Apple Will Start Replacing Bent iPhones

[bob24]

Running your own business I guess

For sure they will raise prices in one area of another. They did it before they will do it again. It won't reduce sales as they'll disguise it when the media coverage is right for people to accept it as a consequence of something else or hide it while people are distracted by something else. wake up

Sure they will increase prices at some point. But they can also do it without replacing any phone and turn it into additional profit rather than replacement cost recovery.

Replacing phones simply has nothing to do with their pricing and marketing strategy and is an additional cost to them. I don't see how your original point makes any sense.

 

[dictoresno]

one person was lucky enough to have the phone replaced due to the generosity of a genius doesnt mean apple as a company will be making the replacement a standard, widespread deal (like the battery replacement "recall"). theres no official announcement, statement or paperwork to back this up. your thread and title are misinforming.

all of the publicity may spark a response from apple regarding the whole thing, but it can mostly be equated to apple replacing phones for cracked screens because people carelessly dropped them. once or twice to be nice, sure, maybe. but not apple policy as a whole.

the mods should edit the title indicating this was a one time thing and maybe the company will decide to do something similar as a whole in the future.

 

[Zxxv]

Apple have said no such thing. And why? because after a few months or close to a year people would just bend their iPhones and go in for a new one. This is a nightmare for apple if they said they'd replace because youtube is now full of videos on how to bend an iPhone.

 

[bob24]

If I were them I would send every iPhone 6 Plus owner a text telling them that they are not responsible if the phone bends if carried in their pocket.

I think it would be the best way to generate huge negative media coverage and customer dissatisfaction ;-)

 

[Newtons Apple]

I think it would be the best way to generate huge negative media coverage and customer dissatisfaction ;-)

Sorry but I do not feel that Apple owes people with poor judgement, anything!

 

[Creep89]

But this counts only if the phone was bent during normal use, such as sitting in your back pocket.

WHAT? Are you kidding me? This is stupid, not normal use.

 

[MassiveAttack]

Apple Will Start Replacing Bent iPhones

I don't see the point. It's not like the replacement will be structurally different than the bent phone. You're just going to bend the replacement.

That's not the point. This can be seen as a gesture of good will and will make Apple look good instead of not recognizing an issue or decrying it.

 

[maflynn]

Apple has made NO SUCH COMMITMENT!

If I were them I would send every iPhone 6 Plus owner a text telling them that they are not responsible if the phone bends if carried in their pocket.

Done.

Their design and use of soft metal is the cause of the phone bending. If you cannot put a phone in a suit pant pocket as what happened to one member, then there's a design issue.

People shouldn't put phones in their back pocket especially with skinny jeans but there's enough posts, videos of this occurring with non skinny jeans.

 

[bob24]

Sorry but I do not feel that Apple owes people with poor judgement, anything!

I'm just talking about how bad a PR move it would be. Sending all your customer a message saying they need to be carefully with your brand new product and that you won't be responsible for any damage can't be good for any company.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I'm just talking about how bad a PR move it would be. Sending all your customer a message saying they need to be carefully with your brand new product and that you won't be responsible for any damage can't be good for any company.

Sorry but abuse should NOT BE COVERED!

 

[bob24]

Sorry but abuse should NOT BE COVERED!

You don't get it. It's not about what is right or not, it's about how you communicate to your customers and what image you are giving of your company.

Of course I agree Apple shouldn't replace phones for free in case of obvious abuse, and never argued against that. But sending all their customers a message to say they need to be careful when handling their phone and Apple won't be responsible if a phone is bent is very bad PR and you can be sure they won't be doing that.

Plus you wrote "telling them that [Apple] are not responsible if the phone bends if carried in their pocket". Not sure telling your customers that putting their phone in their pocket is abuse and won't be covered will help with your company image ...

 

[Bobo03]

Sure they will increase prices at some point. But they can also do it without replacing any phone and turn it into additional profit rather than replacement cost recovery.

Replacing phones simply has nothing to do with their pricing and marketing strategy and is an additional cost to them. I don't see how your original point makes any sense.

Increase prices? US carriers are getting away from the subsidized model. Prices on all phones should decrease over the next few years if they want to stay viable.

 

[bandrews]

That's why I prefer the 3GS body style.

The battery on my 3GS finally died. Attached to motherboard and that part is hard to find. If found, expect a $100 to $200 replacement cost.

So the choice was made not to stock that part. Instead, sell more cheaply made phones with lesser materials for the same or higher price as the original.

Screw the environment. Make a new phone and buy a new phone every 1 to 3 years. I wish I could have kept my 3GS and if anyone knows where I can find a battery/motherboard combination, please let me know.

I

Either you were lucky or you're looking back with a heavy shot of rose tinted nostalgia:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/525177/

66 Pages about cracks in the plastic shells of the 3G and 3GS.

Lets just face it, there's a structural "problem" with just about every
incarnation of the iPhone.

 

[bob24]

Increase prices? US carriers are getting away from the subsidized model. Prices on all phones should decrease over the next few years if they want to stay viable.

Sure I agree they will need better entry level options than just selling last years model or re-wrapping it in a plastic case.

Now I don't see them drastically lowering the price of their flagship models. Even though some people don't realise it they are already paying $800 for their iPhone 6 through their phone contracts.

