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This is why I always go with Apple. I've always just walked in, yeeted my phone at them and gotten a new one. I've had four warranty issues since my original 3G

This is why I always go with Apple. I've always just walked in, yeeted my phone at them and gotten a new one. I've had four warranty issues since my original 3GS and every time the experience has been pleasant. I've also had an AirPod replaced when it no longer kept charge and was within the warranty period. The same has also applied to other family members who have had failing devices and Apple always replaces them instantly. I recommend Apple phones to everyone in my family for the specific reason that if you have a broken Apple device, you can walk into an Apple store and get it fixed.

dhosek 5y ago
I remember when I had my first-generation iPhone and it started to feel kind of hot during usage. I took it in to the Apple Store and the genius was a bit wobbly about it and he asked another genius and he said, "just replace it" and that was it.
silisili 5y ago
Counterpoint, maybe. My mom is starting some kind of personal vendetta because her 13 month Ipad just stopped functioning. The Apple store told her it's 'fried' and she needs to just buy a new one.
- klodolph 5y ago
  Sounds like it's out of the one-year warranty period. I think warranty periods for electronics should be longer, but I would also not expect replacement or repair for out of warranty devices, unless defective.
  - silisili 5y ago
    Yeah, that's how the conversation goes. 'It only has a one year warranty, but I feel like it shouldn't just die after that.'
  - throwawaylinux 5y ago
    > I would also not expect replacement or repair for out of warranty devices, unless defective. It sounds like it is defective.
  - aaaaaaaaata 5y ago
    13 months on a $300-$1300 device is defective, lol, what world is this?
    - klodolph 5y ago
      I think it should be longer, too. But you are given the option to purchase a 3 year warranty instead of a 1 year. There's also plenty of ways to damage a device. You could plug it into a damaged, cheap USB charger.
      - aaaaaaaaata 5y ago
        I just don't buy overpriced, overpowered brand new shit. Can't be an alpha or beta tester for a multibillion dollar corp if you're the second owner, and already have heard any and all gripes about a model.
        klodolph 5y ago
        Buying an iPad hardly makes you a beta tester for brand new shit. They've been around for a while.
        aaaaaaaaata 5y ago
        Not when you buy the latest model without doing comparisons of complaints with the last three models. Funny how nobody has time for that, but plenty of time to 1) be without a device 2) complain etc
        danuker 5y ago
        Agree. Plus you don't sponsor the throwaway culture.
      - silisili 5y ago
        I don't understand why you'd charge extra money for a 1k device to last 3 years. That should be table stakes! Also, a bad USB charger should not kill a device.
- dhosek 5y ago
  It might be worth trying a different Apple store or employee, but if it's out of warranty, it's a bit much to hope for.
teh_infallible 5y ago
But make sure you have your 2fa backup codes! I replaced two phones in a short period of time, and overlooked the 2fa backups the second time. It’s easy to do if you’re not expecting a replacement.
- anonymousiam 5y ago
  That's why I've copied all of the 2FA codes from my phone to my iPad. You REALLY need some sort of redundancy to avoid a single-point-failure catastrophe.
- supernova87a 5y ago
  Not sure if others noticed this, but Google Authenticator now offers a bulk export of all the codes in your app, so that you can clone them in a single step on another device. This is welcome for me at least because I was saving backup copies of the original 2FA QR codes separately, and each time a new device I would have to scan them all in one by one.
fomine3 5y ago
Walk into an Apple Store for just repairing is a privilege. Though it's great that it's available for many people compared to other brands.
achow 5y ago
Who remembers Macbook's 'Staingate'[1]. I had that and was refused service multiple times. I managed to get it repaired only after it became a big issue - there were many (thousands or more) affected customers who started making noise online - then Apple grudgingly announced free repairs of the screen. I was living with damaged screen for many months. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9223197 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9223197 The top comment in above is "Apple customer service is hell" :-)
- gjsman-1000 5y ago
  I remember it - but Apple did, thankfully, turn around and say it was an issue, and refunded anyone who paid for repairs before the announcement. My Samsung Galaxy Note9 literally had a firmware update go out that, looking on Samsung's forums, caused calls to drop like flies completely at random. Once you updated to that firmware, there's no going back and no hardware replacement will fix the issue. There is absolutely no fix months later, no acknowledgement there is an issue, and no fix of any kind. We had to get an iPhone because you can't run a business when you are apologizing over email daily for a missed call. Not saying Apple is great - but Samsung has objectively worse problems. Edit: And it's not just their phones. My experience with their appliances is unbelievably cursed. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30424010 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30424010
