iPhone 4 repair?

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ChrnoXIII

167 posts

Master Geek

#67827 8-Sep-2010 21:05

my question today is to ask what happens to phones that get sent in for repair? do they even check them?
what about new/refurbished? anyone has any idea regarding what happens to iphone 4s' sent in for "repair"? does nz even have enough refurbished units yet? or will i possibly get a nice shiny new one?

also what does refurbished mean? will it have a new casing? will it have scratches possibly from the previous owner? an explanation would be appreciated

thanks guys :)

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Master Geek
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#378041 8-Sep-2010 21:58

I asked Apple that very same question when I was calling them about my failed IP4 earpiece
Apple told me the phone is to new to be replaced with a referb unit it will be a new phone.
but with the passing of time they will be replaced with refeb units as the 3g and 3gs are

but I guess I wont know for sure until I get my replacement ph, hopefully tomorrow

your dud ph is checked for warranty cover, impact damage, water damage, signs of foul play
once the fault is confirmed your replacement is issued (iphones are not repaired)

dud phones are shipped back to apple for parts for referb phones

referb phones look exactly like a new ph no marks scratches etc
working components from dud phones are used to reconstruct working phones which are supposedly thoroughly tested
before release

josephhinvest

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#378042 8-Sep-2010 21:59

If refurbished means the same for iPhones, as it does for iPods, then...
If your iPhone is replaced warranty, you may receive either a shiny new or a shiny refurbished phone. This is (for iPods at least) at Apple's discretion, and there's usually no way to know what you'll get.
I think it's more common for early replacement units to be brand new replacement, until stocks of used parts become available.
If it's refurbished it will almost certainly have new cosmetic covers, it should be indistinguishable from a brand new unit.
I would think there would be a tightly controlled testing procedure specified by Apple, perhaps some custom device that performs hardware diagnostics, and reports the results to Apple. Faulty units would then likely go back to Apple Australia, like iPods and service parts, then presumably back to Singapore or China to be reworked. (speculating a bit!)

Cheers,
Joseph

ChrnoXIII

167 posts

Master Geek

#378044 8-Sep-2010 22:02

hm... because mine has been developing a weird echo when i call people... just not sure if i want to give up my NEW iphone 4 for a "old" one. and also be without a phone for 4 days...
and when i shake my iphone 4 it rattles O.o...

ChrnoXIII

167 posts

Master Geek

#378047 8-Sep-2010 22:06

any opinions regarding people on the internet mentioning that there is a "coating" on newer iphone 4s? which fixes the reception issue?

Shagy

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#378053 8-Sep-2010 22:15

ChrnoXIII: hm... because mine has been developing a weird echo when i call people... just not sure if i want to give up my NEW iphone 4 for a "old" one. and also be without a phone for 4 days...
and when i shake my iphone 4 it rattles O.o...

the longer you leave it the more chance your going to get a referb

4 days ouch MFR has a 24 hr turn around dropped mine off today should have my replacement tomorrow afternoon
rattling - that doesn't sound good at all

mine was fine until i used the headphones - no sound from the earpiece

hah if you camped out side of brightpoint and MFR you might be on to a nice little earner selling micro sim adapters
to the iphone4less suffering withdrawals having to go without their "precious" I know I'm one of them ;)

ChrnoXIII

167 posts

Master Geek

#378054 8-Sep-2010 22:16

wait... so if the official vodafone iphone 4 repair brightpoint or MFR?

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Shagy

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#378059 8-Sep-2010 22:29

as far as I Know MFR for apple brightpoint for VF

ChrnoXIII

167 posts

Master Geek

#378064 8-Sep-2010 22:38

wow really? i thought brightpoint do all the iphoen repairs now? damn... i was hoping to get MFR (im on vodafone plan atm) since i hear they have better service than brightpoint

Benjip

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#378067 8-Sep-2010 22:58

Brightpoint have been fantastic in my experience (have 'used' them twice now in the past three weeks for two seperate iPhone 4 issues). Their turnaround time is 1-2 days in my experience, once Vodafone get the unit to Brightpoint (my second replacement was delayed as there was an issue with the courier from VF -> Brightpoint).

The first replacement iPhone I received back had the smallest cosmetic 'glitch' near the SIM slot - almost as if a bit of paint (about 1mm long) had been chipped off during a repair. Barely noticeable but definitely not a brand new unit. The second replacement I received today is perfect physically, although I am getting that annoying blue 'tinge/circle' when taking photos in low light.

Is the rattle on your iPhone to do with the sleep/wake button? My launch day unit had a rattle and it was because the sleep/wake button was slightly loose.

ChrnoXIII

167 posts

Master Geek

#378072 8-Sep-2010 23:09

no its like something internal. top middle. try tapping your iphone near the ear piece...

i dont get what everyone means with blue tinge... could you upload a photo?
are you going to ask voda for a new one then?

Shagy

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#378073 8-Sep-2010 23:30

ChrnoXIII: wow really? i thought brightpoint do all the iphoen repairs now? damn... i was hoping to get MFR (im on vodafone plan atm) since i hear they have better service than brightpoint

you could try calling MFR and see what they can do if anything for you
while I was there they did drop a hint they do VF iphone also, but I didn't query it

MFR have a 24 hr turn around as long as you get your ph to them before 2pm
along with your proof of purchase and apple case number
MFR also said brigtpoint don't allow customer drop off and pick up which adds delays in getting your precious back in your hands
it has to go via VF outlet and couriers etc lots of middle men

I've not dealt with brightpoint but I've had dealings with MFR with my 3g and now my 4
24hrs for my 3g replacement I'll find out tomorrow about the 4 .... the clock is ticking

I must say there does seem to be a rather alarming high percentage of owners having issues with the 4
I only had mine for about a week

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1eStar

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#378108 9-Sep-2010 08:36

I have 3GS from apple, and the case cracked. Rang 00800 7666 7666 and got a case number. They advised me to contact MFR. So I backed up phone, wiped jailbreak, posted weds and got back Saturday. Not too bad for rural delivery address.
Best part of the whole situation: the replacement unit shipped with iOS 4.0 so I rejailbroke. Yeehah

Benjip

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#378171 9-Sep-2010 11:28

ChrnoXIII: no its like something internal. top middle. try tapping your iphone near the ear piece...

i dont get what everyone means with blue tinge... could you upload a photo?
are you going to ask voda for a new one then?

Here's the famous blue tinge. Seems to only happen under fluorescent lighting (such as in office buildings like mine) or low light conditions.

Not sure if I can be bothered taking my iPhone back for a third time. My first unit definitely didn't have this issue though so maybe I should.

Shagy

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#378213 9-Sep-2010 13:16

picked up my replacement ip4 from MFR today
I asked if the handle VF iphone repairs - no Apple only

the Guy who I spoke to said he couldn't tell me if the ip4 was a referb or not
even they (MFR) don't know. he said he would doubt it was as it's so new
he when on to say they don't know if the 3g's are reberb or new either
Apple does not tell them. but as time goes on you've more change of receiving a referb

he also said there was a model revision coming the end of this month
which is supposed to address the antenna issue

on a side note the replacement ph has an older firmware version 4.0
my original had 4.1

scottjpalmer

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#378226 9-Sep-2010 13:36

I assume you mean your orginal had 4.0.1 :-)

The hardware revision he mentioned could just be something he read on the internet of course.

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