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Odds of receiving non-JB-able replacement 3GS from Apple?

Baggy Spandex

Baggy Spandex

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 23, 2009
392
350
Hello all! Recently I jumped on the JB bandwagon with my 6 month old 3GS. I'm absolutely glad I did, and purchased many great features from Cydia that I longed for.

Here's my predicament. There are some things that are bothering me with my phone as of late. First off, it seems to suffer from the unfortunate uneven screen issue, with the left sight slightly raised over the bezel. This (I believe) in turn allowed dust to get through under the screen and it's slowly increasing in volume. Pretty annoying to a meticulous guy like me. Other small things like the silent switch jiggling around aren't too bad, but the dust is killing me. It makes the phone look like garbage in the daytime.

I would love to bring it back to Apple and get a replacement phone, BUT I also don't want to lose my JB-ability and the money spent on the apps. I see that it's pretty much a crapshoot as to which iBoot you get, but if anyone has recently had their phone replaced feel free to let me know if it's a JB-able phone or not.

All that aside, thanks to all for the help in this forum, you guys are great and all the threads really helped me along with making the iPhone "mine", especially when it came to SSH and the like.

Thanks!
 
As you wait for people to reply, the odds you'll receive a pre 40 week phone decrease. Why are you waiting?:rolleyes:
 
I recently got a replacement and it was the older bootrom. I think they prob still have the older ones. If you have dusty screen issues, I think they would just replace your screen on the spot if they have replacement screen. That's what they did for me when I took it in for dust, but later replaced for cracks. You may be able to specifically ask to have your screen replaced instead of replacing your unit.
 
Usually refurb iphones are from older bootloader version phones that were returned and went thru the refurb process and back out to Apple for replacements.
But you never know, the longer you wait the higher the odds of new bootloader
3GS's to hit the stores.
Having to deal with a tethered JB is not fun at all.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I should have worded my OP differently. I understand that a tethered JB is possible, but that's too inconvienent to me and therefore is not an option. I'll give the Apple Store a ring for an appointment soon. Screen cleaning/replacement would be nice, but a replacement phone without the other issues with an older iBoot is preferable.
 
Baggy Spandex said:
Thanks for all the replies. I should have worded my OP differently. I understand that a tethered JB is possible, but that's too inconvienent to me and therefore is not an option. I'll give the Apple Store a ring for an appointment soon. Screen cleaning/replacement would be nice, but a replacement phone without the other issues with an older iBoot is preferable.
Click to expand...

Just make sure you DFU restore your device and setup as new before taking it in for service. Ask them to just replace the screen only because "you are happy with the device and you don't want to risk getting a replacement unit with problems like cracking." I'm sure they can just order screen if not in inventory and replace it.
 
Baggy Spandex said:
Here's my predicament. There are some things that are bothering me with my phone as of late. First off, it seems to suffer from the unfortunate uneven screen issue, with the left sight slightly raised over the bezel. This (I believe) in turn allowed dust to get through under the screen and it's slowly increasing in volume. Pretty annoying to a meticulous guy like me.
Click to expand...

I had THIS EXACT problem. I restored my phone to new, went into the Apple store, showed them the dust under the screen, and the genius told me that would drive him crazy too. He told me he would put a new screen in it for me, and it took 10 minutes or so. So I got to keep my phone and got a brand new screen. Maybe Apple will do the same for you.
 
I just got a replacement phone from Apple 2 weeks ago. They gave me a week 43 3GS and it JB fine, no tethered JB required. But the replacement they gave me has the bezel slightly lifted on one side which I didn't notice until a week later. I'm going back though, hopefully they'll just replace the screen.
 
99MustangGTman said:
I just got a replacement phone from Apple 2 weeks ago. They gave me a week 43 3GS and it JB fine, no tethered JB required. But the replacement they gave me has the bezel slightly lifted on one side which I didn't notice until a week later. I'm going back though, hopefully they'll just replace the screen.
Click to expand...

Probably a remanufactured phone. If the 2nd digit of the serial # is a letter (like a "k") instead of a number, then it's a remanufactured phone. And the 3rd, 4th & 5th digits are the remanufacture date not the original manufacture date, so unless the chip with the bootrom was replaced (unlikely) then it will have the old bootrom.
 
Success!

I just returned home from the Apple store where they gave me a white-box 3GS. Got home and checked the iBoot to discover it is the old 359.3 version. :)

Restoring from backup right now, and off to JB I go!

Thanks all...now hopefully I won't have to pay for my Cydia apps again!

P.S. - I had the option of just replacing the screen, but my silent switch was super-jiggly as stated above. I opted to chance it with a new unit, and got lucky. If you have any dust problems or raised glass issues, be advised that they can replace the entire screen unit in about 10 minutes in-store.
 
Baggy Spandex said:
Success!

I just returned home from the Apple store where they gave me a white-box 3GS. Got home and checked the iBoot to discover it is the old 359.3 version. :)
Click to expand...

What are the first five digits of your serial number (don't worry, they will just tell us when and where your iPhone was produced/restored; they won't tell us anything else about it).
 
I got a replacement 3GS about a month ago and it is fully jailbreakable even though the serial number claims it's a week 41. Does Apple modify serial numbers for refurbished phones? Maybe it was refurbished on week 41 but actually manufactured on a previous date?
 
i had the option of replacing my 32GB 3GS yesterday at the apple store due to my stupid battery drain and wiggly vibrate switch (i didnt tell them about that, but it was a minor annoyance), so i did and got another one with the old bootrom (359.3)! hopefully this one is a keeper.
 
I went to the Sherman Oaks Apple Store in CA to see if they could fix a very yellow tinted screen, it wasn't just warm color. After the screen being replaced the problem continued... I was given a new phone... week 47

Boot 359.3.2

So word of warning... they are handing them out as replacements.
 
Outsiderdude26 said:
I went to the Sherman Oaks Apple Store in CA to see if they could fix a very yellow tinted screen, it wasn't just warm color. After the screen being replaced the problem continued... I was given a new phone... week 47

Boot 359.3.2

So word of warning... they are handing them out as replacements.
Click to expand...

got a week 43 for mine from the oak brook IL store. guess i got lucky...
 
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