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Apple Launches iPhone X Display Module Replacement Program to Address Touch Issues
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I’ve immediately reserved an appointment the day this news was announced and they replaced the screen on my iPhone X with 2 hours of waiting. Replication of the issue is not required from what I can tell as this issue happens rarely. I used to have it once a week or every other week, especially when using Safari but I always thought it was the software. Time will tell if it the issue is already gone.
Next is I am going to get my battery replaced as it is at %90 at the moment and after a brief chat with the support, I was told it would be free battery exchange as it is still covered under warranty- fingers crossed
Next is I am going to get my battery replaced as it is at %90 at the moment and after a brief chat with the support, I was told it would be free battery exchange as it is still covered under warranty- fingers crossed
mactastic
macrumors 68040
This happened to me about two months ago on a Saturday. In the morning, my phone was fine. By noon I'd noticed a couple odd intermittent non-touch swipes. By late afternoon it was happening every few seconds. I took my son to a concert in SF that night, so I figured I'd hit the Apple Store in the morning. By the time we left the concert at midnight, the phone was practically unusable, and by morning I couldn't even turn off Find My iPhone to get it repaired when I got to the Apple Store. Had to run back home and grab my laptop to disable it from there before Apple could fix it. No issues from them on it though. Had it back within 2 hours, good as new, no charge.
Well I have never been able to walk into a Apple store and get stuff serviced either? I would suggest for 99%+ of the world getting to an Apple shop is basically impossible. Funny that eh. I have had four reasons to get something repaired at an Apple store.
1st time was when my US purchase first generation iPod touch had a faulty headphone socket after about 9 months. My nearest UK store (40 miles away) said I should return it to Best Buy at the Florida Mall and if I didn’t they would offer me 10% off here in the UK for a replacement.
My second time was also for the same item, my iPad Air 2 that became a third and fourth visit (total 240 miles of driving!).Firat visit I was told they couldn’t see me because I hadn’t made an appointment.I made an appointment and on the second visit they wouldn’t do anything because I couldn’t replicate the fault in store and they were too busy to run diagnostics on it. On the final visit I had to sit two hours before said item crashed in store when eventually they agreed to swap for a refurbished item if I signed a declaration that their replacement only had the remaining warranty that existed with the original iPad.
Right up there with the very best? The thing is I don’t expect from any of the big tech companies though Microsoft were very reasonable with Xbox 360. That’s the point that we can expect very similar in reality; it’s just others don’t bang on about it.
lordofthereef
macrumors G5
I have had this happen with trying to send text messages. The send button takes a few taps but only sometimes. I assumed it was a software glitch.
Good to know. I'll have this repaired soon.
Good to know. I'll have this repaired soon.
flappah
macrumors member
Well if you run into this issue you can get a new screen for free so I wouldn’t be too worried about it.
Good to know it's Bentley.
Here's the thing about percentage markup vs. gross dollars (or pounds). Sure, Apple has cultivated a premium product image and premium pricing, and manages to garner an unusually high gross profit margin as a result. If you look at Bentley, you'll actually find something similar - Bentley's gross profit margin is likely to be significantly higher than the mass-market automotive marques, as they do sell far fewer units.
What really matters, though, is that if Bentley clears $20,000 (10%) on the sale of a $200,000 car (and the dealership clears something comparable), that $20,000 can cover a lot of sins and customer creature-comforts, at a fairly small percentage of the overall sum. Bentley's costs for replacing a failed fuel pump aren't going to be all that different than Ford's or Toyota's; a veritable drop in the tank compared to the overall profit. However, repair costs for Apple don't leave nearly that much breathing space.
Even if Apple clears $300 on the sale of an iPhone (which it doesn't, as gross profit margin is not the same as net profit, and list price is not the same as the price they get from phone carriers and third-party dealers), $300 doesn't cover nearly as much. A whole-unit replacement of an iPhone Xs may cost Apple $300. The cheapest possible repair for Apple (battery replacement) costs them more than the $29 they're currently charging (the deficit is written off as a public relations expense, no doubt). If you factor just the labor involved in handling that battery repair (let's say a 20-minute phone call to AppleCare, another 15 minutes at the Apple Store for diagnostics and intake, 20-30 minutes of repair bench time, and 10-15 minutes at time of product pickup) - we're already well over an hour for labor, without spending a penny on parts or the overhead costs of maintaining a repair shop.
While Apple's products are considered luxury goods, they still don't match the conventional economic model for luxury goods (grossly smaller unit sales than the mass-market brands, compensated for by grossly higher net dollars per unit). They're really mass-market sheep in luxury wolf's clothing. Apple is still dependent on selling large quantities in order to make ends meet - it's just that they can sell smaller large quantities than the competition and still make a generous profit. Call them pseudo-luxury goods if you will. This is not Rolex or Patek Phillipe vs. Swatch ($2,000-$10,000 watches vs. $250 watches - a 10:1 or higher price ratio).
