Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 5 Buyer's Experience: Bought 3, Kept 0

0

0087215

Cancelled
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
495
36
Update:

Today, I have received my fourth iPhone 5 and guess what... there is again dust under the camera lens: these two specks of dust are quite hard to capture with a camera, but I could see them immediately with a naked eye. Terrible quality control! The Apple customer service was again outstanding: a very nice lady on the phone was very helpful and nice. This iPhone 5, however, is going back to Apple and I am going for a refund this time.

Pictures of the fourth iPhone 5:

2iaphl5.jpg

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2e3ygyg.jpg


Full size:
http://i48.tinypic.com/1zoi9ef.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/2z5keu1.jpg

I am going to wait until next year and buy an "iPhone 5S" (or whatever it will be called). Apple need to sort out this quality issues first. The camera, which is so highly praised by Apple, contains dust and it might affect the pictures I would take with it. It is also possible that more dust will get inside the camera element. Too bad. Maybe I will have more luck next year! Have a nice day, everyone!
 
Last edited:
T

Tallguy93

macrumors member
Dec 14, 2012
48
0
I really dont mean this in a rude way or anything.....but how the hell did you manage to see that lol?
 
0

0087215

Cancelled
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
495
36
shehrammajid said:
I really dont mean this in a rude way or anything.....but how the hell did you manage to see that lol?
Click to expand...

:eek: That's what I am asking myself as well.

You know what: all four iPhone's I got (including the first one I bought as a present for my brother) had dust / smudges under the camera lens. When this fifth iPhone arrived (if you count the first one I bought for my brother as well), I didn't even boot it up but went straight away and checked the camera lens and there it was. My brother, however, can live with one tiny speck of dust under the camera lens because he doesn't that that much pictures, but I do love photography and when you have such a great camera in your phone as the one the iPhone 5 has, you must use it!

I don't know what it is: maybe I am just so unlucky in finding a "perfect iPhone 5". I know it is impossible to find a perfect device, so the standard I had set for myself was a phone without these nasty scratches, dust, smudges on the camera lens (which were not present on my old iPhone 3GS or other phones I had used). I could live with tiny scratches on the iPhone itself.

These big specks of dust, however, will most probably affect the picture quality and if the dust can easily get inside you will have a sandbox in your phone after a while. That's not exactly what I am looking for when I pay more than $1100 for a new device. :)
 
Last edited:
T

Tallguy93

macrumors member
Dec 14, 2012
48
0
0087215 said:
:eek: That's what I am asking myself as well.

You know what: all four iPhone's I got (including the first one I bought as a present for my brother) had dust / smudges under the camera lens. When this fifth iPhone arrived (if you count the first one I bought for my brother as well), I didn't even boot it up but went straight away and checked the camera lens and there is was. My brother, however, can live with one tiny speck of dust under the camera lens because he doesn't that that much pictures, but I do love photography and when you have such a great camera in your phone as the one the iPhone 5 has, you must use it!

I don't know what it is: maybe I am just so unlucky in finding a "perfect iPhone 5". I know it is impossible, so the standard I had set for myself was a phone without these nasty scratches, dust, smudges on the camera lens (which were not present on my old iPhone 3GS or other phones I had used). These big specks of dust will most probably affect the picture quality and if the dust can easily get inside you will have a sandbox in your phone after a while. That's not exactly what I am looking for when I pay more than $1100 for a new device. :)
Click to expand...

hmm fair enough. Hope you have better luck with the 5S
 
M

Megalobyte

macrumors 6502a
Dec 30, 2007
690
119
Florida
As someone who can be pretty anal as well, I just want to point out that it's extremely common for high end watches, in the $10,000-$100,000 range to arrive new with a tiny dust speck or 2 under the crystal. And these are some very fine, mostly hand made/assembled items. Most wouldn't notice them, but some people look for them, and generally if you search for imperfection, you cannot help but find it.

Finding a speck of dust inside a supposedly sealed area of a product is very, VERY common. Perhaps it's not realistic to expect a pretty much disposable, mass produced (in china) $1000 item to stand up to such extreme scrutiny and expectations. If you can be honest with yourself, I suggest taking a few photos and seeing if you can actually see any effects from these "big" specks I frankly cannot see in your hi-res pics on my IP5 zoomed in all the way.

