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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Apple should replace my old phone for free

142 replies

ffswhatnext · 27/10/2019 16:40

It's about 3 or 4 years old. Worked beautifully. Ok, that battery wasn't 100% but considering how much I use it, by the time it needs dealing with I would be looking at something else anyway. Which is at least 3 years away.
The screen has a slight crack, but not an issue for me as you don't really notice it and everything worked.

Everything was great until last week and I updated the phone. I am technically competent and have done everything they would have in store. Their policy when sending off is they will fix the screen at my cost. I don't want the screen fixed. Had this update not completely fucked my phone I wouldn't be going to the store. And if I was bothered I would do it myself, which I cannot do because I'm not authorised.

Am I being unreasonable for them to sort out the phone without cost to me?

I haven't been in yet, just trying to gauge an idea if I will have a bit of a 'battle' on my hands.

And no I don't want to switch to android. I have one and hate it lol.

It might be an obvious answer to you, but not me hence I am asking.

OP posts:
FlamingoAndJohn · 27/10/2019 17:49

When the same happened to the 3 I couldn't install the update and get the cannot support message. Same with one the dc's 4's

So you’ve now had 3 phones that have not updated properly. Do you think you could be doing something wrong?

GrumpyHoonMain · 27/10/2019 17:50

They do offer a replacement with a like for like phone.

PookieDo · 27/10/2019 17:51

@PettyContractor

They don’t tell people the risk, but often phones will go wrong with the internal hardware when you update an IOS and you cannot go back and reinstall anything - internal error = dead. And they will not take responsibility because they will accuse you of water damage/dropping it/using the wrong cable and literally everything you can think of. They say they are not responsible for what happens to phones during an update. I spent MONTHS arguing with apple support about this and got nowhere, please don’t invest too much time on this mission yourself OP
Get a new phone!

somanyresusablebags · 27/10/2019 17:51

My 5 month old water resistant iPhone x had water damage after I put it in my pocket and went for a run in the rain.

Apple/o2 were unrepentant.

I am on an android now. I like it less but apple products not a good investment.

PookieDo · 27/10/2019 17:53

They replace when in warranty and they replace if it’s covered in their tiny tiny many pages of T&C’s and out of warranty iPhones are not covered. They will offer you money off a new one

Unless I am reading something different here...? Are you talking insurance because I read OP and could not see it’s insured

HeresMe · 27/10/2019 17:56

@TheWorldAsh

If you want to but into a very very over priced ecosystem that's fine, thanks for your opinion also if you want to make it like that..

Apple are good at what they do integrating but so are Google. So are Microsoft,who don't charge the earth for their eco systems.

Original poster
ffswhatnext · 27/10/2019 17:57

@PettyContractor that's what my mind keeps going back to.
I said up thread I know I am being unreasonable based on the age of the phone and the use I got from it.
But then I think but if it wasn't because of the update, it would still be working. So why should I lose out? Does that make me a cheeky fucky or one hell of a lucky one? Not like I am also asking them to give me a new battery as well.

I don't want a new model. I just want a phone that meets my needs and has the same support. I am even willing to lose memory.

I haven't bought into their ecosystem. They provide what I need and others don't. I'm not one of those that upgrade constantly, which is why I am still on 6.

OP posts:
Latersxx · 27/10/2019 18:12

Have you got a Genius Bar nearby that you can go to? They are normally really helpful.

BritishHorrorStory · 27/10/2019 18:15

Does it no longer turn on at all? I have a 6 that did this and was stuck on the red battery screen when i charged it but didn't have enough charge to turn on when I took the charger out so was stuck in a sort of battery loop. One of the suggestions was to put the phone in charge, place it face down and use a hairdryer on the battery (not right on it) to heat it up and send power into it. It worked.

FlamingoAndJohn · 27/10/2019 18:38

but often phones will go wrong with the internal hardware when you update an IOS

How can a software update damage hardware. Firmware perhaps, but not hardware.

