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iPad Retina

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 6, 2013
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Toronto
I talked to Apple Today and they say thats all replacements are new, not refurbished, is that true?
 
you think there are refurbished iPhone 7's already?

its been discussed numerous times, numerous threads and debated for years. if you paid $949 for a phone, would you want a refurb? they have new replacement devices in white boxes that come without accessories meant to replace defective units.
 
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you think there are refurbished iPhone 7's already?

its been discussed numerous times, numerous threads and debated for years. if you paid $949 for a phone, would you want a refurb? they have new replacement devices in white boxes that come without accessories meant to replace defective units.
Sorry I meant iPhone 6 Plus
 
Sorry I meant iPhone 6 Plus

at this point, it wouldn't surprise me if some of them were factory refurbs. but who knows. the employees could be told to tell you its "new" since average person may never realize the difference. I would just go by what they say it is.

in reality, refurbs have a higher QC than regular factory items so they are usually just as good, if not better.
 
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I talked to Apple Today and they say thats all replacements are new, not refurbished, is that true?

A replacement device has the potential for used internals, the screen and aluminum casing is new/replaced. A Senior Advisor stated to me they were not allowed to call a replacement device as 'New', being they could not guarantee the device would be new.
 
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Thought I would join MacRumors to get some opinions on my situation. Firstly I've been a long standing customer of Apple since 2000, have owned all the iPhones my latests being a iPhone 6s plus. I also own a MacBook Pro. I purchased my last iPhone in Jan 2016 since then I've had four replacements thats five in total, the last one only lasted a week before it started to shut down randomly, this was tested by a senior Apple technician and a hardware fault was diagnosed like the rest. My point being that Apple sometimes replace faulty iPhones with refurbished stock, I've spoke to Apple customer services in Ireland who have eventually agreed to give me a refund on my iPhone but the issue still stands why should Apple be allowed replace faulty units with an iPhone which has second hand internals, logic board and other components. I know they are tested but these components aren't new and like and aged item may fail sooner.
I have emailed Tim Cook but the response keeps getting passed back to customer services in Ireland who won't give me a direct answer, just wondered what are your thoughts.
If you spent £1000 on a new iPhone 7plus and it failed a six weeks later would you be happy with one with second hand components or would you want a new replacement unit.
 
Thought I would join MacRumors to get some opinions on my situation. Firstly I've been a long standing customer of Apple since 2000, have owned all the iPhones my latests being a iPhone 6s plus. I also own a MacBook Pro. I purchased my last iPhone in Jan 2016 since then I've had four replacements thats five in total, the last one only lasted a week before it started to shut down randomly, this was tested by a senior Apple technician and a hardware fault was diagnosed like the rest. My point being that Apple sometimes replace faulty iPhones with refurbished stock, I've spoke to Apple customer services in Ireland who have eventually agreed to give me a refund on my iPhone but the issue still stands why should Apple be allowed replace faulty units with an iPhone which has second hand internals, logic board and other components. I know they are tested but these components aren't new and like and aged item may fail sooner.
I have emailed Tim Cook but the response keeps getting passed back to customer services in Ireland who won't give me a direct answer, just wondered what are your thoughts.
If you spent £1000 on a new iPhone 7plus and it failed a six weeks later would you be happy with one with second hand components or would you want a new replacement unit.

I honestly wouldn't mind getting a refurb. Simply for the fact that the parts which are being reused are non moving internals. The case/screen is all brand new along with the battery.

I've had a $750 ipad returned 1 week after purchase for a refurb replacement and I've been happy with it.
 
I honestly wouldn't mind getting a refurb. Simply for the fact that the parts which are being reused are non moving internals. The case/screen is all brand new along with the battery.

I've had a $750 ipad returned 1 week after purchase for a refurb replacement and I've been happy with it.
Your missing my point, my original purchase was new so I expect a new replacement not refurbished, it's a matter of principles. If my original was second hand I would be happy with a refurbished replacement.
[doublepost=1481377213][/doublepost]Your missing my point, my original purchase was new so I expect a new replacement not refurbished, it's amatter of principles. If my original was second hand I would be happy with a refurbished replacement, also there is a massive price difference.
Depending on the iPhone model there is a £300 price difference between new and refurbished stock, that's if your iPhone has failed and you wish to purchase a replacement.
 
Your missing my point, my original purchase was new so I expect a new replacement not refurbished, it's amatter of principles. If my original was second hand I would be happy with a refurbished replacement, also there is a massive price difference.
Depending on the iPhone model there is a £300 price difference between new and refurbished stock, that's if your iPhone has failed and you wish to purchase a replacement.
So, your saying since you brought in a USED product for a warranty repair, you should get back a NEW product back instead? ummm, that doesn't really add up.

Personally, I would take a refurb Apple product any day over new!
 
Your missing my point, my original purchase was new so I expect a new replacement not refurbished, it's a matter of principles. If my original was second hand I would be happy with a refurbished replacement.
[doublepost=1481377213][/doublepost]Your missing my point, my original purchase was new so I expect a new replacement not refurbished, it's amatter of principles. If my original was second hand I would be happy with a refurbished replacement, also there is a massive price difference.
Depending on the iPhone model there is a £300 price difference between new and refurbished stock, that's if your iPhone has failed and you wish to purchase a replacement.

How exactly am I missing the point? I payed $700 for an ipad.The brand new iPad was faulty. I got a replacement which had the visual appearance and functionality of a brand new device, but with the added bonus of not being faulty. I could have kept my brand new faulty device, but I wanted a device that worked and was in immaculate condition.

