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Genius Bar: iPhone Lock Button - What To Expect?

FSMBP

FSMBP

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
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I have an appointment at the Genius Bar for my iPhone 5's finicky lock-button. The Lock-button won't register some times when pushed on the right (pretty reproducible).

What am I expect at the Genius Bar? Will they replace my iPhone with a refurb or will they attempt to repair it?

Thanks in advance!
 
sonicrobby

sonicrobby

macrumors 68020
Apr 24, 2013
2,482
526
New Orleans
Its a toss up. The lock button may be one of the easier parts of the phone to be replaced (compared to the silent switch and volume buttons); but just as well, they may not want to deal with such repairs and give you a refurbished one.

Back up your data just in case, and let us know what they do when you get back :]
 
randy98mtu

randy98mtu

macrumors 65816
Mar 4, 2009
1,455
140
I've never had them repair a phone, always replace. My wife's home button was rotating (you could turn it back and forth easily.) After opening it up, they offered to replace the whole screen assembly or give me a new phone. I took the new phone. I think a lot depends on your local store though.
 
FSMBP

FSMBP

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Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
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Ok, thank you both! I will report back after my appointment.
 
randy98mtu

randy98mtu

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Mar 4, 2009
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The ifixit guide does NOT look easy for a lock button! If they agree it's bad, I would expect they would just replace the phone.
 
sonicrobby

sonicrobby

macrumors 68020
Apr 24, 2013
2,482
526
New Orleans
randy98mtu said:
The ifixit guide does NOT look easy for a lock button! If they agree it's bad, I would expect they would just replace the phone.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah that is pretty bad. The volume and silence buttons actually might be the easier ones. I dont remember it being that complicated, but then again its been over 2 years since I did it >.< (and it wasnt on the iPhone 5)
 
S

sekazi

macrumors 6502
Jan 12, 2012
469
84
I just had mine replaced last weekend due to the button not working. It worked a little for a month or so but by the time I got around to setting an appointment it no longer worked at all.

When I saw the guy he said what was wrong. I showed him the button not working and he took the sim out and went and got a replacement. It took only about 5 minutes from the time I saw him and leaving.
 
randy98mtu

randy98mtu

macrumors 65816
Mar 4, 2009
1,455
140
After that one I looked up the home button. They had most of the steps for the home button done and still replaced my phone. lol
 
iceterminal

iceterminal

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2008
1,870
27
Dallas Tx.
Most likely you'll get a re-manufactured iPhone (not a refurbished one as suggested by SonicRobby).
The lock button isn't easy or quick to fix unless its something else causing the failure. So instead they'll do a quick replacement for you in a most likely sense.
Let us know how it turns out.
 
Neonblue

Neonblue

macrumors regular
Aug 16, 2009
219
188
London
sekazi said:
I just had mine replaced last weekend due to the button not working. It worked a little for a month or so but by the time I got around to setting an appointment it no longer worked at all.

When I saw the guy he said what was wrong. I showed him the button not working and he took the sim out and went and got a replacement. It took only about 5 minutes from the time I saw him and leaving.
Click to expand...

Likewise. Had an appointment last week for a lock button which had progressively become less respondent over the last few months, to then not working at all.

The guy took one look at it, clicked a few times, and got me a brand new handset (manufactured in July) as a replacement within 5 minutes.
 
O

O O O

macrumors newbie
Mar 29, 2013
18
0
Socal
Had the same problem about 5 months ago. Set up an appointment, walked in. Dude took about 20 seconds testing it out, walked to the back and came out with another iPhone.
 
mtneer

mtneer

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Sep 15, 2012
3,179
2,714
What's the warranty on the replacement phone? 90-days from date of replacement or until the end of warranty of the replaced phone?
 
stormchaser

stormchaser

macrumors 6502
Mar 4, 2010
355
24
UK
In the UK they never seem bothered about repairs. They just replace the phone. Well the Apple store I use does this all the time.
 
FSMBP

FSMBP

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
2,712
2,623
iceterminal said:
Most likely you'll get a re-manufactured iPhone (not a refurbished one as suggested by SonicRobby).
The lock button isn't easy or quick to fix unless its something else causing the failure. So instead they'll do a quick replacement for you in a most likely sense.
Let us know how it turns out.
Click to expand...

GoCubsGo said:
You can and should expect to walk away with a functional iPhone.
Click to expand...

sonicrobby said:
Its a toss up. The lock button may be one of the easier parts of the phone to be replaced (compared to the silent switch and volume buttons); but just as well, they may not want to deal with such repairs and give you a refurbished one.

Back up your data just in case, and let us know what they do when you get back :]
Click to expand...

Just had my appointment. They replaced my iPhone - no questions asked. Amazing service.
 
dukebound85

dukebound85

macrumors Core
Jul 17, 2005
19,131
4,110
5045 feet above sea level
FSMBP said:
I have an appointment at the Genius Bar for my iPhone 5's finicky lock-button. The Lock-button won't register some times when pushed on the right (pretty reproducible).

What am I expect at the Genius Bar? Will they replace my iPhone with a refurb or will they attempt to repair it?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I had a similar thing. They denied me because they said it wasn't meant to be pushed there but rather in the center. I tried explaining how my hand wraps around the phone tends to have me hit the button off center and they told me to hold it different

wasn't that pleased
 
cambookpro

cambookpro

macrumors 604
Feb 3, 2010
7,189
3,321
United Kingdom
FWIW, mine was replaced back in March for the same issue. Obviously that was a few months ago, but it was an easy, no-questions-asked swap.
 
Y

youssefm

macrumors 6502
Oct 7, 2008
386
0
Had the same issue, only one side of the button would work. They replaced the whole phone, no questions asked.
 
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