortcut. It's the last option in Accessibility. Have it set to AssistiveTouch, then you can triple click the Home button to lock the screen. If you hold down your finger on lock, you can switch the phone off completely. Bear in mind, you may struggle to turn it on! Plugging it in will turn it back on, of course. You can also take a screenshot from the options here. The one thing I don't think you can do is a hard reset where you hold down the sleep and Home buttons together.
It's a big deal that Apple are providing this service, as when it comes to selling the phone, there will be a large difference in price between a fully functioning iPhone and one with a non-working Sleep button. Thanks, Apple.
Had you not had that repair done you would be fine. But you did so you just screwed yourself. Repairs by third party shops, even for things apple doesn't do, voids all rights to service by Apple, paid or not.
That said it is high time apple makes that button repairable, same with the volume buttons. And everything on the iPad and iPod touch
Legit repairs yes. If he had paid the $250 or whatever it was he could likely get is money back from Apple. But he violated the service terms agreed to when he bought the phone and had it serviced by a non authorized third party. So no Apple isn't going to pay him back for that repair or touch that phone again if they can track that issue (like if they got his serial)
He should inquire anyway. Apple sometimes bends the rules under exigent circumstances. In this case, the need for repair was caused by Apple's manufacturing/part defect, and it happened under warranty. Ask Apple, what's the worst that could happen?