To give up with Apple/iPhone and go for something else?

[PansOnFire]

I've always been impressed with Apple and loved my iPhone 3, when the obligatory 18 month contract ended I upgraded to an iPhone 4S and since then I've had nothing but problems. It was fine for the first 12 months, but after the warranty ran out it's been useless. I updated the software on it which knocked off the wifi and Bluetooth, it also made the phone run very slowly. Texts stopped coming through on time, texts took ages to write and send, picture messaging stopped working etc, etc, etc. I rang my useless phone company who told me to restart the phone, wipe it, back it up from the restore on my laptop, restore it from iCloud - nothing worked and I must have spent about 4 hours on the phone to various different people one day.

The phone company are saying it's Apple's problem so I rang them - exactly the same advice was given, nothing worked and then they said it was a hardware issue that was the responsibility of the phone company. This was batted backwards and forwards for about 4 months before I gave up. The phone company sent me a normal sized SIM card so I could buy a different handset to use and still keep my number. They said my options are to a) send the phone away and pay the repair cost, I wouldn't be entitled to a free replacement should the phone not be possible to fix, or b) pay the rest of my contract upfront and upgrade early, entering into a new contract of 24 months and have an iPhone 5.

Paying off the contract isn't as bad as it sounds, I've got 2 months left to pay at this point. I've deliberately not done it sooner because I'm not sure I want to be a loyal customer to them anymore. When I told them that I couldn't access many features of the service they were providing they told me it was not their problem because they were providing it! Their network has gone down completely on at least 4 occasions, each time their customer service was on lock down and customers were left to wait it out. It also seems that those who shouted loudest got the most compensation for the lack of network (discrepancies between friend's treatment were huge - a free month as opposed to free 6 months).

I'm furious, none of my photos and videos stream to iCloud anymore because I don't have wifi, it no longer is recognised by my laptop when I plug it in to update it manually. I've managed to get my photos and videos off after having it plugged into the laptop for about 6 hours but iTunes wouldn't work whilst it was plugged in.

What should I do? AIBU to tell both Apple and the phone company to shove it and go with a different phone and a different company? If so then what do I get instead? I don't want a frying pan and fire situation! Help! I'm in the UK btw.

[PresidentServalan]

I briefly changed from Apple to Samsung after having the 3GS, 4 and the 4S - I had the Galaxy 2 but after a month I hated it so got the iphone 5 - I haven't regretted it, it's great.

[FortyDoorsToNowhere]

I have had no problem with my iphone 4 and this one has had water damage.

Battery life is rubbish, but then I bought a charger case.

[Hulababy]

I'm interested i this fault - exactly same has happened to me, occurred on Friday afternoon for no apparent reason. I have tried all the recommended resets, etc. but still no wifi or bluetooth. Google suggests it is a hardware fault - but why? Why has this suddenly just happened?

Mine was all backed up fortunuately.

I have an appointment with the Genius Bar next weekend - can't get in before then.

It sounds like a lot of people online are having this fault - it has to be Apple related.


Trouble is - I still want an iPhone. I like them and everything is on iTunes now, and all my apps, etc. Plus with have iPads and DD has an iPhone. Besides DH has a Samsung and it is dreadful - and don't like friends non Apple phones either.

[valiumredhead]

Works? world

[Hulababy]

I am with Vodafone - trouble is stuck with them til May. Hate them and they are so expensive too. And we get rubbish Vodafone reception too.

[Hulababy]

BTW - re Samsung Galaxy - DH has had loads of issues with his. It drops the wifi a lot, and it is forever having some form of blip which means it can't download his work emails and calendar - forever needing to reset it at work to do this. Others at his work have same issue. It is also pretty slow to do stuff and it isn't very intuitive when using it. He does, however, get good coverage at home - but that is with T Mobile, rather than phone make related.

[YesterdayI]

We have 2 iMacs, a MacPro, 3 IPhones and 5 iPads and nothing has gone wrong ever. Not once, you turn them on and they work. Every single time.

I do know I am being taken for a bit of a mug on the price and I don't like the cynical way Apple stop supported things so quickly but the ease and convenience of Apple is fantastic.

[Bubbles1066]

I switched from Samsung to Apple, I personally prefer the iPhone but both are fine. The iPhone is more intuitive I would say. Samsung is not as user friendly but both are OK.

[MalcolmTuckersMistress]

I have to admit when my 4s went weird I had fantastic customer service from Apple. It was actually out of warranty by two days, which I didn't realise and I assumed it was the software update that sent it funny. Apparently they could tell it was the hardware so they arranged got me to pick up a new one from my local apple store. I was hugely impressed! Then my son did something odd to his iPad so I took it to the apple shop and they fixed it there and then! I wasn't expecting such good customer service so was greatly surprised.

[kali110]

My friend also hS iphone 4 or 4s and wifi packed up. She had to have the phone replaced. It was a year old aswel as we got our phones witnin month of each other.

[Frostedloop]

I love how people are comparing a model.. IPhone against a manufacturer.. Samsung, so few saying what model of Samsung they have.

[valiumredhead]

Saw friend earlier with new xperia-it's a fab phone!

[cardibach]

IT sounds to me like most of your issues are with the service provider rather than Apple per se. Obviously buy any phone you fancy but give that some thought first...

[Hulababy]

Pansonfire - did you get yours sorted?

I went to the Genius Bar today. The initial assistat I spoke with said it was a fault with the hardware - was I insured or extended warranty, which - no, I wasn't. Most he could offer was an out of warranty replacement - £159.

I as very polite, very calm - but said that I wasn't happy as it was working perfectly fine before I did the update, and that Oknew I had done nothing wrong to it. And infact my phone was really only 5 months old - I'd had a replacement phone, an out of warranty replace,ent last May when I put my old phone in the wshing machine - oops! Last time I accepted it wa smy fault hence paying up no problem. Ths time = not my fault.

So he sent for the maager to talk to. Agan - all very polite. But almost straight away she offered me a replacement, new phone, there and then for free as an "exceptional case."

So very happy right now - new phone all updated nd now currently restoring.