iPhone XS Max Quality Control Issues: One for Three

[PROFESS0R]

Greetings,

I typically post in the MacBook Pro forum, but in this case, the experience I had with Apple's quality belongs in this forum.

This past weekend, I ordered an iPhone Xs Max (512Gb, Gold) on the Apple Online store and scheduled it for store pickup. I go to the Apple store, pick up the phone and have a screen protector installed, and then I leave the store. I get home, and the phone will not power on at all. I tried to reset it, charged it for two hours, and still it would not power on. I call AppleCare and they tell me to take it back to the store.

I arrive at the store and they test the phone for water damage, try to power it on, and declare it dead. They bring out another phone, install a screen saver on it, and then I ask them to power it on so I could see that it works. It doesn't power on.

Then I ask them if they might have another phone with a different lot date code. They come back with a third phone with a substantially different LDC, and this time, at my urging, I ask them to test the phone before they install the screen saver. They power the phone on, and it works.

This is just another example of poor quality control on Apple's part. I absolutely understand how this can happen, but, never, in the nine iPhones I purchased before this one, did I have an issue... much less two issues. Lately, I have had problems with Apple's software and hardware, and I am truly beginning to wonder if Apple's quality control has changed since Tim Cook took over.

As a scientist, I realize that anecdotal evidence such as this is meaningless, and that there are many variables associated with Apple's quality control; too many variables to be able to analyze this issues without full access to Apple's quality control data, but still... I have been using Apple computers since 2003 and things "feel" different to me now. For example, I had to reboot my iPhone X almost once a day to resolve cell tower connection issues. The latest software update fixed this problem, but I am truly starting to get soured on Apple <pun intended>.

Best,

Joe

 

[igroeg]

I also believe that quality has gone down in the recent years. When the production output is that big, it's bound to happen at some point I guess. I've had similar experiences with iPhone(s). Definitely not the only one. It's quite unfortunate.

 

[Juicy Box]

I think that both HW and SW quality is not were it used to be.

I used to be a huge Apple fan, but the last 5-6 years, they have changed, and not for the better, imo. I am still an Apple user, but not much of a fan anymore.

I once thought that Apple had a superior product, and the competition didn't come close. While Apple's products might still be considered superior, I think that gap has closed a lot.

 

[ericwn]

I don’t believe that the hardware necessarily got worse. Often times the mass produced product has less failures than a product with low production numbers. On top of that Tim was Steve’s right hand and deeply involved in the daily operations at the company, so I don’t believe there was a shift either.

I’ve had plenty hardware issues on my macs in Steve’s day too.

 

[pika2000]

Greetings,

I typically post in the MacBook Pro forum, but in this case, the experience I had with Apple's quality belongs in this forum.

This past weekend, I ordered an iPhone Xs Max (512Gb, Gold) on the Apple Online store and scheduled it for store pickup. I go to the Apple store, pick up the phone and have a screen protector installed, and then I leave the store. I get home, and the phone will not power on at all. I tried to reset it, charged it for two hours, and still it would not power on. I call AppleCare and they tell me to take it back to the store.

I arrive at the store and they test the phone for water damage, try to power it on, and declare it dead. They bring out another phone, install a screen saver on it, and then I ask them to power it on so I could see that it works. It doesn't power on.

Then I ask them if they might have another phone with a different lot date code. They come back with a third phone with a substantially different LDC, and this time, at my urging, I ask them to test the phone before they install the screen saver. They power the phone on, and it works.

This is just another example of poor quality control on Apple's part. I absolutely understand how this can happen, but, never, in the nine iPhones I purchased before this one, did I have an issue... much less two issues. Lately, I have had problems with Apple's software and hardware, and I am truly beginning to wonder if Apple's quality control has changed since Tim Cook took over.