OCD, the silent killer (of happiness) :)

I joke because I know all too well how it is, I've been working on it, and as I get older I learn to 1) Put things in better perspective. 2) Realize nothing is perfect no matter how much you pay, and 3) It's ok. :)
 
Last edited:
tymaster50

tymaster50

Suspended
Oct 3, 2012
2,833
58
Oregon
my mom got a perfect black iPhone from AT&T in the mall recently. I had 2 perfect white iPhones (replaced one). It's not that bad.

----------
Megalobyte said:
As someone who can be pretty anal as well, I just want to point out that it's extremely common for high end watches, in the $10,000-$100,000 range to arrive new with a tiny dust speck or 2 under the crystal. And these are some very fine, mostly hand made/assembled items.

Finding a speck of dust inside a supposedly sealed area of a product is very, VERY common. Perhaps it's not realistic to expect a pretty much disposable, mass produced (in china) $1000 item to stand up to such extreme scrutiny and expectations. If you can be honest with yourself, I suggest taking a few photos and seeing if you can actually see any effects from these "big" specks I frankly cannot see in your hi-res pics on my IP5 zoomed in all the way.

OCD, the silent killer (of happiness) :)

I joke because I know all too well how it is, I've been working on it, and as I get older I learn to 1) Put things in better perspective. 2) Realize nothing is perfect no matter how much you pay, and 3) It's ok. :)
Click to expand...

a 100,000 dollar watch? Damn. I would like to see the suckers who paid for it
 
M

Megalobyte

macrumors 6502a
Dec 30, 2007
690
119
Florida
tymaster50 said:
a 100,000 dollar watch? Damn. I would like to see the suckers who paid for it
Click to expand...

Not really, a good brand high end watch holds its value very well.

At the lower end, take a plain Jane Rolex Submariner. It'll set you back 8k plus tax. But, buy it, wear it 5-7 years, if you decide to sell you'll very likely get all your money back, if its in very good condition, you might even get more.

There are some "high end" watches that do lose quite a bit of their value, but the really good ones, like Rolex at the low end, and Patek Phillipe and A. Lange and Sohne at the top, are not something you're likely to lose any real money owning.

In real terms, it's probably more expensive to buy a new iPhone and commit to another data plan each year or 2 than own a nice watch.
 
Pez555

Pez555

macrumors 68020
Apr 18, 2010
2,285
775
zhenya said:
On the other hand, you are effectively looking at the phone with a magnifying glass. How many other products you purchase do you look at this closely? I am skeptical that a device from any other manufacturer will look any better when examined this closely. Even the marks on the lense, I am not sure that they will have any visible effect in practice.

This is a device that will go in and out of your pocket thousands of times over its life. Is it really worth combing it with a magnifying glass before accepting it is good enough?
Click to expand...

im pretty OCD, and have meticulously looked over both my iPad and Macbook Air - neither are showing any issues like we have all been seeing with the iPhone 5, both are immaculate.

There is a problem with the iPhone 5 for those of us who like to keep our stuff in pristine condition (also helps resale value too btw).
 
tymaster50

tymaster50

Suspended
Oct 3, 2012
2,833
58
Oregon
Megalobyte said:
Not really, a good brand high end watch holds its value very well.

At the lower end, take a plain Jane Rolex Submariner. It'll set you back 8k plus tax. But, buy it, wear it 5-7 years, if you decide to sell you'll very likely get all your money back, if its in very good condition, you might even get more.

There are some "high end" watches that do lose quite a bit of their value, but the really good ones, like Rolex at the low end, and Patek Phillipe and A. Lange and Sohne at the top, are not something you're likely to lose any real money owning.

In real terms, it's probably more expensive to buy a new iPhone and commit to another data plan each year or 2 than own a nice watch.
Click to expand...

For most people, they aren't paying more than $170 a month. That equates to around $4000 for 2 years if you ARE paying $170 in which you are probably sharing the bill with someone else. A watch only tells the time, $8000 to tell the time is a bit absurd don't you think? I have a perfectly good iPhone/iPad/Laptop/PS3 that will tell the time for me.
 
