Apple's Quality Control - Post Steve Jobs

[Jerz]

Hey guys,

I'm curious as to how people are feeling about Apple's Quality Control after Steve Jobs had passed away?

Last year, I had to get 3 replacement retina macbook pros because the screen had image retention and yellow tint problem, and there are countless threads about this today on the late 2013 retina macbook pros as well.

I have also read countless iPhone 5 and iPad air problems and I recall not ever seeing so many quality control issues.

Let me in on your thoughts on this topic guys! Thanks a lot.

 

[Shrink]

Hey guys,

I'm curious as to how people are feeling about Apple's Quality Control after Steve Jobs had passed away?

Last year, I had to get 3 replacement retina macbook pros because the screen had image retention and yellow tint problem, and there are countless threads about this today on the late 2013 retina macbook pros as well.

I have also read countless iPhone 5 and iPad air problems and I recall not ever seeing so many quality control issues.

Let me in on your thoughts on this topic guys! Thanks a lot.

The post above is absolutely correct!

Everything was so much better when Jobs was around. QC issues couldn't have anything to do with the vastly increased number of devices produced and, therefore, the increased opportunity for QC errors.

I just wonder whether the percentage of QC errors have increased, as opposed to the raw numbers.

Nah...it's all Cook's fault...

<----Please note, for those unclear on the intent of the post.

 

[Jerz]

The post above is absolutely correct!

Everything was so much better when Jobs was around. QC issues couldn't have anything to do with the vastly increased number of devices produced and, therefore, the increased opportunity for QC errors.

I just wonder whether the percentage of QC errors have increased, as opposed to the raw numbers.

Nah...it's all Cook's fault...

<----Please note, for those unclear on the intent of the post.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I feel like Apple has moved their focus from customer satisfaction to yearly innovation. While innovation is good, but if customers spend 20% of the lifetime of their product trying to get what they paid for, then Apple is focusing on the wrong aspect of their business model.

As to the percentage vs. raw numbers, I'm curious too. Because Apple's shares has been rising due to their dominant phone market, more complaints are also revealed. We probably won't be able to conclude on this any time soon.

I used to be an Apple fanboy, but having to replace my $3,200 laptop 3 times just made me lose faith in Apple and completely switched over to Windows.

I am missing Apple products and my goal for this thread is to get some traction going and hopefully, someone from Apple will see this.

 

[roadbloc]

I am missing Apple products and my goal for this thread is to get some traction going and hopefully, someone from Apple will see this.

I hate to piss on your bonfire and everything but... that's never going to happen.

If people think that quality control was better under Job's reign, take a look at the iPhone 4. Antennagate was pretty big. So much so that people successfully sued Apple for it. But the list goes on as you go back. There have always been the occasional product that had a bit of a defect. It happens and quite often can be of no fault of Apple's, rather the hardware supplier.

 

[kolax]

You have a bad memory.

Original MacBook Air and iPhone 4 should've failed quality control.

 

[Lone Deranger]

I used to be an Apple fanboy, but having to replace my $3,200 laptop 3 times just made me lose faith in Apple and completely switched over to Windows.

I am missing Apple products and my goal for this thread is to get some traction going and hopefully, someone from Apple will see this.

Or maybe you were just, you know, lucky during the Jobs era and unlucky with your $3200 laptop.
Occam's razor and all.

 

[quagmire]

Every year people claim Apple's QC is slipping. People were complaining about it ever since I got my first Mac back in 2004.

Has it possibly slipped since Apple shifted to China and letting third party companies build their products? Possibly, but that has been true even when Jobs was CEO.

 

[djtech42]

There's only so much they can do when the products are being built in China. Hopefully Apple will have more control over the quality of the new Mac Pro because it is being manufactured in the US.

 

[kolax]

There's only so much they can do when the products are being built in China. Hopefully Apple will have more control over the quality of the new Mac Pro because it is being manufactured in the US.

The issue isn't the country producing the products. The issue is humans are involved in putting bits together.

Consistent quality won't happen until machines are doing everything from producing components to putting the end product together, with minimal human involvement.

Then manufactures can afford to chuck away lemons, such as yellow tinted screens.