LemonPrism · 27/10/2019 18:46

That's what happens when iPhones become too old. They stop the updates from worki on them so you'll buy a new phone.

It's just what happenes

HungryForApples · 27/10/2019 18:51

Did you buy it directly from Apple? If so it's covered by a lifetime warranty. I found this out when they happily replaced a years old iPhone that started having battery issues. I was very impressed!

FlamingoAndJohn · 27/10/2019 18:53

They don’t ‘stop the updates from working’. The phones are too old for the updates to work. If they made sure that every update worked on every phone then none of the updates would be worth happening.

Would you really expect a 5 year old phone to be just as fast as a current phone?

nononever · 27/10/2019 19:01

Did you buy it directly from Apple? If so it's covered by a lifetime warranty.

It isn't. Two years limited at most.

PookieDo · 27/10/2019 19:27

When this happened to my daughters phone she had a 12 month and 2 week old iPhone 5S

I cannot remember the IOS she was updating to because it was quite some while ago

She pressed update and it did all the usual, but when it got back to the Apple screen and turned on it would then not open with her passcode

So I downloaded iTunes and plugged it in to a computer and reinstalled the whole phone and when it came on, it said ‘error connecting to server’

I then called Apple, they said it must be the SIM. So I tried my SIM and it didn’t help.

They then said I had the wrong cable
I didn’t

I then booked an appointment which was bloody miles away at the nearest Genius Bar. I took the phone there. I was there for 3 hours while they just kept trying to reinstall from iTunes. They ended up ringing Apple support themselves who said ‘sometimes the server error message comes up and there is no way to bypass it if it won’t reinstall and it’s a firmware problem which we don’t cover’

I then complained to Apple support and they opened a case and investigated it and I had to send the phone off

They came back and said the same flannel. so I had to buy her a new phone

Even if she didn’t have enough storage, it still downloaded to her phone. it just could then not connect to Apple server, nothing could be done for it

PookieDo · 27/10/2019 19:29

Oh also if you buy through a 3rd party, such as a phone company like 02, Apple will just fob you back to the company under the warranty and they will fob you back to Apple like ping pong.

PookieDo · 27/10/2019 19:33

This is the wording of an Apple warranty.

To think Apple should replace my old phone for free
Theresnobslikeshowbs · 27/10/2019 19:41

Do you keep trying to launch your phone with an update from last iCloud backup? Which could have been last done when all your texts etc were on there which means they will keep coming back- along with everything else from your fully full phone?!

yunalis · 27/10/2019 19:43

When you say you tried everything, did you boot into recovery mode?

The android/apple debate is pointless, especially when talking about updates. How many of your Android phones got Q?

Theresnobslikeshowbs · 27/10/2019 19:43

If your iPhone 6 does not show the option to update to 13, you can connect to a laptop/pc via iTunes and are able to get the update that way.

Lhastingsmua · 27/10/2019 19:45

Sorry but I cannot stand tech-illiterate people - there is SO much misinformation in this thread. Ridiculous.

OP I think your phone is fixable at home. It was probably a corrupted installation of the update, see here:

support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201263

Theresnobslikeshowbs · 27/10/2019 19:45

Have you accessed your iCloud via a pc/laptop and deleted anything you don’t want from the cloud directly rather than using your phone, so it will free up space?

Lhastingsmua · 27/10/2019 19:46

Obviously if the update option in iTunes doesn’t work, just restore it and sync your backup later

Theresnobslikeshowbs · 27/10/2019 19:47

Oh and one way of recovery it is only through connecting to an Apple Mac. So if you have one great, connect them up answer recover that way.

Avenilson · 27/10/2019 19:56

I have an iPhone 6 and the latest update works fine. As you have no warranty to invalidate, just open it up yourself (of course you have to buy the specific pentalobe screwdrivers but they are cheap on eBay) and disconnect and reconnect the battery - that should reset for you and hopefully get you out of the loop you are in.

If not I'd bring it to a general phone repair shop before bringing it to apple. Should be cheaper and faster.

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