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therealdeb

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2020
4
3
Hi, everyone.

I got a new iPhone on Friday from my local Verizon store because my iPhone 7 was really starting to get bad, and the screen was very cracked to boot.

Anyhow, I have this issue where I will be browsing the internet or watching a video on my new phone, and all of a sudden the phone reboots. There's a black screen, Apple logo pops up, and then I can start using the phone, again. Sometimes it happens a few times a day. Other times it happens a few times every hour. It's unpredictable.

An Apple tech did a remote diagnostic and said I would have to take it to the Apple Store to be looked at; she said it could be a hardware issue, in which case Apple will likely give me a new device -- of course, they are closed until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, so I'm stuck with this phone. It's not terribly bad, but I cannot trust any phone calls because they may be dropped due to the random reboots.

I looked at my analytics for the device, and I see a lot of "panic_kernel" or whatever logs. I've read that many people have had issues with this.

Are there any solutions? I've tried hard reboots, resetting the phone, etc. - pretty much everything recommended on the internet.

Am I just stuck with this until Apple Stores are reopened whenever the heck that will be? For those of you that have had this issue, what did Apple do to fix it?
 
If a hard reset doesn’t work then you don’t really have much of an option I’m afraid. Can you not send it to Apple?!
 
You got a dud. Send it back to apple. They'll send you a replacement phone before you have to send in your dud so you're not out of a phone. When they receive your dud, they'll credit your account for the replacement they sent you (and charged you for).
 
All right, so I have a few options after making a few phone calls and could use some advice:

1. I could try and take my phone back to Verizon tomorrow and see what they say. I tried calling them twice today but had absolutely no luck - stayed on hold for 30 minutes both times. I could show up at the store and see if they'll exchange the phone for another one and pay the $50 restocking fee. I have that option until next Wednesday when my 14-day exchange/return policy expires.

2. I could get a replacement mailed to me by Apple and mail-in my defective phone through my AppleCare+. Talked to a service rep and was told that typically customers receive the new device within 2-5 business days, but with COVID-19 happening, that's up in the air and could potentially be 2-6 weeks, worst-case scenario. Also, I would have a pending charge of ~$1,200 on my bank account until Apple receives my current device. No one knows how long it could take them to receive it, so that pending charge could be on my account for almost 2 months. Not a big deal, but is it really worth that? I have 10 days to make that decision before the repair request expires.

3. I could wait until the Apple stores reopen and get a new device that way. The thing is - no one knows when they'll reopen.

Honestly, I'm stuck with what to do. Part of me just wants to try my luck with going to Verizon tomorrow and see what they say (they close at 4:00 p.m. from now until COVID is over; it's currently 2:52 p.m.).

Another part of me thinks I should just wait until Apple stores reopen and deal with it then. It's not a huge deal to me - just an annoyance.

Ugh, this is what I get for getting something new when the world is shut down.


Edit: wording
 
Last edited:
DO NOT go through Apple for this. Apple is best for warranty issues after your initial 14-day Verizon window has passed. You SHOULD NOT have a restocking fee with Verizon. The restocking fee applies to a returned device, not an exchange due to a defective unit. So again, this is a Verizon issue at this point, get in touch with them, that's your best course of action at this point.
 
DO NOT go through Apple for this. Apple is best for warranty issues after your initial 14-day Verizon window has passed. You SHOULD NOT have a restocking fee with Verizon. The restocking fee applies to a returned device, not an exchange due to a defective unit. So again, this is a Verizon issue at this point, get in touch with them, that's your best course of action at this point.
Yeah agreed, op shouldn’t have to pay $50 for a defective device.
 
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I scheduled an appointment for tomorrow to meet with a Verizon rep where I purchased the device. Hopefully, they can just exchange it after I show them the analytics.
 
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