rlibove

Q: iPhone quality

Dear Apple

I'm writing to advise you of problems I'm experiencing with my iPhone.  Recently the receiver stopped working and I can only hear sounds through the speaker or earbuds.  What do you have to say about this?

 

Which model is it?  An iPhone 4 - why do you ask?  Yes, a little over 5 years old.

 

Has it suffered any abuse? Nothing noteworthy.  I mean, I've dropped it a few times.  Maybe a few dozen times.  But who hasn't?

 

Most recently it did happen to fall 10' off a ladder onto a tile floor and....no, the glass didn't break.... now stop interrupting and let me finish!

 

And OK, so a few years ago it slipped out of the tank bag on my motorcycle and went tumbling down the road at about 35 mph.  Found it. Dusted it off.  Kept using it.  Thought nothing of it.  Again, these things happen, right?

 

Anything else?  Well, now that you mention it I guess I did drop it one more time.  Into a bucket of paint.  But it barely fell two feet!  Seriously?

 

So, yeah, after I fished it out of the paint - primer actually - boy does that stuff adhere!  and wiped it off, and used toothpicks, q-tips and paper towels to clean out the buttons and ports, that's when I noticed the receiver had stopped working!

 

So you can see why I'm so upset that this nearly new, lovingly cared for device is having problems, right?!?

 

Oh, wait.  Never mind.  I continued fiddling with a toothpick in the earbud jack and dislodged a small bit of dried paint, and the receiver is working again.

 

So I guess you can disregard this note - no need to repair or replace it under warranty (it is still under warranty, right? 5 yrs/50,000 calls or something, like a car?)   But I certainly hope you'll take my feedback into account as you design future models.

 

Maybe then I'll upgrade.  What's the latest new model?  a 4S or a 5 or something?

 

Sincerely,

R

iPhone 4, iOS 7.1.2

Posted on Jun 29, 2016 7:01 AM

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Q: iPhone quality

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Rudegar,

    Rudegar Rudegar Jun 29, 2016 7:24 AM in response to rlibove
    Level 7 (28,371 points)
    Wireless
    Jun 29, 2016 7:24 AM in response to rlibove

    you're not talking to apple this is a user helping user forum we are users like yourself

     

    if you wish to contact apple you should try http://www.apple.com/contact/

    or http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

     

    what you describe is stuck in headset mode which is a pretty common issue with all smartphones types you can read more here and look for hints how people fix it without having their headset connector exchanged.

    iPhone stuck in "headphones" mode

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Jun 29, 2016 7:29 AM in response to rlibove
    Level 9 (58,409 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 29, 2016 7:29 AM in response to rlibove

    rlibove wrote:

     

     

    Has it suffered any abuse? Nothing noteworthy.  I mean, I've dropped it a few times.  Maybe a few dozen times.  But who hasn't?

     

    Most recently it did happen to fall 10' off a ladder onto a tile floor and....no, the glass didn't break.... now stop interrupting and let me finish!

     

    And OK, so a few years ago it slipped out of the tank bag on my motorcycle and went tumbling down the road at about 35 mph.  Found it. Dusted it off.  Kept using it.  Thought nothing of it.  Again, these things happen, right?

    If that's your idea of "nothing noteworthy" in the way of abuse, I recommend you get an impact resistant case for your next phone, whatever it is.

     

    That fact that, after all that abuse and five years of use, your phone is still working is a certainly a glowing testament to the quality of iPhones.

  • by rlibove,

    rlibove rlibove Jun 29, 2016 7:30 AM in response to Rudegar
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 29, 2016 7:30 AM in response to Rudegar

    Hi Rudegar,

    Thanks for the reply - yes I'm aware this is a user forum.  Perhaps my post was too subtle, but please re-read it as a humorous (or attempt at humor anyway) commendation to Apple that an old high-tech device could survive the use and abuse I've heaped upon it!  Keep up the good work, Apple!

    R

  • by rlibove,

    rlibove rlibove Jun 29, 2016 7:33 AM in response to Meg St._Clair
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 29, 2016 7:33 AM in response to Meg St._Clair

    Meg,

    "That fact that, after all that abuse and five years of use, your phone is still working is a certainly a glowing testament to the quality of iPhones."

     

    Exactly my point!  I'm frankly amazed it's survived.  Kudos to Apple.


    And yes it's in a protective case, but only a slim silicone skin, not an Otterbox!

     

    R

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Jun 29, 2016 7:34 AM in response to rlibove
    Level 9 (58,409 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 29, 2016 7:34 AM in response to rlibove

    rlibove wrote:

     

    Hi Rudegar,

    Thanks for the reply - yes I'm aware this is a user forum.  Perhaps my post was too subtle, but please re-read it as a humorous (or attempt at humor anyway) commendation to Apple that an old high-tech device could survive the use and abuse I've heaped upon it!  Keep up the good work, Apple!

    You may have never seen some of the screeds posted here. Many of them read much the same way and people are serious.

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Jun 29, 2016 7:36 AM in response to rlibove
    Level 9 (58,409 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 29, 2016 7:36 AM in response to rlibove

    rlibove wrote:


    And yes it's in a protective case, but only a slim silicone skin, not an Otterbox!

     

     

    Even more impressive.

     

    I would have suggested LifeProof (now owned by Otterbox) as they also make a waterproof one.

     

    Are you old enough (and American enough) to remember the old Timex ads?