You need to stop worrying about everyone else and enjoy your non faulty refurb or put up with whatever problems your brand new device has.
 
So, your saying since you brought in a USED product for a warranty repair, you should get back a NEW product back instead? ummm, that doesn't really add up.

Personally, I would take a refurb Apple product any day over new!
Im not worried about everyone else I'm considering myself, I've had one new iPhone all the replacements have failed due to hardware faults. All these units have been refurbished stock, four in total the fourth only lasting a week, like I've said its a matter of principle, I expect a NEW replacement after four refurbished units have failed.
 
For the first few months the parts in the service channel are new. After early failure analysis is complete and they know what to fix and whats breaking they begin doing refurbs. And theyre great. Indistinguishable.
 
Im not worried about everyone else I'm considering myself, I've had one new iPhone all the replacements have failed due to hardware faults. All these units have been refurbished stock, four in total the fourth only lasting a week, like I've said its a matter of principle, I expect a NEW replacement after four refurbished units have failed.

White box iPhones are not refurbished they are remanufactured.

They have a new screen, new casing and new battery. There is a chance that the chipset has been remanufactured but you are not getting someone's broken phone that was repaired. They are completely rebuilt and have a brand new serial number. Remanufactured iPhones also go through more intensive testing than retail new units. Each united is individually tested instead of random ones from the assembly line. I have never had a problem with a refurb, but I have had countless problems with new retail units.

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/the-difference-between-refurbished-remanufactured
 
White box iPhones are not refurbished they are remanufactured.

They have a new screen, new casing and new battery. There is a chance that the chipset has been remanufactured but you are not getting someone's broken phone that was repaired. They are completely rebuilt and have a brand new serial number. Remanufactured iPhones also go through more intensive testing than retail new units. Each united is individually tested instead of random ones from the assembly line. I have never had a problem with a refurb, but I have had countless problems with new retail units.

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/the-difference-between-refurbished-remanufactured
I guess it's more that you never had trouble with a remanufactured unit vs. a refurb then.
 
With a replacement device there's a very high probability of getting a refurbished device as a replacement. Unless it's a newly released device where there's a shortage of devices to be refurbished, in which case you're likely to get a completely new device.

The refurbished devices from Apple are of an extremely high standard. They undergo rigorous testing, even beyond that which a new device gets. Externally all parts are brand new, only some of the internal components will be refurbished and reused.

While some people may well argue that they purchased a brand new product in the first place and so expect a new one in an exchange situation, one must also take into account that the device you are returning to Apple for exchange is anything but new.

You are returning a used and damaged product, to expect a brand new one is perhaps slightly unfair. Don't get me wrong, I do see that side of the argument, but at the end of the day as soon as you take a product out of its packaging it is then a used device, you are not returning a new product.

Apple has arguably the best after sales support of any company out there. They will happily exchange devices for even the smallest of things, they have a returns policy which puts the vast majority of other companies to shame.

For a small example, when I had my 6+ it developed a slightly loose mute switch. To be clear, it was neither broken nor malfunctioning, just ever so slightly loose when you moved it around. This was also several months out of it's warranty period and it did not have AppleCare.

When I was in my local Apple Store purchasing something, I happened to mention it, just in passing as it was relevant to the conversation I was having with the assistant. He asked to see it and without hesitation offered me a replacement device. Completely free of charge even though I had no right whatsoever to expect any such treatment, I had neither warranty nor insurance. Not only that but the device they would give me as a replacement came with 90 days of no questions asked warranty service.

That kind of above and beyond customer service comes at a price. It's not free for Apple to do such things, there are costs involved in the refurbishment of devices.
I've never, in my many, many years as a consumer received service like that from anyone but Apple.

If we all of a sudden decide that we will accept nothing but a brand new, factory sealed replacement device every time we have a problem, or return a product just because we decided we didn't like it. Those costs will no longer be absorbed by Apple, it's an unrealistic expectation.

The cost of products would rise, the cost of insurance would rise and the exemplary after sales support that Apple give well into and beyond a products warranty period would disappear completely.

So at the end of the day what would you prefer, a device which to all intents and purposes is brand new and will serve you just as long as the previous one did (if not longer as it's been so rigorously tested that any minor issue has been rectified) therefore maintaining the outstanding customer support Apple gives. Or, get a brand new device straight from the factory, but sacrifice everything else that makes Apple customer service what it is and have them be no better than any other manufacturer?

Having tried to get a replacement device from Samsung, Sony, HTC and Nokia (to name just a few) myself in the past and faced a ridiculous amount of resistance from them, I know which option I'd choose.
 
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Firstly I've been a long standing customer of Apple since 2000, have owned all the iPhones my latests being a iPhone 6s plus. I also own a MacBook Pro. I purchased my last iPhone in Jan 2016 since then I've had four replacements thats five in total, the last one only lasted a week before it started to shut down randomly
IIRC, iPhone 6s models shutting down randomly is a known issue that has nothing to do with whether the phone has all-new or second-hand components inside of it.

If you spent £1000 on a new iPhone 7plus and it failed a six weeks later would you be happy with one with second hand components or would you want a new replacement unit.
I'd be happy with that.

Like you, I've owned every model iPhone. I've had 3 or 4 of them fail, and I've never had any problems with second-hand components inside the replacement iPhones failing.

How it looks is the most important thing to me. I don't ever want to return a broken iPhone for warranty service and get a replacement one that doesn't look new. Apple's got that covered, along with the battery.
 
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