 

[NT1440]

You people need to realize that as technology advances manufacturing gets more complicated. Add on top that very few companies are buying components in the sheer quantity that Apple is (think NAND, ONE specific type of gorilla glass etc) and of course there will be a given amount of defects, manufacturing at this scale and pace it'd be absurd to expect perfection every time. Keep in mind that many components such as screen have little to do with apple other than them not purchasing unless a manufacturer can produce the correct quantity within the specified error rate. That's why we keep seeing apple switch around its manufacturing supplier for things like screens.

To expect that every single Apple device, or any other device maker's product, will be 100% error free is to not understand anything about mass manufacturing. Of course it's not nice to get a defective unit, but to see how some people in retail stores act like it's the end of the world to get a defective product (and of course get a functional unit under the MFG warranty) it's absurd.

 

[Jerz]

You people need to realize that as technology advances manufacturing gets more complicated. Add on top that very few companies are buying components in the sheer quantity that Apple is (think NAND, ONE specific type of gorilla glass etc) and of course there will be a given amount of defects, manufacturing at this scale and pace it'd be absurd to expect perfection every time. Keep in mind that many components such as screen have little to do with apple other than them not purchasing unless a manufacturer can produce the correct quantity within the specified error rate. That's why we keep seeing apple switch around its manufacturing supplier for things like screens.

To expect that every single Apple device, or any other device maker's product, will be 100% error free is to not understand anything about mass manufacturing. Of course it's not nice to get a defective unit, but to see how some people in retail stores act like it's the end of the world to get a defective product (and of course get a functional unit under the MFG warranty) it's absurd.

You think just because there's is technology advancement, we can forget about the degrading quality control? If that to you sounds like it's reasonable then you're nuts.

Of course it is absurd to see 100% QC, but motorola's done it at about 99% before, why can't apple do it? Apple is at the top of its game, and yet they can't afford to raise their QC? And your connection of technology advancement to quality control is without evidence and only full of theory. Explain to me, how you think that it becomes harder to put together components just because there is technology advancement? Tell me, how exactly, with each passing year does technology become harder to assemble as they advance?

Some people act like it's the end of the world when they get a defective unit is because they've spent a lot of money on their order and alongside that, a lot of waiting. Just as someone would expect with technology advancement, they would think their product would be in a better quality, so of course people will act absurd when they get a failing unit. Furthermore, we all know that Apple products are sold at a premium, so to see so many defective laptop threads and disappointment is true absurdity.

 

[MyMac1976]

You think just because there's is technology advancement, we can forget about the degrading quality control? If that to you sounds like it's reasonable then you're nuts.

Of course it is absurd to see 100% QC, but motorola's done it at about 99% before, why can't apple do it? Apple is at the top of its game, and yet they can't afford to raise their QC? And your connection of technology advancement to quality control is without evidence and only full of theory. Explain to me, how you think that it becomes harder to put together components just because there is technology advancement? Tell me, how exactly, with each passing year does technology become harder to assemble as they advance?

Some people act like it's the end of the world when they get a defective unit is because they've spent a lot of money on their order and alongside that, a lot of waiting. Just as someone would expect with technology advancement, they would think their product would be in a better quality, so of course people will act absurd when they get a failing unit. Furthermore, we all know that Apple products are sold at a premium, so to see so many defective laptop threads and disappointment is true absurdity.

But your anecdotes or multiple anecdotes are of course symbolic of the decline of Apple right?

 

[Jerz]

But your anecdotes or multiple anecdotes are of course symbolic of the decline of Apple right?

Obviously it is not. Thats why I'm looking for other individual's opinions. And opinions like yours were definitely not what I had in mind, so thank you for taking up room in this thread.

 

[MyMac1976]

Obviously it is not. Thats why I'm looking for other individual's opinions. And opinions like yours were definitely not what I had in mind, so thank you for taking up room in this thread.

You were looking for confirmation, you didn't get it and lashed out.

 

[Jerz]

You were looking for confirmation, you didn't get it and lashed out.

I do apologize for trying to downplay his reply by saying that it is full of theory and not evidence.

