Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Are there really THAT many damaged i5 and why?

G

GadgetGeek407

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 26, 2009
994
61
florida
I am so disappointed to see there are so many damaged phones out there why do you all think this is? Apple had plenty of time, a year, to make this phone right, what caused this issue? A new supplier or what?

I would never really look at my phone in detail but reading all these reviews I checked mine and it has a very small scuff on the very bottom, barely noticeable.
 
Macrumors is not a sample of the average public. Feedback is going to be critically biased as the userbase has an extreme interest in the topic. And as the case with most forums, the fall more under troubleshooting and discussion categories.

When you start manufacturing millions of phones, let me know if the process is simple.
 
bpeeps said:
When you start manufacturing millions of phones, let me know if the process is simple.
Click to expand...

Hmmm....how many posts are on here with the thread title "My iPhone 4 has dents right out of the box" or "Opened my iPhone 4S at the Apple store and it has a gash on the side"?
 
bpeeps said:
Macrumors is not a sample of the average public. Feedback is going to be critically biased as the userbase has an extreme interest in the topic. And as the case with most forums, the fall more under troubleshooting and discussion categories.

When you start manufacturing millions of phones, let me know if the process is simple.
Click to expand...

Macrumors IS a sample of the average public. The average public is capable of googling when they encounter a problem, registering for a forum account, and then contributing to the thread.

The average person however, is not always able to DETECT the problems.

iPad 3 - I can go to ALL of the Apple stores around me and find 75-90% of them with screen defects - tinted screens or uneven screens.

Retina Macbook Pros - almost every display model I have ever seen has issues with display uniformity or image retention.

Now, iPhone 5... 3 stores in MA area, EVERY single black iPhone 5 on display was damaged from the factory, from chips to nicks. I must have looked at over a dozen of them. THe white ones also have a similar amount of less noticeable nicks and and pits.

The manufacturing process is not simple, Tim Cook is simply choosing to accept A- or B+ grade final materials for these phones due to massive demand. Products under Steve Jobs would not have entered into final assembly without A+ materials.
 
MuddyPaws1 said:
Hmmm....how many posts are on here with the thread title "My iPhone 4 has dents right out of the box" or "Opened my iPhone 4S at the Apple store and it has a gash on the side"?
Click to expand...

How many iPhones have been ordered worldwide? It's the complainers who appear first. No one is going to come on here and post "OMG, my iPhone was perfect out of the box, I am so happy"
















Ok, not many then
 
MuddyPaws1 said:
Hmmm....how many posts are on here with the thread title "My iPhone 4 has dents right out of the box" or "Opened my iPhone 4S at the Apple store and it has a gash on the side"?
Click to expand...

There have been posts like that about iPads in the past. You can't compare the glass 4/4S to the aluminum 5. The iPad is a better comparison and there are posts like these every time the new iPad is released.
 
My wife's from AT&T has a scratch on side that goes into screen. Not huge but there. She had it preordered and mailed so hitting an AT&T store to see if it they will replace it. It's white 64g
 
Just remember, most folks only come on to say they got a damaged or defective one. Very few chime in to say they are pleased. Nature of the beast.
 
mzjin said:
The manufacturing process is not simple, Tim Cook is simply choosing to accept A- or B+ grade final materials for these phones due to massive demand. Products under Steve Jobs would not have entered into final assembly without A+ materials.
Click to expand...

Then explain how the iPhone 4 Antenna issue, or the cracked polycarbonate MacBooks, or yellow screens were common complaints in the Steve Jobs era? Heck, Apple even recalled the original iPod Nano, not just once (for scratching), but a second time (long beyond the warranty period) because batteries were exploding.

Steve Jobs paid attention to design details, but actual production has long been under Tim Cook. It is possible that with the ramp up in production we're seeing a higher rate of defects, but the more logical explanation is that with increased absolute sales come increased absolute numbers of defective phones. Think about it. The number of iPhones sold per quarter doubled between 2010 and 2011, and there are expectations that this quarter could nearly double Q4-2011. With that, even a small failure rate leads to a higher number of defective units.
 
mzjin said:
Macrumors IS a sample of the average public. The average public is capable of googling when they encounter a problem, registering for a forum account, and then contributing to the thread.
Click to expand...

Uh, no, you're overestimating that for the average public. They may google for problems, but most don't bother to register for a forum account.
 
mzjin said:
Macrumors IS a sample of the average public. The average public is capable of googling when they encounter a problem, registering for a forum account, and then contributing to the thread.

The average person however, is not always able to DETECT the problems.

iPad 3 - I can go to ALL of the Apple stores around me and find 75-90% of them with screen defects - tinted screens or uneven screens.