jthrowsitaway 5y ago
Had a 12.5 month old iPhone 12 mini die recently and used Apple's mail in repair service ($400.) Getting technician's notes out of them (needed for a credit card extended warranty claim) has been nigh impossible after spending hours trying to get that artifact. About 2 months in at this point and they've sent plenty of stuff; none of what I've asked for. It's equivalent to dealing with the USPS on a lost package claim.
josephcsible 5y ago
Doesn't Apple pull the exact same scam, except that instead of scratches and paint chips, they say "water damage" is why they're denying your warranty claim?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
SECProto 5y ago
Counterpoint: I've spent less on my 4 phones over the last ten years than a single new iPhone would cost today, including replacing a couple screens and batteries myself. I'm coming up on time for a new phone, but the iPhone prices have been keeping pace with my cumulative device total price so far. Multiple hours' drive to the nearest apple store, so they offer no timeline advantage for me
- rusticpenn 5y ago
  Depends on the iphone model. I have an Iphone SE 2 which cost me 400 €.
  - SECProto 5y ago
    Didn't know about that model - wasn't on the telecom websites, but it is apparently available in Canada for $576, which is much better (only the price of my last ~2 phones). The cheapest phone I saw and compared with above was an iPhone 13 mini, at $976.
viraptor 5y ago
Here's something I noticed: the fans of Apple hardware know they can do this, because they... have to do this. I've had 9 or so different laptops in my life over the last 2 decades, from bargain bin models to latest high-spec Lenovo. The only times I've had to fix a laptop was twice in the last 3 years on work-assigned MBP (once the motherboard failed, another time the keyboard fell apart), then had to replace a failing HDMI adapter, then the charger for it. Maybe I'm lucky and have a terribly weird experience with hardware. But every person I personally know who uses Apple hardware has been to their store to fix/replace it at some point. Apple is definitely doing a good job with servicing, because those people are also happy this is a possibility, but... having to do it at all feels weird to me. (anecdata of course)
- chj 5y ago
  My MBPs usually have battery issues after 3 years of use, by then well beyond warranty period. They always charge for insane amount of money for replacing a battery, when I always turn to a third party repair shop for about 10% of the amount given by Apple geniuses.
  - jamiewildehk 5y ago
    If you have the butterfly keyboard MBP, complain about the keyboard being broken, and you may well get it replaced under the "extended repair programme" - since the battery is glued to the topcase you also get a new battery.
  - jdlshore 5y ago
    Sorry, that doesn’t pass the sniff test. I recently replaced the battery on my 2015 MBP. The local shop quoted around $250; Apple, $180 IIRC. It was a full top-case replacement due to Apple’s poor battery design, heavily discounted because it was a battery replacement. The local shop couldn’t compete with the discount.
    - chj 5y ago
      Your local shop would be out of business here. The insane amount Apple asked for, ~$500, is indeed for a full top-case replacement, and they didn't mention any discount to me.
asdff 5y ago
Do they even do anything in store anymore? When I bring it in they usually scratch their head, wipe the device, and try and charge me $450 to have the laptop mailed to a facility where it will have its logic board swapped out.
- pph 5y ago
  Just $450? Pfft. 10 years back I had an issue with an overheating MacBook Pro (within warranty) and because they couldn't reproduce it with their tests they offered a replacement board for about 850€ (parts only). Turns out changing the thermal paste (by myself) solved the issue completely.
matsemann 5y ago
Apple was for a long time known here in Norway to refuse to follow the consumer protection laws, so they were the worst of the bunch. So bad that lots of big retailers stopped selling Apple products for years, because the retailers had to take the costs when Apple refused. It's better now, but not better than others or even worth mentioning. If anything, I feel people now are familiar with Apples help because their stuff keep breaking. Like the prev gen MBP I had was a mess, only computer I've ever had to repair. And even multiple times. In Norway (and most of EU I guess?) there's laws that goes beyond warranty. So for the first half year, they really have to prove you did something out of the ordinary to break your product. Apple is notorious for saying some sensor is triggered and therefore you misused the phone. But those sensors can triggered from using the phone in normal winter conditions.. (And then for the next 4.5 years the burden of proof isn't that strong, but they still have to fix or replace broken devices, not however long a producer's warranty claims)

dhosek 5y ago

I remember when I had my first-generation iPhone and it started to feel kind of hot during usage. I took it in to the Apple Store and the genius was a bit wobbly about it and he asked another genius and he said, "just replace it" and that was it.

