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FYI: Apple running out of refurbished first generation iPhones

braddick

braddick

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 28, 2009
3,953
1,076
Encinitas, CA
Took one in today with a Genius appointment. It had a broken screen and the battery was about shot.

After many concerns and questions, especially strong toward "Apple doesn't support this hardware anymore". I was able to get a refurbished ordered.

Three week waiting and it's only the 8GB- the most common of the three models offered the first year.

I was also told once Apple runs out of refurbished iPhones that will be it: no support whatsoever (outside of tremendously costly repairs). He told me they were only weeks away from completely running out.

I pass this along in case there is anyone that is procrastinating taking in their busted iPhone for a refurbished replacement.
 
What? You mean a phone that came out 5 years ago isn't really supproted anymore? Crazy!!


Cool of you to put out the word for others. Time to take in that old 1st gen for an oow replacement people!
 
DroidRules said:
What? You mean a phone that came out 5 years ago isn't really supproted anymore? Crazy!!


Cool of you to put out the word for others. Time to take in that old 1st gen for an oow replacement people!
Click to expand...

I have a Motorola Android phone and they stopped supporting the day I bought it. Because support from android manufactures is none existent.
 
It's been a good ride. As another member above pointed out, it's unusual for a company to support their older hardware as long as Apple has and does.

Still kind of sad though, in a way.
I remember the launch of the iPhone and truly how "magical" is was to unbox and activate with iTunes for the first time.

I personally have two lines, one is the 4S but the other is the original iPhone.
They're like night and day, but I do still appreciate the build quality of the first iPhone.

Five years? It flew right by.
 
fanboy05 said:
I am surprised they had any at all
Click to expand...
After I posted above I started to think this very same thing.

braddick said:
It's been a good ride. As another member above pointed out, it's unusual for a company to support their older hardware as long as Apple has and does.....
Five years? It flew right by.
Click to expand...

I actually liked the first one better than the 3g/3gs but no where near as much as the 4/4s design. AS far as using one NOW after the speed of the 4s.... NOOOOOO thank you. I would rather pull my pubes out one at a time then use that slow turtle of a phone (when compared to 4s). It would be nice to have a "new" in box phone but I sold my originals a long time ago.
 
DroidRules said:
After I posted above I started to think this very same thing.



I actually liked the first one better than the 3g/3gs but no where near as much as the 4/4s design. AS far as using one NOW after the speed of the 4s.... NOOOOOO thank you. I would rather pull my pubes out one at a time then use that slow turtle of a phone (when compared to 4s). It would be nice to have a "new" in box phone but I sold my originals a long time ago.
Click to expand...

I purchased this one a few days ago: http://www.ebay.com/itm/260995015238?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_500wt_1156
I'm just going to put it away (without activating it) for nostalgia sakes.
 
DroidRules said:
Ok.
Click to expand...

Just a response to your signature...the initial reason for people to list their "iDevices"/Apple products in their signature is so when you have a question/problem with your device, you don't have to repeatedly ask what version/type it is.

For example, I posted in the MacBook Pro forums and asked why my MacBook Pro didn't get that Multi-touch update promised in Snow Leopard. Since my signature lets you know what type of Mac I have - the reader simply responded that it isn't supported on '07 Macs. I didn't have to list my specs or whatever.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't all about 'bragging rights'.
 
Tot he original poster:

How did you get a refurbished original iPhone from the genius bar? Did it cost money? Certainly the phone isn't still under warranty.
 
The replacement phones come with a 90-day warranty, don't they? I wonder what they'd do if your phone develops an issue in the next 90 days and the refurbs are gone. Legally you'd be entitled to a replacement
 
terraphantm said:
The replacement phones come with a 90-day warranty, don't they? I wonder what they'd do if your phone develops an issue in the next 90 days and the refurbs are gone. Legally you'd be entitled to a replacement
Click to expand...

Give you a 3G. Would be a little bit of an unfair trade though, as you'd have to get a normal data plan.

All that being said, the fact that they didn't get rid of them a year or two ago is amazing. Why is anyone still using one of those POS phones? Anything older than the 3GS is a dinosaur.

Also, they can't put any more out around the NYC area, as AT&T is going to 5mhz of GSM there, which really can't support much activity on EDGE.
 
Macman45 said:
Exactly, err perhaps time to think about treating yourself to a new one? Plenty of refurb 4"s around.
Click to expand...

wow, what an idea!!! I'm sure none of us have thought of that, or perhaps, some people own multiple generations of the phone and like having the best phone after the 4 as a backup. It really grinds my gears that people think that just because something is over 3 years old it's suddenly worthless.
 
BiggAW said:
Give you a 3G. Would be a little bit of an unfair trade though, as you'd have to get a normal data plan.

All that being said, the fact that they didn't get rid of them a year or two ago is amazing. Why is anyone still using one of those POS phones? Anything older than the 3GS is a dinosaur.

Also, they can't put any more out around the NYC area, as AT&T is going to 5mhz of GSM there, which really can't support much activity on EDGE.
Click to expand...


They most likely keep a hundered or so around for situations that arise until the 90 days is up if not they would just replace it with an upgrade and use there abilities to manipulate AT&T into not requiring a 3g data plan.
 
bryantp93 said:
They most likely keep a hundered or so around for situations that arise until the 90 days is up if not they would just replace it with an upgrade and use there abilities to manipulate AT&T into not requiring a 3g data plan.
Click to expand...

Probably just keep a few around they can overnight in to where they are needed, and blacklist them from NYC, southwestern CT, and North Jersey.
 
braddick said:
Took one in today with a Genius appointment. It had a broken screen and the battery was about shot.

After many concerns and questions, especially strong toward "Apple doesn't support this hardware anymore". I was able to get a refurbished ordered.

Three week waiting and it's only the 8GB- the most common of the three models offered the first year.

I was also told once Apple runs out of refurbished iPhones that will be it: no support whatsoever (outside of tremendously costly repairs). He told me they were only weeks away from completely running out.

I pass this along in case there is anyone that is procrastinating taking in their busted iPhone for a refurbished replacement.
Click to expand...

No

Your local Apple store may not have any original refurb iPhones behind the counter but they can still order one.

Repair costs (like battery replacement) are not outrageous.

However it will always appear cheaper to get a new carrier subsidized phone then repairing an old one.
 
Wirelessly posted

Still have my original but haven't used it in a long time. The others I sell when I get a new one but that one I'll keep. Now that, friends, was a *real* "revolutionary" device.
 
The OG iPhone was a POS and still is. The iPhone didn't have a notification system until iOS 5, and that's when it became a capable device. That, and HOW ON EARTH do you put with AT&T's crappy EDGE? I've tried running my 4S on EDGE, and their network is so poor. Nothing loads up, half the time Speedtest won't even run. Oh, and a lot of apps require iOS 4 or 5 now, not 3.1.3.
 
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