As a scientist, I realize that anecdotal evidence such as this is meaningless, and that there are many variables associated with Apple's quality control; too many variables to be able to analyze this issues without full access to Apple's quality control data, but still... I have been using Apple computers since 2003 and things "feel" different to me now. For example, I had to reboot my iPhone X almost once a day to resolve cell tower connection issues. The latest software update fixed this problem, but I am truly starting to get soured on Apple <pun intended>.

Best,

Joe

There you go, you just answered your own question. Random chance != causation.
Note the amount of phones being made by Apple. There will be defective units (they are made by humans afterall). Thus what matters imo is after service, and at least for me, so far Apple has not disappoint despite issues I have had with my Apple stuff. My worse one was the 2nd gen iPod nano, where it had buzzing noise, and I had to exchange mine about 4 times before I waited a few weeks for new batch.

As for software, yes, Apple seems to be spreading itself too thin too quickly. In the past, there's only macOS and iOS. Now, there's tvOS, watchOS, and the homepod, each with continually expanding functions and features. Compare that to Microsoft, who only have one single OS, Windows, and even then they are still chasing bugs here and there. Plus the pressure to release new OS version on a yearly basis, there will be tendency to try to add on features quickly so there will be something to talk about every year. Then there's another issue, the tech bloggers, who expect new features every year so they can play with it (there's a reason Jobs hated bloggers). That didn't bode well (iOS11), and I hope Apple realize this and focus on stability and optimization. iOS12 proved Apple can do it. This also happened with macOS as well (Snow leopard, High Sierra), which focused on optimization instead of piling features.

 

[puma1552]

Take a look down the long edges of the phone, particularly on the volume button side, look down that edge at a 5-10 degree angle and you'll see the phone is probably ever so slightly curved/bent too. "But it's steel and glass, it can't be bent!!" Oh yes, yes it can.

Apple's QC is crap.

 

[NJHitmen]

Take a look down the long edges of the phone, particularly on the volume button side, look down that edge at a 5-10 degree angle and you'll see the phone is probably ever so slightly curved/bent too. "But it's steel and glass, it can't be bent!!" Oh yes, yes it can.

Apple's QC is crap.

Emphasis mine.

"Probably"? You believe that most iPhones are bent? All generations?

 

[44267547]

Apples quality control isn’t ‘crap’. Sure, there are production line phones that are manufactured from the beginning that usually have a set of issues that arise with every single model, it happens to Samsung, Google, LG, etc. Anything that’s mass produced tends to have some type of flaw in their product usually needs to be rectified through later-on production. The reality is, Apples quality-control actually has been more consistent in terms of the amount of devices they produce and sell is far greater than anyone who would experience a defective device.

 

[MEJHarrison]

Take a look down the long edges of the phone, particularly on the volume button side, look down that edge at a 5-10 degree angle and you'll see the phone is probably ever so slightly curved/bent too.

As expected, I fall into the "probably not" category. My guess is the vast majority of users also fall into the "probably not" category. Not sure where you're getting your information, but I don't believe it.

 

[I7guy]

Apple manufactures many more phones than they did years ago and I’m sure positive they have an extensive handle on quality control and their metrics are closely monitored. Even a small percentage of outliers from the vast number of phones manufactured could make it seem like quality has gone downhill.

 

[Low country]

Hi Professor,

Recently I went through 7 different XS Max phones, all of them creaked and popped with the faintest handling or holding against the ear. They also had horrible gaps and sharp edges where the display meets the thin black plastic that surrounds the display and where the metal and the plastic meet, I actually stuck a credit card in one.

Some of the other XS Max's and going back over the years through several iterations of iPhones I've seen it all.....dust under camera lens, scratches in the display right out of the box, warped iPhones, yellow displays, crackling speakers...you name it, I could type for hours.

Personally I don't believe Apple/Foxconn has ANY QC at all. They build them and ship them out and hope for the best, the small crowds that hang out here and make mention like you, me and the others are on the far right side of the decimal point on Apple's balance sheets.

Having said that, I gave up on ever finding an XS Max and went back to the XS three days ago and it seems I got a damn near perfect one. First one since 2007 !!