Apple is pretty screwy... literally

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Joe Average

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http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/012011-the-case-of-apples-mystery.html

So now, if you take your iPhone 4 in for service, what you get back is a modified version of the phone: Apple is stealing the screws from your stock from-the-factory iPhone 4 (if purchased before this date, I'm guessing) and replacing them with these damned Pentalobular ones they've apparently slapped a patent on and now get to control (read: monopolize) their usage, even down to who is "legally" allowed to own the screwdrivers themselves for doing the repair jobs.

No offense, Apple, but if I take my iPhone 4 (which I rarely use anymore since my HD2 blows it away) in for a repair and you steal my screws, I'm taking you to court since those screws belong to me, not you. I'm not under contract on this phone, it's mine, 100%, including those screws.

Anyone else reading this story get the feeling that Apple has literally lost its grip on reality, completely? I mean, I like puns as much as the next person, but Apple really has some screws loose this time out...
 
if you take an iPhone in for service, once they deem something is wrong and it should be replaced under warranty, they give you a new phone, not replace parts.

If it is out of warranty, they will offer you a discount on a newer one (once the iphone5 or w/e is out) or charge you a $100 fee to replace it for the same model.
This is what I've run into personally with my iPhone 3G. when under warranty, they just replaced it, and when not under warranty, they told me $100 for another 3G, or 10% (I believe it was 10%, didn't care too much because I couldn't afford it) off an iPhone 4.
 
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This was discussed to death on the Shacknews forums. One of the regular posters sells iPhone parts as a side business, official white iPhone 4 backs included (shh).

According to him, iFixit is running this story in order to sell their own screwdriver (the exact same one) and tool sets. Specifically, they are selling a $3 screwdriver for $10. To put it lightly, he thinks it is retarded:

Stop spewing information you read from a vendors marketing campaign trying to sell screwdrivers.

How many screwdrivers do you want? 5,000? I can have them at your door in 2 days via UPS straight from China.
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Gotta love chicken little marketing in order to make a buck and drive page hits.
 
No offense, Apple, but if I take my iPhone 4 (which I rarely use anymore since my HD2 blows it away) in for a repair and you steal my screws, I'm taking you to court since those screws belong to me, not you. I'm not under contract on this phone, it's mine, 100%, including those screws.
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They aren't stealing your screws any more than they'd be stealing your dead battery or fried mainboard. If you have a problem with it, don't get it repaired.

Get a screwdriver on ebay and quit whining.

Specifically, they are selling a $3 screwdriver for $10.
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The drivers cost a few cents each to make. Order one from China and get a more reasonable price.
 
ScottSwing said:
The drivers cost a few cents each to make. Order one from China and get a more reasonable price.
Click to expand...

That's the point the guy I was talking about was making when he said "How many screwdrivers do you want? 5,000? I can have them at your door in 2 days via UPS straight from China." :)

Again, nice little bit of self-promotion on iFixit's part to sell some "rare and hard to get" screwdrivers.
 
Joe, if you're willing to send the phone to Apple for repairs and not DIY, why are you worried about the screws? :p
 
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Funny, any hardware tech worth their weight already has these and many other "specialty" screwdrivers in their arsenal to begin with.
 
"OMG, can you believe Apple is screwing you?!?"

btw, buy some screwdrivers from us...
 
What a stupid story, made me lose a lot o respect for ifixit..

Apple's customer service is fantastic, oh, and I'll take my iphone4 over 100 HTc Hd2's, unless I was selling them.
 
Wow that pisses me off, and is one reason I would never want to buy an apple product. The lack of open architecture makes me run away from their stuff.

I'm sure some chinese will be selling these screw drivers on the black market anyway. :p
 
Red Squirrel said:
I'm sure some chinese will be selling these screw drivers on the black market anyway. :p
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It's not a patented design. The only "black market" is the regular market, which is, at this time, quite brimming with pentalobe drivers from various manufacturers.
 
Joe Average said:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/012011-the-case-of-apples-mystery.html

So now, if you take your iPhone 4 in for service, what you get back is a modified version of the phone: Apple is stealing the screws from your stock from-the-factory iPhone 4 (if purchased before this date, I'm guessing) and replacing them with these damned Pentalobular ones they've apparently slapped a patent on and now get to control (read: monopolize) their usage, even down to who is "legally" allowed to own the screwdrivers themselves for doing the repair jobs.

No offense, Apple, but if I take my iPhone 4 (which I rarely use anymore since my HD2 blows it away) in for a repair and you steal my screws, I'm taking you to court since those screws belong to me, not you. I'm not under contract on this phone, it's mine, 100%, including those screws.

Anyone else reading this story get the feeling that Apple has literally lost its grip on reality, completely? I mean, I like puns as much as the next person, but Apple really has some screws loose this time out...
Click to expand...

This happened in the mid 80's. Nothing new.
 
lets see *rummages in toolbox* I have 3 of these, I paid $0.99 for them at SEARS and they're under lifetime warrenty... so where's the Apple Patent? ;)

I will agree it's a Dirty Rotten Trick for apple to swap out the screws but, meh, as somone said, apple's been doing stupid things since the 80s, not much of a suprise.

It's an even dirtier trick to try and claim it's a "rare" design and you have to get THEIR screwdriver to remove the screws...

Apple's customer service varies store-to-store or phone-rep-to-phone-rep. I personally couldn't be happier with the estimated $255 repair I got for free (though whether it would honestly cost $255 is up for question) especially when my MacBook was out of warrenty. But I've heard so many horror stories as well. walking into an apple store with a broken product is playing roulette, sometimes you land on black and sometimes you land on red.
 
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