iPhone 5 - got a dud?

rutledjw · Dec 28, 2012, 01:13 PM

I purchased an iPhone ~3 months ago (right when they came out) and I'm having some intermittent, odd errors. I'm on AT&T and live in the Denver area (in case it matters).

When on the highway, the iPhone has a very hard time keeping a network connection. The only reason I care is I use Siri to call folks & that kind of thing - no, I'm not one of those texting road-hazards. Also, the wireless sync is CERTAINLY a moving target. It will start, but sometimes fail, and then cannot see my MBP until I reboot both the phone & recycle the wireless on the MBP (which is a brand-spanking new bada$$ machine, let me tell you).

NONE of this is consistent. Overall, I'm very happy with the phone, but stuff like this gives me pause just because it smells a bit like a latent issue that could portend an early device death. What do the fine folks here think?

Leonard1818 · Dec 28, 2012, 01:21 PM

Take it to apple or call them and explain what's happening. They'll probably give you a new phone

ECUpirate44 · Dec 28, 2012, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonard1818

Take it to apple or call them and explain what's happening. They'll probably give you a new phone

Refurb*

MassTownie · Dec 31, 2012, 10:40 PM

Rather have a working refurb...than a non-working out of the box...

Chris092881 · Dec 31, 2012, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MassTownie

Rather have a working refurb...than a non-working out of the box...

I'd rather have a new one out of the box that works. How's that?

MassTownie · Jan 1, 2013, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris092881

I'd rather have a new one out of the box that works. How's that?

Would rather never have to worry about it...

Chris092881 · Jan 1, 2013, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MassTownie

Would rather never have to worry about it...

Even better!

Ke1ington · Jan 1, 2013, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MassTownie

Rather have a working refurb...than a non-working out of the box...

This exactly. I've never understood why so many people take issue with receiving a phone that has been verified as having no defects over something out of a shiny new box that has potential for having hardware defects.

Chris092881 · Jan 1, 2013, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ke1ington

This exactly. I've never understood why so many people take issue with receiving a phone that has been verified as having no defects over something out of a shiny new box that has potential for having hardware defects.

I don't disagree with the basic premise of that argument, of course. But what I do disagree with is if I wanted a refurbished phone I could have jumped ship from Verizon to AT&T and got a refurbished iPhone 5 for $99 with a new contract. I wouldn't have had to pay $199 for a new device, which I had all of 33 days, before being given a refurbished replacement anyways. See where I'm coming from? A hundred bucks is a hundred bucks. Better in my pocket than Apple or Verizon's.

QuarterSwede · Jan 1, 2013, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ke1ington

This exactly. I've never understood why so many people take issue with receiving a phone that has been verified as having no defects over something out of a shiny new box that has potential for having hardware defects.

In my experience Apple's refurb phones are less likely to have issues and they look brand new so I don't see the problem either. I've had to replace every one but my original and 4 and the refurbs worked perfectly the entire time I had them.

To the OP, are you on LTE yet? I'm still on 4G in Colorado Springs and don't have issues while driving.

John T · Jan 1, 2013, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuarterSwede

In my experience Apple's refurb phones are less likely to have issues and they look brand new so I don't see the problem either.

Agreed! My daughter bought a referb iPhone 4 and it works perfectly and is, to all extents, identical and indistinguishable from a brand new one.

Chris092881 · Jan 1, 2013, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John T

Agreed! My daughter bought a referb iPhone 4 and it works perfectly and is, to all extents, identical and indistinguishable from a brand new one.

Maybe on the 4 or 4S they're less distinguishable, but the 5 is an entirely different monster due to building materials. Glass can chip, shatter, or crack. While aluminum scratches extremely easily. And most of the time a lot of this scratching is happening at the factory before the phone ever reaches it's owner.

MassTownie · Jan 1, 2013, 07:34 PM

My kids have refurbished phones, able to upgrade to 32Gb at the same price for the 8gb when the IPhone4 first came out. Have been great phones.

This being said...I would be a bit concerned if I bought a brand new one and was handed a refurbed one after it broke...I get it.

Chris092881 · Jan 1, 2013, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MassTownie

This being said...I would be a bit concerned if I bought a brand new one and was handed a refurbed one after it broke...I get it.

My point exactly.

John T · Jan 2, 2013, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris092881

Maybe on the 4 or 4S they're less distinguishable, but the 5 is an entirely different monster due to building materials. Glass can chip, shatter, or crack. While aluminum scratches extremely easily. And most of the time a lot of this scratching is happening at the factory before the phone ever reaches it's owner.

Pardon?

From what you say, I assume you have personal experience of Apple's refurbished iPhone 5? Do you really think Apple would supply a refurbished phone with a cracked screen?!

You refer to "most of the time a lot of this scratching is happening at the factory before the phone ever reaches it's owner". Methinks you are taking reports on such issues reported in Macrumors et al a little too literally. As a proportion of the total sale of iPhones, these "complaints" represent a minute minority.

nancyfromafrica · Jan 2, 2013, 06:41 AM

these days they create phones with thousands of functionalities and forget to keep the most important function of all that it to connect to a network. Cameras, games, music, where is the phone in all this an iphone 6 should be one which can connect to the farthest network, it should be able to connect to a network in Korea while you are sitting in Africa.

Chris092881 · Jan 2, 2013, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John T

Pardon?

From what you say, I assume you have personal experience of Apple's refurbished iPhone 5? Do you really think Apple would supply a refurbished phone with a cracked screen?!

You refer to "most of the time a lot of this scratching is happening at the factory before the phone ever reaches it's owner". Methinks you are taking reports on such issues reported in Macrumors et al a little too literally. As a proportion of the total sale of iPhones, these "complaints" represent a minute minority.

I disagree. And I never said anything about a refurb having a cracked screen.

rutledjw · Jan 2, 2013, 05:27 PM

Hey, thanks for the responses, folks! I'm going to get a genius appointment and see what they think. I just don't want to end up with an ENTIRELY dead phone in precisely 13 months! (i.e. post warranty).

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuarterSwede

To the OP, are you on LTE yet? I'm still on 4G in Colorado Springs and don't have issues while driving.

Sometimes - I spend a lot of time on 4G (which is still a big improvement over 3G), but LTE coverage is still sporadic...

Dec 28, 2012, 01:13 PM	#1
rutledjw macrumors member Join Date: Aug 2011	iPhone 5 - got a dud? I purchased an iPhone ~3 months ago (right when they came out) and I'm having some intermittent, odd errors. I'm on AT&T and live in the Denver area (in case it matters). When on the highway, the iPhone has a very hard time keeping a network connection. The only reason I care is I use Siri to call folks & that kind of thing - no, I'm not one of those texting road-hazards. Also, the wireless sync is CERTAINLY a moving target. It will start, but sometimes fail, and then cannot see my MBP until I reboot both the phone & recycle the wireless on the MBP (which is a brand-spanking new bada$$ machine, let me tell you). NONE of this is consistent. Overall, I'm very happy with the phone, but stuff like this gives me pause just because it smells a bit like a latent issue that could portend an early device death. What do the fine folks here think?
	0

Dec 31, 2012, 10:40 PM	#4
MassTownie macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: StL	Rather have a working refurb...than a non-working out of the box... __________________ o~'o OIF VET iPod/iPhone/iPad/MBP
	1

Jan 1, 2013, 07:34 PM	#13
MassTownie macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: StL	My kids have refurbished phones, able to upgrade to 32Gb at the same price for the 8gb when the IPhone4 first came out. Have been great phones. This being said...I would be a bit concerned if I bought a brand new one and was handed a refurbed one after it broke...I get it. __________________ o~'o OIF VET iPod/iPhone/iPad/MBP
	0

Jan 2, 2013, 06:41 AM	#16
nancyfromafrica macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Johannesburg	these days they create phones with thousands of functionalities and forget to keep the most important function of all that it to connect to a network. Cameras, games, music, where is the phone in all this an iphone 6 should be one which can connect to the farthest network, it should be able to connect to a network in Korea while you are sitting in Africa. __________________ still waiting to buy an iPhone 5
	0

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Dec 28, 2012, 01:21 PM	#2
Leonard1818 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Nov 2011	Take it to apple or call them and explain what's happening. They'll probably give you a new phone
	0