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speekez

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2003
350
2
Hi All

I bought 2 iphone 5s this past weekend as eligible upgrades to our 2 iphone4s. Both have issues with screen interlacing (giving you the impression you can see pixels). Rather than playing the phone lotto right now, I should be able to return these for a complete refun and reactivate our Iphone4s correct? I think I'd rather wait until after the holidays to try again. If I reactivate our iphone 4s I don't have to wait another 2 years to upgrade correct?

Lastly, do I have to make an appointment to do an exchange or return? Am I allowed to just show up at the store and if they have time they can help me?

thanks!
 

Zman5225

macrumors 6502a
May 15, 2005
596
10
Tacoma WA
I did this exact same thing.you can just show up and get a refund. You'll need to go to an AT&T store to get your old phones back online because they will need to add the imei back to your acct but it doesn't take long at all. Make sure you get your activation fees refunded by calling in and politely asking.
 

miragebg

macrumors 6502a
Mar 23, 2009
644
79
This was my nightmare since iP4 with screen interlacing and I am so happy I have perfectly stable image on my 4S now. Another reason to stay on it for another year and I am glad I bought AppleCare two days ago..
 

speekez

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2003
350
2
I did this exact same thing.you can just show up and get a refund. You'll need to go to an AT&T store to get your old phones back online because they will need to add the imei back to your acct but it doesn't take long at all. Make sure you get your activation fees refunded by calling in and politely asking.

Thanks. I know I was charged an activation fee on the new phones. My plan was to make sure the phones worked and then contact ATT as you described and get fees refunded. If I return iphone5 to go back to 4, will the $36 activation be refunded and then charged the $36 again to reactivate the 4?

With folks that have exchanged their phone 3 -4 times, are they charged an activation fee each time or is that different because it is an exchange?

thanks
 

Jordan921

macrumors 603
Jul 7, 2010
5,069
2,171
Bay Area
Thanks. I know I was charged an activation fee on the new phones. My plan was to make sure the phones worked and then contact ATT as you described and get fees refunded. If I return iphone5 to go back to 4, will the $36 activation be refunded and then charged the $36 again to reactivate the 4?

With folks that have exchanged their phone 3 -4 times, are they charged an activation fee each time or is that different because it is an exchange?

thanks

You won't get charged to activate your 4 back on the account. Just need to ask them for a micro sim and you can use the phone again on your account.

You only get charged the fee once when you upgrade or activate a new phone.
 

Zman5225

macrumors 6502a
May 15, 2005
596
10
Tacoma WA
You won't get charged to activate your 4 back on the account. Just need to ask them for a micro sim and you can use the phone again on your account.

You only get charged the fee once when you upgrade or activate a new phone.

Sorry, I should have specified that, I was referring to the new iphone 5 activation, not the reactivation of his old phone.
 

speekez

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2003
350
2
Thanks. I'm going to visit another local store to check out their display units. If I can find a floor sample that doesn't exhibit the problem, I can show a genius for comparison. Interlacing is a faint but present effect and I hear some Geniuses don't see it (or are told to ignore it).

Then again we are going to New Hampshire for Christmas. No tax there and could save $100 on both phones combined since tax is charged on full price of phone. Maybe by then, more of the units with Sharp manufactured displays will be available. I heard interlacing isn't a problem with them
 

F123D

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2008
3,776
16
Del Mar, CA
I did this exact same thing.you can just show up and get a refund. You'll need to go to an AT&T store to get your old phones back online because they will need to add the imei back to your acct but it doesn't take long at all. Make sure you get your activation fees refunded by calling in and politely asking.

I did the exact same thing. Each store took 5 minutes. In and out, no questions asked.
 

speekez

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2003
350
2
Went to a different Apple store tonight. Located a display model that did not have the problem of interlacing our phones did. Store employee could see the problem. Both new phones no longer have the interlacing. New phones have a different serial prefix than the one that had issue. Problem solved.
 

alphaod

macrumors Core
Feb 9, 2008
22,183
1,245
NYC
That screen issue sounds like the thing they fixed with the release of iOS 6.0.1; I had that issue and it was fixed with an update.
 

speekez

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2003
350
2
That screen issue sounds like the thing they fixed with the release of iOS 6.0.1; I had that issue and it was fixed with an update.

Actually, I had 6.0.1 on both phones and the issue was there. It's actually a known hardware issue on certain brands of display Apple uses in the Iphone5.

More can be read here

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1471037/

It's a subtle, but noticeable effect if your eye is keen to that sort of stuff.

New phones are great, no problem
 
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