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Dropped iPhone 4; Glass smashed. Please Read on...

T

TW95

macrumors member
Original poster
May 26, 2010
87
0
London
I am a bit late posting this, sorry I just kept forgetting to post.

Precisely 2 weeks and 6 days ago my iPhone 4 accidentally fell out of my hand whilst trying to open a bottle lid (my fault I know). The next day I was off on holiday! I picked it up only to see that the glass back panel had smashed, no big deal. After a bit of research I found that it isn't covered under warranty but it is covered under my O2 insurance. I was shocked to find that I would have to pay £75 as an excess fee to get it fixed. The good news was they could have a replacement phone to me within 24 hours!

However..... I was off on holiday the next day (under 24 hours away). After a long 10 hour 20 minute flight.... back on topic... Before I left for my holiday I booked a Genius Bar appointment at Apple Store, San Francisco.

The replacement and repair of the glass would have cost $199 which is outrageous but they don't keep parts in so I couldn't go for that option.

I can't remember who I was served by but he was extremely helpful. He didn't seem shocked that the back panel was smashed (they obviously have a lot of them) but he explained that they don't keep parts etc.

He then said "As you are on vacation I can give you a replacement iPhone 4"

So I went into the Apple store with a working smashed back panel iPhone 4 and cam out with a BRAND NEW iPhone 4 for absolutely nothing.

Thanks, Tim


This just shows that Apple really does love their users, they have surprised and delighted me.
 

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That's great.

One question though - wouldn't your replacement phone be locked to AT&T? That would be a problem when you get back to the UK.
 
Dropped iPhone 4 REPLY

molala said:
That's great.

One question though - wouldn't your replacement phone be locked to AT&T? That would be a problem when you get back to the UK.
Click to expand...

No because it wasn't activated in store. I activated it when I got home.

He said that if he activated it I could only use it on AT&T so he left it to me.
 
TW95 said:
No because it wasn't activated in store. I activated it when I got home.

He said that if he activated it I could only use it on AT&T so he left it to me.
Click to expand...

Wait.. Are you saying that by activating your phone with O2 SIM it became unlocked? Or is it still locked but to O2 instead of AT&T?
 
Dropped iPhone 4 REPLY

That's the thing, he got it out of a special black box thing. They must be direct from Apple.

Sorry I didn't mention that. It wasn't one that they sell to you.
 
Wait, so you are saying, if the phone isn't activated, The phone is unlocked? Even in the USA?
:eek:
 
Dropped iPhone 4 REPLY

Berges said:
Wait, so you are saying, if the phone isn't activated, The phone is unlocked? Even in the USA?
:eek:
Click to expand...

No, he gave me a phone without the box or wires etc because it came out of a special black box. These iPhones must be direct from Apple meaning they are unlocked.

I think that Genius bar replacements may be unlocked if they come from the black box.

Thanks, Tim
 
TW95 said:
No, he gave me a phone without the box or wires etc because it came out of a special black box. These iPhones must be direct from Apple meaning they are unlocked.

I think that Genius bar replacements may be unlocked if they come from the black box.

Thanks, Tim
Click to expand...
What are the first few characters/numbers of the serial number?
 
Berges said:
Wait, so you are saying, if the phone isn't activated, The phone is unlocked? Even in the USA?
:eek:
Click to expand...

Yes, and apparently that is true with the UK too. If you buy the iPhone at Apple Retail in the UK - its officially unlocked and stays that way even after activating with any SIM - so allwoing you to change SIMs as often as you want now and in the future. If you buy the iPhone from one of the 6 networks however, At the moment you buy it - it is technically unlocked, but by placing the SIM of the relevant network carrier inside, it becomes locked to that network.

This must be why Apple and AT&T insist on opening and activating it in the store without letting you leave.
 
TW95 said:
No, he gave me a phone without the box or wires etc because it came out of a special black box. These iPhones must be direct from Apple meaning they are unlocked.

I think that Genius bar replacements may be unlocked if they come from the black box.

Thanks, Tim
Click to expand...

These are just the replacement phones when people bring in broken/unuseable ones. Nothing more nothing less. That is why there is no fancy packaging because it is meant to be exchanged for a faulty one.
 
iPhone replacement

OMGitsShan said:
These are just the replacement phones when people bring in broken/unuseable ones. Nothing more nothing less. That is why there is no fancy packaging because it is meant to be exchanged for a faulty one.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is why they are unlocked for international visitors such as myself.
 
TW95 said:
Yes, this is why they are unlocked for international visitors such as myself.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. I had my phone replaced couple of weeks ago with one of these "black box" phones and it's most certainly locked. Oh well....
 
iPhone replacement

It is only locked once you have activated it.

So if you activate on AT&T it is locked to it. The same goes with all the UK providers.
 
TW95 said:
Yes, this is why they are unlocked for international visitors such as myself.
Click to expand...

The probability of an international visitor seeking a replacement iPhone in the SanFran Apple store as apposed to a local resident is going to be pretty slim. As I mentioned in my earlier comment, the phones are all technically unlocked. So its not so much about "international visitors such as myself" as apposed to the way they do things. As the guy pointed out, if he put in an At&T SIM in your phone, it would have locked, which is why he didn't. The phones are just unlocked to begin with - nothing to do with local or international.
 
iPhone replacement

OMGitsShan said:
The probability of an international visitor seeking a replacement iPhone in the SanFran Apple store as apposed to a local resident is going to be pretty slim. As I mentioned in my earlier comment, the phones are all technically unlocked. So its not so much about "international visitors such as myself" as apposed to the way they do things. As the guy pointed out, if he put in an At&T SIM in your phone, it would have locked, which is why he didn't. The phones are just unlocked to begin with - nothing to do with local or international.
Click to expand...

This is not what he said, he said that if he activated it over iTunes not if he put a sim in. A new iPhone will not activate on a network until it has been connected to iTunes.
 
TW95 said:
It wasn't serviced. Please read all of the above posts.
Click to expand...

I did read them. Sorry, I didn't technically mean "serviced" as in had repairs done to it. I just meant I didn't think you could take your iPhone in at all. I figured if you were in another country you were just out of luck...good to know that's not the case.
 
davyreins said:
I did read them. Sorry, I didn't technically mean "serviced" as in had repairs done to it. I just meant I didn't think you could take your iPhone in at all. I figured if you were in another country you were just out of luck...good to know that's not the case.
Click to expand...

Oh sorry about that. I called them and they said it would be fine to make a Genius Bar appointment. So I did just that :)
 
TW95: I was in the same boat as you.... since the back of the phone is slippery some way, some how the phone slid off my patio and landed straight on the face side and smashed the glass.... it didnt even bounce on its side but right on the face glass....

I called apple the same day made an appointment and they switched out my phone for $200... :(... oh well ***** happens..but atleast i got a new phone as well... my serial # start at 880..
 
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