silisili 5y ago

Counterpoint, maybe. My mom is starting some kind of personal vendetta because her 13 month Ipad just stopped functioning. The Apple store told her it's 'fried' and she needs to just buy a new one.

klodolph 5y ago
Sounds like it's out of the one-year warranty period. I think warranty periods for electronics should be longer, but I would also not expect replacement or repair for out of warranty devices, unless defective.
- silisili 5y ago
  Yeah, that's how the conversation goes. 'It only has a one year warranty, but I feel like it shouldn't just die after that.'
- throwawaylinux 5y ago
  > I would also not expect replacement or repair for out of warranty devices, unless defective. It sounds like it is defective.
- aaaaaaaaata 5y ago
  13 months on a $300-$1300 device is defective, lol, what world is this?
  - klodolph 5y ago
    I think it should be longer, too. But you are given the option to purchase a 3 year warranty instead of a 1 year. There's also plenty of ways to damage a device. You could plug it into a damaged, cheap USB charger.
    - aaaaaaaaata 5y ago
      I just don't buy overpriced, overpowered brand new shit. Can't be an alpha or beta tester for a multibillion dollar corp if you're the second owner, and already have heard any and all gripes about a model.
      - klodolph 5y ago
        Buying an iPad hardly makes you a beta tester for brand new shit. They've been around for a while.
        aaaaaaaaata 5y ago
        Not when you buy the latest model without doing comparisons of complaints with the last three models. Funny how nobody has time for that, but plenty of time to 1) be without a device 2) complain etc
      - danuker 5y ago
        Agree. Plus you don't sponsor the throwaway culture.
    - silisili 5y ago
      I don't understand why you'd charge extra money for a 1k device to last 3 years. That should be table stakes! Also, a bad USB charger should not kill a device.
dhosek 5y ago
It might be worth trying a different Apple store or employee, but if it's out of warranty, it's a bit much to hope for.

teh_infallible 5y ago

But make sure you have your 2fa backup codes! I replaced two phones in a short period of time, and overlooked the 2fa backups the second time. It’s easy to do if you’re not expecting a replacement.

anonymousiam 5y ago
That's why I've copied all of the 2FA codes from my phone to my iPad. You REALLY need some sort of redundancy to avoid a single-point-failure catastrophe.
supernova87a 5y ago
Not sure if others noticed this, but Google Authenticator now offers a bulk export of all the codes in your app, so that you can clone them in a single step on another device. This is welcome for me at least because I was saving backup copies of the original 2FA QR codes separately, and each time a new device I would have to scan them all in one by one.

fomine3 5y ago

Walk into an Apple Store for just repairing is a privilege. Though it's great that it's available for many people compared to other brands.

achow 5y ago

Who remembers Macbook's 'Staingate'[1]. I had that and was refused service multiple times. I managed to get it repaired only after it became a big issue - there were many (thousands or more) affected customers who started making noise online - then Apple grudgingly announced free repairs of the screen. I was living with damaged screen for many months. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9223197 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9223197 The top comment in above is "Apple customer service is hell" :-)

gjsman-1000 5y ago
I remember it - but Apple did, thankfully, turn around and say it was an issue, and refunded anyone who paid for repairs before the announcement. My Samsung Galaxy Note9 literally had a firmware update go out that, looking on Samsung's forums, caused calls to drop like flies completely at random. Once you updated to that firmware, there's no going back and no hardware replacement will fix the issue. There is absolutely no fix months later, no acknowledgement there is an issue, and no fix of any kind. We had to get an iPhone because you can't run a business when you are apologizing over email daily for a missed call. Not saying Apple is great - but Samsung has objectively worse problems. Edit: And it's not just their phones. My experience with their appliances is unbelievably cursed. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30424010 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30424010

jthrowsitaway 5y ago

Had a 12.5 month old iPhone 12 mini die recently and used Apple's mail in repair service ($400.) Getting technician's notes out of them (needed for a credit card extended warranty claim) has been nigh impossible after spending hours trying to get that artifact. About 2 months in at this point and they've sent plenty of stuff; none of what I've asked for. It's equivalent to dealing with the USPS on a lost package claim.

josephcsible 5y ago

Doesn't Apple pull the exact same scam, except that instead of scratches and paint chips, they say "water damage" is why they're denying your warranty claim?