M

Megalobyte

macrumors 6502a
Dec 30, 2007
690
119
Florida
tymaster50 said:
For most people, they aren't paying more than $170 a month. That equates to around $4000 for 2 years if you ARE paying $170 in which you are probably sharing the bill with someone else. A watch only tells the time, $8000 to tell the time is a bit absurd don't you think? I have a perfectly good iPhone/iPad/Laptop/PS3 that will tell the time for me.
Click to expand...


It's absurd if you don't appreciate the marvels and craftsmanship involved in a high end mechanical watch, just like a very high end car still only gets you from A to B, some are willing to pay for the difference between getting from A to B in a Porsche rather than a Kia.

And again, unlike with cars, you really are only converting the $ into an asset you wear on your wrist, so all you're really "out" is putting the money out initially. You get to essentially wear it for free if you buy it right, and sell it in 5-10 years. Wearing a Rolex for 5-10 years for free doesn't seem all that foolish to me. :)

To each their own.
 
B

bmt134

macrumors 6502
Dec 6, 2012
378
4
Megalobyte said:
I just want to point out that it's extremely common for high end watches, in the $10,000-$100,000 range to arrive new with a tiny dust speck or 2 under the crystal. And these are some very fine, mostly hand made/assembled items. Most wouldn't notice them, but some people look for them, and generally if you search for imperfection, you cannot help but find it.
Click to expand...
Wrong. Stop talking out of your ***.
 
M

Megalobyte

macrumors 6502a
Dec 30, 2007
690
119
Florida
bmt134 said:
Wrong. Stop talking out of your ***.
Click to expand...

Really, I'm speaking from experience, as a watch enthusiast for 20 years, where exactly are you speaking from, wait, let me guess.

Are the odds an expensive watch will have a dust speck or 2 very high? No, but way more common than most would think given the prices. Not that long ago I saw a brand new solid gold Blancpain 50 Fathoms at a very high-end store, a $30,000 watch, still wrapped in plastic from the factory, with 2 clearly visible dust specks on the dial. And that's just a recent example.

It happens, even on very pricey watches, if you don't think so, you're the one speaking from your, um, inexperience. I've seen probably 30-40 nice watches, Rolexes being among the cheapest, with flaws inside the crystal. Sure you can get it fixed under warranty, and yes, it shouldn't happen, but it can, and does happen with more frequency than most would think.

I agree once you get into the super high-end, like Patek, Lange, AP, VC, FP. Journe, etc. it's far less likely, but I can't even recall all the Rolexes I've seen with a speck under the crystal, or a dial flaw. If you think it's super rare, you aren't really into watches. Go to a watch forum and see all the guys that pick apart their new watch, with all sorts of flaws, it's the same exact thing you see here, some saying it's rare, others saying it's far too common, some say stop being so anal and live with a little imperfection, some say send it in it's unacceptable, etc. the difference being, they're not talking about $600-900 phones. :) But it's the same exact drama, just a different, much pricier product.

The point being, if you see it on a $30,000 watch, it can certainly happen on an $800 cell phone.
 
Last edited:
tymaster50

tymaster50

Suspended
Oct 3, 2012
2,833
58
Oregon
Megalobyte said:
It's absurd if you don't appreciate the marvels and craftsmanship involved in a high end mechanical watch, just like a very high end car still only gets you from A to B, some are willing to pay for the difference between getting from A to B in a Porsche rather than a Kia.

And again, unlike with cars, you really are only converting the $ into an asset you wear on your wrist, so all you're really "out" is putting the money out initially. You get to essentially wear it for free if you buy it right, and sell it in 5-10 years. Wearing a Rolex for 5-10 years for free doesn't seem all that foolish to me. :)

To each their own.
Click to expand...
I can barely keep up with bracelets, theres a reason only old wealthy men are seen with these watches lol they don't get any practical real world use
 
B

bmt134

macrumors 6502
Dec 6, 2012
378
4
Megalobyte said:
Really, I'm speaking from experience, as a watch enthusiast for 20 years, where exactly are you speaking from, wait, let me guess.

Are the odds an expensive watch will have a dust speck or 2 very high? No, but way more common than most would think given the prices. Not that long ago I saw a brand new solid gold Blancpain 50 Fathoms at a very high-end store, a $30,000 watch, still wrapped in plastic from the factory, with 2 clearly visible dust specks on the dial. And that's just a recent example.

