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A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

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Re: A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

#141

Post by izacus »

wildmusings wrote: post #117
izacus wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you really claiming that expectation for a piece of hardware to work more than 2 years is something that hugely increases costs? We're not talking 15 years here. 2 years.

Apple charges $99 for the two year warranty in the states. You get that "free" in Europe. Add in all of the other regulatory burdens, labor laws, and such, and it's very easy to see why things cost more in the rest of the Western world. As a perfect example, they're likely on the hook for many millions of dollars of repairs with this issue in the article in the EU. In the US, only the people that had the problem earl…

So you're claiming that Apple's manufacturing is SO BAD that the they have to charge a full additional 99$ (more than 1/10th of the price) just guarantee that your Apple device will work for 2 years? Or do you perhaps think that there's another reason (PROFIT!) there?

Re: A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

#142

Post by EA »

Happened to my launch-week iPhone 6 Plus. Apple employees at the store were aware that phones had this issue but acted like it wasn't a problem they could treat. They treated it as a "bad screen" problem by replacing screens. After a couple of screen replacements the issue didn't go away.

Ultimately, I had to pay $329.00 for a refurbished phone after they swapped out a few screens which didn't make the problem go away.

There is a class action lawsuit forming: http://mccunewright.com/iphone-6-touchscreen-defect/

Re: A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

#143

Post by Retr0spectrum »

pjc50 wrote: post #14
Mtinie wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presuming that manufacturers aren't about to stop trying to make thinner and thinner devices... Is this class of issues correctable (to a degree) with a change in the design of those components -- for example, proactively splitting the board at the point that the fissure is likely to appear and coupling it in a flexible way -- or is this a materials science concern where we need to find new methods to build the compo…

You can't split the board, it's the solder joints on the surface that are the problem. So far as I know there is no flexible soldering technology, and creating one would be pretty extreme materials science. (To see the problem, place a coin on a credit card and bend the card - note that the coin no longer touches across its whole surface) The normal solution is to make the PCB stiffer (thicker, or invent something be…

It would probably be very hard/expensive to manufacture, but you could have something like an LGA socket, with the springy contacts soldered to both the IC and the PCB. Thay way, the board can flex all it wants without overly stressing the solder joints.

Re: A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

#144

Post by tarnacious_ »

wildmusings wrote: post #101
tyfon wrote: post #26

"but said Apple doesn’t recognize it as an issue" Oh, I am so glad we have laws in my country to prevent asshole companies from doing things like this. Goods that is "expected to last long" has a five year mandatory warranty here and mobiles are included. The rest has two years. It doesn't matter if they recognize it as an issue, the phone is broken period.

And then people in your country probably get all upset when things cost way more. See "ripoff Britain" or all of the controversy in Australia. Your politicians won't break you the hard truth, but the reason why you pay more is that it's more expensive to sell to you.

With regard to Australia; in 2013 there was a parliamentary inquiry into IT pricing entitled "At what cost? IT pricing and the Australia tax". The report can be found here, on the Parliament of Australia website.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Hous...

Warranties (sections 3.24 to 3.27) are mentioned as one of many factors.

Re: A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

#145

Post by wildmusings »

reitanqild wrote: post #139
wildmusings wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple charges $99 for the two year warranty in the states. You get that "free" in Europe. Add in all of the other regulatory burdens, labor laws, and such, and it's very easy to see why things cost more in the rest of the Western world. As a perfect example, they're likely on the hook for many millions of dollars of repairs with this issue in the article in the EU. In the US, only the people that had the problem earl…

Actually, looking at Apples stock performance I'd easily say that this is just about demanding normal decency from Apple. They come to Europe to sell phones and we demand that they compete on the same terms as anyone else here. Edit: > they're likely on the hook for many millions of dollars of repairs with this issue in the article in the EU. They can expect no mercy ;-) They are big enough that they should know abou…

That's all fine and dandy, but it isn't free. That's the point I'm making.

Re: A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

#147

Post by zaroth »

pjc50 wrote: post #14
Mtinie wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presuming that manufacturers aren't about to stop trying to make thinner and thinner devices... Is this class of issues correctable (to a degree) with a change in the design of those components -- for example, proactively splitting the board at the point that the fissure is likely to appear and coupling it in a flexible way -- or is this a materials science concern where we need to find new methods to build the compo…

You can't split the board, it's the solder joints on the surface that are the problem. So far as I know there is no flexible soldering technology, and creating one would be pretty extreme materials science. (To see the problem, place a coin on a credit card and bend the card - note that the coin no longer touches across its whole surface) The normal solution is to make the PCB stiffer (thicker, or invent something be…

Do they add any flexibility around the mounting points? So the PCB can continue to lay flat, while the case flexes ~1mm around it?

Re: A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

#148

Post by zaroth »

collyw wrote: post #132
intoverflow2 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apart from that it was a great design, very user serviceable. Whole thing comes apart with just two screws, glass isn't part of the touch screen so smashed phones can be fixed for Apple likes to bleat on about how environmentally sound they are but glueing everything together and making it disposable piece of electro-garbage just makes that whole spiel ridiculous to me.

You mean the one that they choose the most obscure pentalobe screws on the market for?

I think the screw heads are a red herring. The screwdriver costs next to nothing, it's really not a problem spending a few dollars on tools for a phone that comes apart well. I think there are much more relevant things to complain about as far as actual "serviceability" goes.

The reality is, if you aren't the kind of person who can spend a few minutes researching and procuring the correct set of screwdrivers, you really should not be opening the case anyway. If you've ever opened up an iPhone and for example replaced the battery I think you would agree, the pentalobe screws are just the appropriate level of deterrent. Crucially, there's no DRM on the battery preventing me from swapping it out myself.

Re: A Design Defect Is Breaking iPhone 6 Pluses

#150

Post by UlyssesSKrunk »

tyfon wrote: post #26

"but said Apple doesn’t recognize it as an issue" Oh, I am so glad we have laws in my country to prevent asshole companies from doing things like this. Goods that is "expected to last long" has a five year mandatory warranty here and mobiles are included. The rest has two years. It doesn't matter if they recognize it as an issue, the phone is broken period.

Yeah, as an American this sucks. My aunt had this issue and was similarly told to buy another iphone because the "1 year limited warranty doesn't cover this". Took less than 5 minutes on the phone for her to get her money back through amex. Chargebacks are a godsend to us unprotected American consumers. I doubt the chargeback hurt apple much, but any little extra expense to them makes me happy.
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