Get AppleCare+ while you can. Do it online or via the phone itself as it will run diagnostics and make sure phone works before letting you buy it I believe. Avoid going in store if possible.
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Other New iPhone, scratched a rear camera lens by accidental drop; AppleCare+?
- Thread starter phillytim
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Get AppleCare+ via your iPhone, wait a couple days, message Apple about the damage and ask for a express replacement. They'll send you a new/refurb iPhone replacement with a extra box to send the damage one back. Pretty sure you will have to pay for the accidental damage fee.
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Yesterday I stopped by the local Apple Store, and acted like I was buying an iPad (which I am going to be upgrading my ol' iPad in the near future).
In the conversation I showed the person my phone, said I just got it and dropped it and damaged the camera - he looked at it and said that it should be fine - and that Apple doesn't AppleCare "normal wear and tear".
I didn't go to the Genius Bar itself to expressly ask about the damage, because I was hoping the floor person would give me some insight - he had no pity on me. lol
In the conversation I showed the person my phone, said I just got it and dropped it and damaged the camera - he looked at it and said that it should be fine - and that Apple doesn't AppleCare "normal wear and tear".
I didn't go to the Genius Bar itself to expressly ask about the damage, because I was hoping the floor person would give me some insight - he had no pity on me. lol
Take to an Apple Store and explain what happened. Maybe they offer you a replacement as a courtesy.
Perhaps I'll just go straight to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store, show them what happened and ask how much an OOW repair would cost - and see if they show any mercy.
If that doesn't turn out, then I'll just go the route of using my AMEX Purchase Protection (within 90 days) reimbusement to get the camera lens repaired by Apple (or replaced, if Apple so chooses).
I really do not want to scam anyone; it was a horrible mishap on a shiny new object.
Perhaps the bigger lesson here is: do not buy something valuable on a Friday the 13th, as I did. ⛈️
LOL
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Do you think the Apple Store would even have replacements available, in this time of high demand of the new product?
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Apple diverts some units from production for replacement. They are brand new, they just go into those white boxes you see at the Apple store instead of a retail box.
They can, however, determine COSMETIC damage, whether it's ACCIDENTAL or not.
Cosmetic damage, which does not prevent the device from working correctly, might be a cause to send OP's device back. Because Apple does not cover cosmetic damage whether that damage is accidental or deliberate.
Just buy AppleCare+ via the phone as we've suggested here and break the damn thing and go through the replacement process. Being up front with Apple these days isn't like it used to be back in the day, company is a penny pincher now.
Which is a real shame, knowing that Apple sits on that $3 Trillion dollar wad of cash - as so many of we peons scramble our pockets to patronize it.
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Yeah, someone here commented recently in a thread of mine that the Apple Geniuses now are basically just salespeople. As salespeople, dealing with customers over a repair or replacement means they aren't selling anything. And that means they are not meeting the metrics that were established when Ahrendts took over managing all the Apple stores.
That, I think is why Apple Geniuses now are always trying to sell you something. And @phillytim, is probably why you had such a cold reaction when you were 'looking' at iPads. The genius probably deduced your real reason and wasn't going to get a sale from you, so shut you down.
I had a similar thing when trying to get a new battery recently for a 6 Plus. I disagreed with the genius's assessment of my device (failing logicboard he said) and he knew he wasn't getting a sale (of a new phone), so low and behold, Apple's system would not allow him to order a battery.
Decided to take another shot at the Apple Store, after remembering that I took this photo when I initially picked up my phone (before dropping it)—which shows banding while taking a photo of an area with a large LED screen, and worries me that it will happen again.
As we all capture LED screens of some sort nowadays—be it at an Phillies game, an Apple Store, nightclubs, or even our own home TV—and I believe that we should expect better from a $1200+ device that is used for professional movies and media coverage, without the photo banding that I experienced.
Today I had an Apple Genius appointment, who had no mercy about the chipped camera, and could not replicate a banding photo from the camera—this Apple Store had no big led screens to attempt a comparative replication of my situation either.
She seemed warm to the idea of giving me a replacement phone, and even checked stock to see they had some on hand, but her manager would not approve the phone exchange.
The Apple Genius did agree about the idea that I could return the phone, and buy another—but she cautioned me by saying that the photo banding issue could also happen with any other 15 Pro Max.
And that my out of warranty repair would be the $199 back glass.
So there’s that.
Also interesting: the Apple Genius cautioned me about placing tempered glass protection on the rear cameras—that the tempered glass adhesive could distort the image or trap grit in the cameras and cause issues.
[EDIT: At this point, I actually feel like that may just be another Apple ploy to make money from more unprotected cameras being scratched/chipped/broken.]
So if I want decent rear camera protection, looks like I’d have to get a more protective case. I loved my 11 Pro Max in Apple leather case—it took a beating and never cracked or chipped. SMH
So IDK ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Gave it my best courteous shot; never hurts to ask.
Perhaps my next phone will be a Google Pixel—which has a solid-looking rear camera mechanism, that is easily protected with any decent case.
As we all capture LED screens of some sort nowadays—be it at an Phillies game, an Apple Store, nightclubs, or even our own home TV—and I believe that we should expect better from a $1200+ device that is used for professional movies and media coverage, without the photo banding that I experienced.
Today I had an Apple Genius appointment, who had no mercy about the chipped camera, and could not replicate a banding photo from the camera—this Apple Store had no big led screens to attempt a comparative replication of my situation either.
She seemed warm to the idea of giving me a replacement phone, and even checked stock to see they had some on hand, but her manager would not approve the phone exchange.
The Apple Genius did agree about the idea that I could return the phone, and buy another—but she cautioned me by saying that the photo banding issue could also happen with any other 15 Pro Max.
And that my out of warranty repair would be the $199 back glass.
So there’s that.
Also interesting: the Apple Genius cautioned me about placing tempered glass protection on the rear cameras—that the tempered glass adhesive could distort the image or trap grit in the cameras and cause issues.
[EDIT: At this point, I actually feel like that may just be another Apple ploy to make money from more unprotected cameras being scratched/chipped/broken.]
So if I want decent rear camera protection, looks like I’d have to get a more protective case. I loved my 11 Pro Max in Apple leather case—it took a beating and never cracked or chipped. SMH
So IDK ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Gave it my best courteous shot; never hurts to ask.
Perhaps my next phone will be a Google Pixel—which has a solid-looking rear camera mechanism, that is easily protected with any decent case.
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OP literally posted this right above your message…
Not so sure that's 'very' reasonable. 🤷♂️