But what's it got to do with you? You don't have anything to contribute, absolutely nothing. Seems like all you're trying to do is start a fire.

 

[Rogifan]

It seems since Jobs died there is this tendency to think of the past differently. The simple fact is Apple is much bigger and selling much more product than they ever did while Jobs was CEO. In 2010 Apple announced they sold 1.7M iPhone 4's on launch weekend. This year they announced 9 million 5S/5C's on launch weekend. In 2010 Apple announced they sold 3 million iPads in 80 days. Now Apple sells at least that many in one weekend. And I think its fair to say that Apple's manufacturing processes are more ambitious than they ever were under Jobs (except maybe for iPhone 4). Some of the things they're doing other companies would never attempt to do in a mass produced product that sells in such massive quantities. Would things be different if Jobs were still alive and Cook was still COO? It's impossible to say.

 

[MyMac1976]

I do apologize for trying to downplay his reply by saying that it is full of theory and not evidence.

But what's it got to do with you? You don't have anything to contribute, absolutely nothing. Seems like all you're trying to do is start a fire.

Your right my opinion of this thread and by extension you are implied. Your going to have have to drag out skills learned in school to discover my opinion.

 

[turtle777]

All Apple products I ever purchased were personally inspected by Steve.

They still are, though it now takes a little longer.

-t

 

[Jerz]

Your right my opinion of this thread and by extension you are implied. Your going to have have to drag out skills learned in school to discover my opinion.

seems like you haven't learned how to use the word your and you're correctly in school.

 

[rdowns]

seems like you haven't learned how to use the word your and you're correctly in school.

Actually, he has used the words correctly 68 times in the MacRumors forums, none since Steve Jobs died.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I used to be an Apple fanboy

Allowing yourself to become a 'fanboy' was your first mistake.

 

[thekev]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I feel like Apple has moved their focus from customer satisfaction to yearly innovation. While innovation is good, but if customers spend 20% of the lifetime of their product trying to get what they paid for, then Apple is focusing on the wrong aspect of their business model.

As to the percentage vs. raw numbers, I'm curious too. Because Apple's shares has been rising due to their dominant phone market, more complaints are also revealed. We probably won't be able to conclude on this any time soon.

I used to be an Apple fanboy, but having to replace my $3,200 laptop 3 times just made me lose faith in Apple and completely switched over to Windows.

I am missing Apple products and my goal for this thread is to get some traction going and hopefully, someone from Apple will see this.

I think you were just sucked into the RDF. Quality control and general component problems aren't unique to the current CEO. Did you consider G5 logic board failures during his era? What about swelling batteries on the earlier macbook pros? Do you remember the old macbooks and the displays used? Those were pretty terrible. What about the iPhone 4 and dropped calls. I could go on. What you're complaining about isn't even necessarily a quality control issue. It's a design issue. The design has to accommodate a certain amount of variation in terms of lcd panels, as it is part of their nature. Applying some kind of corrective measure is necessary if they want to get it any closer. It's the same way some companies solve uniformity issues in desktops beyond the level that is possible through simply purchasing the correct panels. It's likely that they considered these to be just within spec.

 

[skottichan]

My G3 iBook had a recall with its logic board. It had to be replaced, twice.

My original first gen iMac had a hard drive recall.

My first gen MacBook had a swelling battery.

My 2011 27 iMac serial number is on the recall list.

All of these were during the Jobs Era. That's not counting the G5 iMac power source recall, the first gen iPad Nanos catching fire, "Antenna gate", the polycarbonate issues along the MacBook and iPhone lines, the MacBook Air battery swelling recall, the USB power adapter recall, etc.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

The QC is exactly the same. They're average computers, always have been, and always will be. They use the same parts as everyone else.

What is different, and significantly better than everyone else, ever, is their level of consumer (non-business) customer service.

 

[NT1440]

The QC is exactly the same. They're average computers, always have been, and always will be. They use the same parts as everyone else.

What is different, and significantly better than everyone else, ever, is their level of consumer (non-business) customer service.

This.

Remember that Foxconn or Pegatron have assembled just about every single device you've purchased in the last decade regardless of the brand. QC in manufacturing comes down to the actual assembly, not the company's name that is on the box.