Retina Macbook Pros - almost every display model I have ever seen has issues with display uniformity or image retention.

Now, iPhone 5... 3 stores in MA area, EVERY single black iPhone 5 on display was damaged from the factory, from chips to nicks. I must have looked at over a dozen of them. THe white ones also have a similar amount of less noticeable nicks and and pits.

The manufacturing process is not simple, Tim Cook is simply choosing to accept A- or B+ grade final materials for these phones due to massive demand. Products under Steve Jobs would not have entered into final assembly without A+ materials.
Click to expand...

Precisely! What do you end up with in such as situation? A sample that is massively skewed in favour of people with problems. People don't join and contribute to say "my iPhone 5 is fine".
 
mzjin said:
Macrumors IS a sample of the average public. The average public is capable of googling when they encounter a problem, registering for a forum account, and then contributing to the thread.
Click to expand...

Possible, but not likely. MacRumors is a great website, but not likely to attract the masses in droves because of potential iPhone 5 problems.
 
i-John said:
How many iPhones have been ordered worldwide? It's the complainers who appear first. No one is going to come on here and post "OMG, my iPhone was perfect out of the box, I am so happy"

Ok, not many then
Click to expand...

ok, following your logic...show me the my iPhone 4S is all beat to crap out of the box posts from the complainers.
 
Figure it this way. 2 million sold. If 10% had defects that's 200,000. Most companies assume 2 to 4% so 40,000 to 80,000 would be and acceptable number by Apple.
 
MuddyPaws1 said:
ok, following your logic...show me the my iPhone 4S is all beat to crap out of the box posts from the complainers.
Click to expand...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1192536/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1263713/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1271439/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/956991/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1293080/

A two minute hunt (literally two mins....) brought these. iPhone 4 and 4s. Over 25% reporting out of the box damage in one of the above.

;)
 
darster said:
Figure it this way. 2 million sold. If 10% had defects that's 200,000. Most companies assume 2 to 4% so 40,000 to 80,000 would be and acceptable number by Apple.
Click to expand...
Your logic is flawed. Companies that make premier products employ quality control checks so they avoid shipping those that do not meet the companies quality standard.

Your reasoning that the customer should suffer is rather bizarre.

Apple loves customers that make up excuses for them. The more that stand behind Apples dodgy ways, reveals more about the excuse maker than anything else.
 
Have discoloration above the silent switch, Apple told me to expect a replacement phone in 2-3 days.
 
I'm not sure why people keep saying opinions on a forum don't represent a real issue.

It reminds me of the BMW forum I frequent. HPFP (High Pressure Fuel Pump) units kept failing left and right from 2007-current (although much lower rate) and everyone on the forums kept claiming that this does not represent the majority of cars on the road.

BMW finally acknowledged the issue after being brought a lawsuit in 2010.
 
darster said:
Figure it this way. 2 million sold. If 10% had defects that's 200,000. Most companies assume 2 to 4% so 40,000 to 80,000 would be and acceptable number by Apple.
Click to expand...

The issue is not that there are defects, the issue is that Apple is letting them out the door.

But my 64 GB white is fine. There is a tiny speck of dark dust between the metal back plate and lower glasss inlay, but you have to hold the phone 5 inches from your nose to see it.
 
ixodes said:
Your logic is flawed. Companies that make premier products employ quality control checks so they avoid shipping those that do not meet the companies quality standard.

Your reasoning that the customer should suffer is rather bizarre.

Apple loves customers that make up excuses for them. The more that stand behind Apples dodgy ways, reveals more about the excuse maker than anything else.
Click to expand...

You are buying a mass produced product that is sold at a premium price. That does not make it a premium product where each unit is carefully inspected.
 
dwreck said:
The issue is not that there are defects, the issue is that Apple is letting them out the door.

But my 64 GB white is fine. There is a tiny speck of dark dust between the metal back plate and lower glasss inlay, but you have to hold the phone 5 inches from your nose to see it.
Click to expand...
There is no way Apple or any company is going to inspect every phone that it ships out. I am saying, companies have a acceptable rate for defects. If 2 to 4% are returned because of flaws, defects, not working, etc, it is acceptable. I'm not saying the customer has to accept it, I'm saying the company does.

----------
ixodes said:
Your logic is flawed. Companies that make premier products employ quality control checks so they avoid shipping those that do not meet the companies quality standard.
Click to expand...

Wrong on all counts. 2 to 4% is acceptable by the best of companies. Heck, even premier auto makers have a higher return rate because of defects. Go to Mercedes and find out what the rate of car that are brought into the shop because of flaws the first year. At least 20%. Same with Audi, BMW, Porsche, etc. Pioneer was an elite Plasma TV maker and 10% was acceptable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back