Sure, if you buy one of those jewel-encrusted iPhones from the companies that produce them, you should expect service befitting those Tiffany/Cartier prices. But $1,000 is not a Bentley, Patek Phillipe, or Cartier price tag. well, you can spend $1,000 at Tiffany - their web site even has an Under $250 category. The question is, just how much "luxury" service should someone aiming to spend $95 on two decks of Tiffany playing cards expect (unless they're buying thousands of them for corporate gift-giving)? If you want to be seated in a private sales room with a flute of champagne while goods are brought to you for inspection, you have to be spending a whole lot more than $95 or even $1,000.
4jasontv
Suspended
Let me repeat myself. It does not matter if Apple makes a profit when repairing their mistake.
NO they do not require your device to mimic the phantom touches or the non-responsive touch in from of the genius or a least not with me. 6 months ago I called and made an appointment. The next day I arrived and told the genius what was going on with the screen. He tried for 15 minutes to mimic the phantom touch but never could. He connected it to his laptop and tested it with a software while manipulating the iPhone screen at the same time. I don't know if the test proved anything or not but he told me to either take a set or come back in 3 hours and they would have a new screen on my phone.
99% impossible to get to an Apple Store. Wow, we have found the armchair expert. I'm sure Apple would love to hear from you that they've build their shops in the wrong locations.
So it is Apple's fault that you didn't make a repair appointment before going on your 60 miles drive?
whirldy
macrumors 6502
bigjnyc
Suspended
Not as long as it's done by the Apple store or an Apple certified repair shop.
I had to replace my iPhone X screen two months ago because of the "green line of death"--does anybody know if replacement screens for the GLD problem need to be replaced again?
Your comments are laughable. My nearest shop is an 80 mile round trip. You know whenever I have had any consumer electronics fail, it has never struck me that I would have to warn the shop that I will be setting off on my journey? You know I would just turnup at Curry’s or John Lewis and it would be dealt with. Things from Amazon I have replaced without even having to send the faulty item back.
I should have added to my story, that when I made the ridiculous decision to embark on my journey to get my Apple device looked at at an Apple store and was met with derision (funny how I can just turn up and buy things at the shop; never too busy then) I was told the next available appointment was in 17 days time! Now far be it for me to say, but if the warranty and repair department is that busy, it tells us two things
1..the products are not as marvellous as all that
2..clearly people were not “just walking in” and getting replacements like you suggested that started this discussion
I contend and state again, there is nothing magical, cheap or free with Apple aftercare
So went to Apple today (Manchester) for my replacement - have been having intermittent non-responsiveness now for a while but just ignored it! They ran some tests but all came back negative, and then said, only because it's still within warranty they'll replace the display module. Apparently my serial number wasn't part of the program. Just a heads up in case anyone is out of warranty - I know it does say 3 years from date of purchase.
aliensporebomb
macrumors 68000
I found the other day I was tapping with a finger on my right hand to actuate a "next" button in the upper right hand corner of the screen and it simply refused to take my touch but when I put my left hand finger in the same place it worked. I wondered if it had something to do with moisture on my fingers or what. Very strange to say the least but maybe there's a real hardware related reason behind it. Otherwise it's been fine since I got it.
I went in for my appointment today. Did a touchscreen debug test, which the phone passed.
I was turned away on basis that you must have tried a software restore, then clean slate, as those are the steps the Apple tech will require to be completed.
Since when is Apple so stingy? I went today to have them take a look at it. I expected phone to be just replaced since thats what they used to do always even over smallest thing. This time genius told me I will have to come back next day to have it replaced. Do they really expect people to drive twice 40 miles.
bigjnyc
Suspended
Did he give you a reason why? perhaps they didnt have any replacements in stock? or too many screen replacements being done and they didnt have time to get to yours today, etc... I doubt he just told you we can't do it today for no reason.
Anyhow I have an appointment for tomorrow, my screen has a small crack in the top left corner and I hope that will not make a difference as I have had this problem well before that crack was there. fingers crossed
Sixcranker
macrumors member
YMMV. I got mine replaced yesterday at the Apple Store. The technician wanted to see if it would replicate the issue, wanting to make sure it would do it or I would have to just bring it in again when it happens. I told him that I am in IT and he knows damn good and well that problems with electronics rarely replicates when an expert is looking at it. I told him in the most professional and kind way that I am getting the screen replaced tonight because I made a reservation and took time away from work to come to the store. Thankfully, it did replicate a phantom touch but the principle of the matter is that I told him in explicit details what has happened regarding my screen, unresponsiveness and phantom touches.
yanki01
macrumors 68040
thanks. yeah hopefully i'm not waiting there for a while trying to duplicate it. i mentioned it to the apple rep and she stated it shouldn't be an issue. it mainly happens when I tap to wake.
i'm not sure if it's a youtube bug or are the phantom touches happening when the controls pop-up?
Sixcranker
macrumors member
For me, it was the dictation microphone on apps such as texting or Google app that had it. Sometimes the screen would go to go black like it was shutting down and the loading circle would begin, but it would go back to the app I was on. Among other things were there wasn't any response on the screen or there were phantom touches on other apps. It didn't happen all the time, but enough to be annoying.
Before he even asked me, I told him that yes it does have a beta iOS on it, but it began to do all that way before I even had a beta profile installed on my daily driver. I do know that Apple techs will most likely bring up betas being glitchy so I had to nip that in the bud before he tried to blame that.
bigjnyc
Suspended
good info, thanks! I'll report on my experience tomorrow.