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

SECProto 5y ago

Counterpoint: I've spent less on my 4 phones over the last ten years than a single new iPhone would cost today, including replacing a couple screens and batteries myself. I'm coming up on time for a new phone, but the iPhone prices have been keeping pace with my cumulative device total price so far. Multiple hours' drive to the nearest apple store, so they offer no timeline advantage for me

rusticpenn 5y ago
Depends on the iphone model. I have an Iphone SE 2 which cost me 400 €.
- SECProto 5y ago
  Didn't know about that model - wasn't on the telecom websites, but it is apparently available in Canada for $576, which is much better (only the price of my last ~2 phones). The cheapest phone I saw and compared with above was an iPhone 13 mini, at $976.

viraptor 5y ago

Here's something I noticed: the fans of Apple hardware know they can do this, because they... have to do this. I've had 9 or so different laptops in my life over the last 2 decades, from bargain bin models to latest high-spec Lenovo. The only times I've had to fix a laptop was twice in the last 3 years on work-assigned MBP (once the motherboard failed, another time the keyboard fell apart), then had to replace a failing HDMI adapter, then the charger for it. Maybe I'm lucky and have a terribly weird experience with hardware. But every person I personally know who uses Apple hardware has been to their store to fix/replace it at some point. Apple is definitely doing a good job with servicing, because those people are also happy this is a possibility, but... having to do it at all feels weird to me. (anecdata of course)

chj 5y ago
My MBPs usually have battery issues after 3 years of use, by then well beyond warranty period. They always charge for insane amount of money for replacing a battery, when I always turn to a third party repair shop for about 10% of the amount given by Apple geniuses.
- jamiewildehk 5y ago
  If you have the butterfly keyboard MBP, complain about the keyboard being broken, and you may well get it replaced under the "extended repair programme" - since the battery is glued to the topcase you also get a new battery.
- jdlshore 5y ago
  Sorry, that doesn’t pass the sniff test. I recently replaced the battery on my 2015 MBP. The local shop quoted around $250; Apple, $180 IIRC. It was a full top-case replacement due to Apple’s poor battery design, heavily discounted because it was a battery replacement. The local shop couldn’t compete with the discount.
  - chj 5y ago
    Your local shop would be out of business here. The insane amount Apple asked for, ~$500, is indeed for a full top-case replacement, and they didn't mention any discount to me.

asdff 5y ago

Do they even do anything in store anymore? When I bring it in they usually scratch their head, wipe the device, and try and charge me $450 to have the laptop mailed to a facility where it will have its logic board swapped out.

pph 5y ago
Just $450? Pfft. 10 years back I had an issue with an overheating MacBook Pro (within warranty) and because they couldn't reproduce it with their tests they offered a replacement board for about 850€ (parts only). Turns out changing the thermal paste (by myself) solved the issue completely.

matsemann 5y ago

Apple was for a long time known here in Norway to refuse to follow the consumer protection laws, so they were the worst of the bunch. So bad that lots of big retailers stopped selling Apple products for years, because the retailers had to take the costs when Apple refused. It's better now, but not better than others or even worth mentioning. If anything, I feel people now are familiar with Apples help because their stuff keep breaking. Like the prev gen MBP I had was a mess, only computer I've ever had to repair. And even multiple times. In Norway (and most of EU I guess?) there's laws that goes beyond warranty. So for the first half year, they really have to prove you did something out of the ordinary to break your product. Apple is notorious for saying some sensor is triggered and therefore you misused the phone. But those sensors can triggered from using the phone in normal winter conditions.. (And then for the next 4.5 years the burden of proof isn't that strong, but they still have to fix or replace broken devices, not however long a producer's warranty claims)