Having a centralized spot to access support documents and repair options will be hugely useful for many users who may not know the extent of Apple's online support offerings. The app will also further streamline the repair and support process, taking some of the pressure off of in-store Genius employees who work on repairs and potentially cutting down on the number of people coming in to the store for small issues.
It is not clear if the app is a standalone support app that will be added to iOS devices in the future or if this is functionality that will be incorporated into the existing
Apple Store app. At this time, the
Apple Store app has limited functionality when it comes to support, only allowing users to schedule appointments with Geniuses at their local Apple Stores.
Article Link:
Apple Developing Support iOS App to Streamline Repair and Troubleshooting Process
I'm regularly surprised by MacRumors' takeaway conclusions. Why would the Apple Store app be the logical location for this feature/service? It's a very large world, with fewer than 500 Apple Stores. Most nations don't have one, and even where they exist, they can be hundreds of miles away. So consider those for whom the Apple Store is a distant dream... Would they think to go to the Apple Store app for tech support? An Apple Store-centric view of the world is quite myopic.
For that matter, anyone who's waited on hold for telephone support would certainly appreciate a service that takes some pressure off AppleCare's support staff, and for the many countries that lack even telephone support....
Support is an overarching need. If it was up to me, there would be multiple ways to access this app. It would be freestanding, it would be present at the top level of Settings (the primary problem resolution destination) and within the various settings; it'd be present in the Watch app, Find My iPhone, and yes, it would certainly be in the Apple Store app (just not solely there).
The one thing it should not be is a well-kept secret, an option to be downloaded only by those in the know. What good is that, if your problem is that you can't connect to the Internet? Think for a moment beyond your desire to have every available megabyte of storage free for your selfies, games, and songs. An app like this is a form of insurance - and insurance, as we know, is a useless waste of money up until the moment that you need to make a claim.
I doubt my vision will prevail. Apple has always been reluctant to suggest that tech support may be necessary, so I doubt it'd be omnipresent (although there is that Support button on the Apple.com navigation bar). And if one makes person-to-person support too easy to access... those who ought to be able to self-solve their small problem (and small problems are far more numerous, after all) will undoubtedly crowd out those in need of more substantial assistance. Somewhere, however, there's a happy medium. Just the fact that this is in development is a very good thing, imho.
As a product manager myself, I would love to share little quirky things that are annoying or odd. One great example in the current iOS is getting back to your Siri results after you clicked on one. It's far from intuitive and hard to do sometimes. You'd think you could just swipe back to your last screen.