If people move to a plan with no subsided phone it will likely be because the monthly cost is cheaper and they will have more disposable income every month. Apple (and some carriers) will likely offer financing options so that these people can still buy the phone at a subsidised price and spread the same cost over the duration of their contract.

At the end f the the day for these people things would be exactly the same, but at least people who prefer not to be forced to upgrade and not to buy phones through their carriers will have more choice.

This is what I see happening in European countries where this type of unsubsidised offers started to become popular anyway (this is bee big in France for the past 3 years for example).

 

[MacDawg]

Lets just face it, there's a structural "problem" with just about every
incarnation of the iPhone.

Or... regardless of the product you put out there will be people who find a way to break it

 

[Newtons Apple]

You don't get it. It's not about what is right or not, it's about how you communicate to your customers and what image you are giving of your company.

Of course I agree Apple shouldn't replace phones for free in case of obvious abuse, and never argued against that. But sending all their customers a message to say they need to be careful when handling their phone and Apple won't be responsible if a phone is bent is very bad PR and you can be sure they won't be doing that.

Plus you wrote "telling them that [Apple] are not responsible if the phone bends if carried in their pocket". Not sure telling your customers that putting their phone in their pocket is abuse and won't be covered will help with your company image ...

I do get it! Apple owes these people nothing. Sure soem will be upset but the vast majority have better sense!

----------

Their design and use of soft metal is the cause of the phone bending. If you cannot put a phone in a suit pant pocket as what happened to one member, then there's a design issue.

People shouldn't put phones in their back pocket especially with skinny jeans but there's enough posts, videos of this occurring with non skinny jeans.

I will agree that a phone should not bend in a suit coat pocket under normal conditions. But that phone did not get bent from just being in a suit coat pocket, something else had to happen. A person can fall or run into something to cause enough pressure/stress to bend the device.

 

[Brian Y]

I do get it! Apple owes these people nothing. Sure soem will be upset but the vast majority have better sense!

----------



I will agree that a phone should not bend in a suit coat pocket under normal conditions. But that phone did not get bent from just being in a suit coat pocket, something else had to happen. A person can fall or run into something to cause enough pressure/stress to bend the device.

Yes, I don't think we're getting the full story in the majority of these cases. But hey, since when did the media care about giving the truth/full story.

If the "phone that started this" would have bent in a pocket with no external force, it would have been a gradual bend.

 

[finepiks]

I do get it! Apple owes these people nothing. Sure soem will be upset but the vast majority have better sense!

----------



I will agree that a phone should not bend in a suit coat pocket under normal conditions. But that phone did not get bent from just being in a suit coat pocket, something else had to happen. A person can fall or run into something to cause enough pressure/stress to bend the device.

Totally with you on this. It should be obvious that a thin aluminium device might be more prone to damage. You're paying for a combination of function and form, and as we all know form is at the core of Apple and Mr Ive's designs. It's why we buy them in the first place!

 

[jmgregory1]

I do get it! Apple owes these people nothing. Sure soem will be upset but the vast majority have better sense!

----------



I will agree that a phone should not bend in a suit coat pocket under normal conditions. But that phone did not get bent from just being in a suit coat pocket, something else had to happen. A person can fall or run into something to cause enough pressure/stress to bend the device.

Agreed. I'm guessing that a majority of the "but I only had the phone in my loose front pocket and it bent" stories have more to the story than is being reported. My wife just picked up her new 6 yesterday and even the small increase in size from the 5 / 5s has her thinking differently about how she's going to carry it.

When I get my 6+, I know it's not going to fit or be carried in the same way my 5s is, but I knew that before there was any suggestion of there being a bending problem.

 

[InsideTJ]

"if it is within the guidelines, they should be abel to cover it..."

Abel?

 

[Newtons Apple]

"if it is within the guidelines, they should be abel to cover it..."

Abel?

Very constructive!

 

[fmcarv]

What??

first of all this is not an official Apple press release. this is some journo who conned an Apple costumer support online to say that it would replace for free.

The Customer support person even says that only after a genius has inspected it...

Second of all: Apple will replace the whole of 2 bent phones (so far) plus the one that Unboxing Therapy bent on purpose???

 

[UltraInstinct]

As the one guy commenting on the article said..

Based on a conversation with one random anonymous Apple employee you draw the conclusion that they will replace all bent phones? With what? Another one that bends just as easily?

 

[phillytim]

THIS. x100. There was a particular incident that caused this, above and beyond any normal use of having it in a trousers pocket. That's what's not being said.

I will agree that a phone should not bend in a suit coat pocket under normal conditions. But that phone did not get bent from just being in a suit coat pocket, something else had to happen. A person can fall or run into something to cause enough pressure/stress to bend the device.

 

[wntrwhte]

That's why I prefer the 3GS body style.

The battery on my 3GS finally died. Attached to motherboard and that part is hard to find. If found, expect a $100 to $200 replacement cost.

So the choice was made not to stock that part. Instead, sell more cheaply made phones with lesser materials for the same or higher price as the original.

Screw the environment. Make a new phone and buy a new phone every 1 to 3 years. I wish I could have kept my 3GS and if anyone knows where I can find a battery/motherboard combination, please let me know.

I

$82 from a china parts supplier. It's $2 more if you want 32gb. http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...d-For-iPhone-3GS-16GB/1012256_1525200678.html