It happens, even on very pricey watches, if you don't think so, you're the one speaking from your, um, inexperience. I've seen probably 30-40 nice watches, Rolexes being among the cheapest, with flaws inside the crystal. Sure you can get it fixed under warranty, and yes, it shouldn't happen, but it can, and does happen with more frequency than most would think.

I agree once you get into the super high-end, like Patek, Lange, AP, VC, FP. Journe, etc. it's far less likely, but I can't even recall all the Rolexes I've seen with a speck under the crystal, or a dial flaw. If you think it's super rare, you aren't really into watches. Go to a watch forum and see all the guys that pick apart their new watch, with all sorts of flaws, it's the same exact thing you see here, some saying it's rare, others saying it's far too common, some say stop being so anal and live with a little imperfection, some say send it in it's unacceptable, etc. the difference being, they're not talking about $600-900 phones. :) But it's the same exact drama, just a different, much pricier product.

The point being, if you see it on a $30,000 watch, it can certainly happen on an $800 cell phone.
Click to expand...

So explain to me how you deduce the dust is on the dial of the watch when it as you say it was completely wrapped in plastic? You are absolutely sure that it there was no dust between the plastic and crystal while you looked throw the AD's window? :rolleyes: Yeah, talking out of the *** again. :rolleyes: You are comparing a Swiss hand-crafted timepiece to mechanically mass-produced Chinese product. I have bought and sold more timepieces than you most likely have ever seen and each one is evaluated closely under my loupe. I am long time member of WUS, TZ, and TRF and have never seen 1/10th the abundance of QC issues as the iPhone 5 (excluding Invicta watches).
 
chakraj

chakraj

macrumors 65816
Feb 6, 2008
1,285
10
So Cal
Great job OP, dont give good money for bad merch. Thats the only way apple will learn, if they get hit in the wallet watch how they improve the quality quickly.
 
G

gara56

macrumors newbie
Jan 16, 2008
10
0
Texas
If Apple is going to charge a premium and tell everyone how great (and high quality) their products are--then they should be willing to back up that claim. It's no different than buying a car, TV, computer, etc. Most customers expect perfection and if companies can't handle--well-then they shouldn't be in the business of selling products.

My iphone 4 (ios 5.1.1) is still doing the job. Not interested in dealing with the Iphone 5/IOS 6 pain.
 
JS82712

JS82712

macrumors 6502a
Jul 1, 2009
799
0
You shouldn't have to deal with this crap
I've replaced over 12 iPhone 5 all due to button issues, it came to a point where I was speaking to an apple corporate advisor. She was apologizing the whole time and offered me a refund (it was 3 months into my original purchase)
 
ugcop

ugcop

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2012
599
103
Traveling @ Warp Speed ...... USA
All of this over a $200 phone? Some of you guys would have heart failure with the blemishes on a new BMW, Porsche or Vette. Nothing comes out of a factory "perfect". If you look long enough you are going to find flaws. If you want a jeweler to do QC for Apple just be prepared to watch the price go up drastically. Hello....It's a phone.
 
S

Smartass

macrumors 65816
Dec 18, 2012
1,450
1,701
Small White Car said:
If the lens defects cause problems with the photos, then those are legitimate problems.

But every single other thing in here? I'm sorry, but that's the kind of stuff that will show up in less than a month on any product no matter if you use a case or not.
Click to expand...
Really?? So let's say you're buying a Mercedes S-class since Mercedes is a "premium brand", just like apple is. You pay 120.000€ for a brand new car and when you walk to it you see that it already has a bump on one side, the front light is cracked and there are couple of scratches around the car.
You see all this and tell it to the guy who just sold you a brand new mercedes and his response would be:
"I'm sorry, but that's the kind of stuff that will show up in less than a month on any car"

now, do you see how stupid your argument is?
 
J

jon3543

macrumors 6502a
Sep 13, 2010
609
266
JS82712 said:
You shouldn't have to deal with this crap
I've replaced over 12 iPhone 5 all due to button issues, it came to a point where I was speaking to an apple corporate advisor. She was apologizing the whole time and offered me a refund (it was 3 months into my original purchase)
Click to expand...

Your iPhone is bent a full 90 degrees on the Apple Crank-O-Meter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom