Will Apple give me a white iPhone 5?

[FooArk]

I have a black one now and the power button is kinda acting sluggish. Assuming Apple offers a replacement, can I get a white one instead?

[celo48]

Probably not...

[Dave.UK]

No. Because you have a black phone and not a white one.

[Luis2004]

My wife's friend exchanged her cracked screen i5 at the apple store and asked nicely and they gave her a white one even though hers had been black.

Might be best not to be so dogmatic.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Luis2004

My wife's friend exchanged her cracked screen i5 at the apple store and asked nicely and they gave her a white one even though hers had been black.

Might be best not to be so dogmatic.

Exceptions can be made, but almost always they exchange for the exact same model you have.

[Brian Y]

<deleted - I give up on this place>

[pnoyblazed]

Originally Posted by Dave.UK

No. Because you have a black phone and not a white one.

/thread

[Luis2004]

Originally Posted by Brian Y

Erm... that's impossible.

Changing colour is only possible as an extreme exception if the new phone is ordered as a new boxed unit. This is only offered for multiple repeat repairs at the bar, and never for accidental damage (it's impossible to pay for such a replacement).

It's *physically* impossible to change the colour during a genius bar swap. The system will not allow them to add a phone of a different colour to the repair.

Well then a miracle must have happened, because she was able to swap it out for a different color.

And it's not *physically* impossible unless the store rep has no arms and no legs and is without any coworkers who can get the phone for him.

[Brian Y]

<deleted - I give up on this place>

[tonyy]

Originally Posted by Luis2004

My wife's friend exchanged her cracked screen i5 at the apple store and asked nicely and they gave her a white one even though hers had been black.

Might be best not to be so dogmatic.

She must be super hot then if they let her swap colors.

[Luis2004]

Originally Posted by Brian Y

They cannot just give out a phone without doing paperwork, and you cannot physically input the details of a white phone into the repair of a black phone. According to the system they use the two phones are two completely separate parts.

Well to be honest, Brian, I wasn't there. All I know is that one day she had a black iPhone, and the next day she had a white one. She told us that she had cracked the screen by stepping on it in a heeled shoe, had taken it to the store, had asked "nicely" to have a white one back, and that's what happened. Seeing as how she had a white one before my very eyes, I believed her.

Now, did she do a whole mess of paperwork before hand? I don't know. Was it more than once that she had taken it in for repairs and they finally gave her a new boxed unit? Again, I don't know. Could she have gone out and bought a $650 white phone because she was so sick of her black one and then lied to us about it? Again, Brian, I couldn't tell you, although it doesn't seem plausible to me.

But please, for the love of all that is good, do not use the phrase "physically impossible" when referring to actual PHYSICAL acts. Can it be technically improbable? Sure. Ethically unlikely? Perhaps. And while many things are PHYSICALLY impossible, typing keys into a computer or handing over a box with a phone in it is NOT one of them.

[Brian Y]

<deleted - I give up on this place>

[jrswizzle]

Originally Posted by Luis2004

Well to be honest, Brian, I wasn't there. All I know is that one day she had a black iPhone, and the next day she had a white one. She told us that she had cracked the screen by stepping on it in a heeled shoe, had taken it to the store, had asked "nicely" to have a white one back, and that's what happened. Seeing as how she had a white one before my very eyes, I believed her.

Now, did she do a whole mess of paperwork before hand? I don't know. Was it more than once that she had taken it in for repairs and they finally gave her a new boxed unit? Again, I don't know. Could she have gone out and bought a $650 white phone because she was so sick of her black one and then lied to us about it? Again, Brian, I couldn't tell you, although it doesn't seem plausible to me.

But please, for the love of all that is good, do not use the phrase "physically impossible" when referring to actual PHYSICAL acts. Can it be technically improbable? Sure. Ethically unlikely? Perhaps. And while many things are PHYSICALLY impossible, typing keys into a computer or handing over a box with a phone in it is NOT one of them.

Lol - awesome response....don't know why - but I felt the need to tell you this

[Luis2004]

Originally Posted by Brian Y

Erm, it *is* physically impossible. If you cannot do something, it's impossible. You cannot add a white part to a black phone's repair. It IS physically impossible to produce a genius bar work authorisation for a black phone containing a white part. And I'll use whatever phrasing I like, thanks.

That's all right. We'll just agree to disagree. Seeing as how you weren't there and don't know the history or paperwork or really, for that matter, anything at all about it, it seems nonsensical to me to continue this discussion with you.

[Mojo1]

In my 58 years I've been amazed at how often people have done their best to respond positively to a reasonable request when it is done in a polite and respectful manner. As I reckon it, it has worked out for me much more than 50% of the time and sometimes it required someone to go out of their way to make it happen.

The most amazing example was when I became involved in a trademark dispute with a very well known financial advice company. Resolving the issue would have cost $100,000 or more and there was no guarantee that I would prevail in court. So I did something that most lawyers would never advise doing: I tracked-down the company's corporate counsel and explained the situation to her.

I asked her if there was some way that we could resolve the situation so that their interests were protected and I could get what I wanted. She told me that she couldn't think of a way to accomplish it. So I thanked her for her time and asked her to get in touch with me if something changed.

I figured that was the end of it; I couldn't risk the considerable expense to pursue the case. And I didn't expect to ever hear from her again.

Imagine my surprise when about a week later I get a telephone call from the corporate counsel. She had been thinking about it and after discussing it with her boss she had a proposal that would give me 90%+ of what I wanted while protecting their interests.

At that point we agreed that it would be better for her to work with my attorney since I wasn't qualified to deal with the arcane legal complexities of such an agreement. Fortunately for me, I had an excellent female attorney who valued negotiation and compromise when standing one's ground would only result in a protracted, expensive and probably fruitless legal battle.

It only took a few hours to hammer-out the details and the deal was done. We had to give up one or two things to satisfy the other attorney's superior but it wasn't anything that we couldn't live with. I got what I wanted without giving up anything substantial. The other company was satisfied that their intellectual property was protected. The total cost to me: $2000. (Keep in mind that my attorney cost $300/hour...)

After the deal was completed my attorney informed me that the other lawyer had told her that my initial telephone call was the key factor in her deciding to try and find a solution. She said that I had convinced her that I wasn't trying to take advantage of them and that I was sincere in my belief that we could both get what we wanted without the time and expense of a trial. The other attorney was under no obligation to help me and in fact she had to persuade her boss to allow her to take the time to pursue the issue. My attorney told me that in all of her years of practicing law she had never seen anything like it...

So I say Go For It. Your request is not unreasonable to me. There may or may not be an Apple corporate policy regarding this situation but it is possible that Apple employees have some leeway to disregard such a policy if indeed it exists.

If it doesn't work out, then all you have lost is a little time. Be sure to thank the person you are dealing with and let them know that you appreciate their efforts on your behalf. And don't let it discourage you from asking for what you want in future situations. Which brings to mind another aphorism: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Good luck!

[canucksfan88]

Originally Posted by Brian Y

Erm, it *is* physically impossible. If you cannot do something, it's impossible. You cannot add a white part to a black phone's repair. It IS physically impossible to produce a genius bar work authorisation for a black phone containing a white part. And I'll use whatever phrasing I like, thanks.

but you could theoretically swap a black phone for a white phone.

no one talked about swapping parts...

its not "physically impossible." i think you need to learn the definition of that.

[5enohpi]

All you gotta do is bitch at one of the nerds at genius. They eventually all give in anyway.

[ZombiePete]

So much for "once you go black you never go back", eh?

[quietstormSD]

Originally Posted by Mojo1

In my 58 years I've been amazed at how often people have done their best to respond positively to a reasonable request when it is done in a polite and respectful manner. As I reckon ii, it has worked out for me much more than 50% of the time and sometimes it required someone to go out of their way to make it happen.

The most amazing example was when I became involved in a trademark dispute with a very well known financial advice company. Resolving the issue would have cost $100,000 or more and there was no guarantee that I would prevail in court. So I did something that most lawyers would never advise doing: I tracked-down the company's corporate counsel and explained the situation to her.

I asked her if there was some way that we could resolve the situation so that their interests were protected and I could get what I wanted. She told me that she couldn't think of a way to accomplish it. So I thanked her for her time and asked her to get in touch with me if something changed.

I figured that was the end of it; I couldn't risk the considerable expense to pursue the case. And I didn't expect to ever hear from her again.

Imagine my surprise when about a week later I get a telephone call from the corporate counsel. She had been thinking about it and after discussing it with her boss she had a proposal that would give me 90%+ of what I wanted while protecting their interests.

At that point we agreed that it would be better for her to work with my attorney since I wasn't qualified to deal with the arcane legal complexities of such an agreement. Fortunately for me, I had an excellent female attorney who valued negotiation and compromise when standing one's ground would only result in a protracted, expensive and probably fruitless legal battle.

It only took a few hours to hammer-out the details and the deal was done. We had to give up one or two things to satisfy the other attorney's superior but it wasn't anything that we couldn't live with. I got what I wanted without giving up anything substantial. The other company was satisfied that their intellectual property was protected. The total cost to me: $2000. (Keep in mind that my attorney cost $300/hour...)

After the deal was completed my attorney informed me that the other lawyer had told her that my initial telephone call was the key factor in her deciding to try and find a solution. She said that I had convinced her that I wasn't trying to take advantage of them and that I was sincere in my belief that we could both get what we wanted without the time and expense of a trial. The other attorney was under no obligation to help me and in fact she had to persuade her boss to allow her to take the time to pursue the issue. My attorney told me that in all of her years of practicing law she had never seen anything like it...

So I say Go For It. Your request is not unreasonable to me. There may or may not be an Apple corporate policy regarding this situation but it is possible that Apple employees have some leeway to disregard such a policy if indeed it exists.

If it doesn't work out, then all you have lost is a little time. Be sure to thank the person you are dealing with and let them know that you appreciate their efforts on your behalf. And don't let it discourage you from asking for what you want in future situations. Which brings to mind another aphorism: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Good luck!

I gotta say, this is an awesome story

[Willsonchen]

Originally Posted by FooArk

I have a black one now and the power button is kinda acting sluggish. Assuming Apple offers a replacement, can I get a white one instead?

well, i guess not, but maybe you can ask that could you pay for the fees of changing it to the white.

[Chris092881]

Originally Posted by Luis2004

But please, for the love of all that is good, do not use the phrase "physically impossible" when referring to actual PHYSICAL acts.

Did anyone else "LOL" at this?

[barkomatic]

Originally Posted by Brian Y

Erm, it *is* physically impossible. If you cannot do something, it's impossible. You cannot add a white part to a black phone's repair. It IS physically impossible to produce a genius bar work authorisation for a black phone containing a white part. And I'll use whatever phrasing I like, thanks.

Apple retail stores are fully capable of making almost any exception as appropriate-and this forum is filled with such examples. They may be very rare and it may take a store manager to authorize it, but it can and has been done.

[Chris092881]

Originally Posted by barkomatic

Apple retail stores are fully capable of making almost any exception as appropriate-and this forum is filled with such examples. They may be very rare and it may take a store manager to authorize it, but it can and has been done.

Good point. After two defective retail boxes shipped to me from Verizon and then a few refurbs sent from Apple that showed up with quite a bit of cosmetic damage, I was sent a brand new sealed retail box directly from Apple after a call to corporate. Things can happen.

[pnyc]

My wife's friend got her black iPhone 5 exchanged for a white iPhone 5 at the Upper Westside Apple store few weeks ago. So yeah it's very "physically" possible.

Her volume up button was acting up, the genius took the phone to the back for around 5-10 minutes, came back out with a replacement already in his hands, she asked if he can give her a white one, he said maybe and disappeared for maybe 2 minuted and came back with a white phone, the whole visit took maybe 20-25 minutes and she left with a white iPhone 5.

[remarkable]

Originally Posted by Brian Y

By "white part" I mean the white service part iPhone. You know - the bit that comes in the white/black box and has a part number. It is physically impossible to add that to iRepair or whatever they use these days as part of the repair. Because it's service inventory it's a "service part".

And yes, theoretically, they could just take one from stock and give it to you. But that aint going to happen. Same as they aren't going to give you a free MBP if you ask for it, which is, again, theoretically possible. You can theoretically do a lot of things. Physically, however, you cannot type the part number of a white phone to a black repair.

Brian, you're wrong. Please stop embarrassing yourself. If you create a repair for any device (iPad, iPod, iPhone) as an in-store repair rather than a swap and put the desired part number (color) it'll work. And it has worked for every single time I've done it.