Maybe even a new iPhone model by now, too!This thread started in November. I think the OP is up to 17 or 18 by now.
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iPhone XS I'm on my 16th iPhone Xs
- Thread starter PumpkingKing
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I ordered a Xs space grey online 3 weeks ago and got the phone 2 weeks ago, noticed that there’s a slight bent, very very slight, around the volume down button area towards down. Few of the antenna bands around the edge of the phone were protruding by a tiny little bit, you can’t see it very easily but you can feel the little edge of the antenna band was protruding out. Also found two pieces of particles (dust?), one in each of the camera lenses. Had to bring it to an Apple store to return it, and bought a same one in that store, I checked everything and the second one I got was pretty good. I think for all generations of iPhones, the silver/white versions tends to have better quality (for example 5s and 7). So yeah, so far I’m pretty happy with the Xs, but it really shouldn’t e happening especially when the price tags is so high.
Seems to be lots of reports of the X/Xs being bent very slightly on the volume button side, only visible when looking lengthwise down the long edge at about a 5-10 degree angle. Nonetheless, it's there. My wife's is that way on the volume button side as were multiple display models, and they all curve concave on the back glass side (e.g. the screen side is bowed outward a tiny bit). Oddly enough, the sleep button side always seems to be arrow straight. Steel and glass? Don't matter, it can still be curved and many are.
Within tolerance or not is for the user to decide, but if there's a tolerance, it needs to be an actual numeric range of radiused bend that is bracketed both upper and lower that Apple could physically measure to determine if something is within tolerance or not. Afterall, Apple claims a real tolerance of "4 sheets of printer paper" for bent iPad Pros.
Same. I live in west Canada, few of the display models I saw in the Apple store all have the bend issue, some where slight some were unbelievably obvious. The silver ones tho, tend to have better quality IMO, the edges were smooth and straight. Anyways, I got a good Xs and I’m pretty happy with it, but I really think iPhones aren’t the best when it comes to build quality, I always had to return or replace for a few times to get a “perfect” one.
Same. I live in west Canada, few of the display models I saw in the Apple store all have the bend issue, some where slight some were unbelievably obvious. The silver ones tho, tend to have better quality IMO, the edges were smooth and straight. Anyways, I got a good Xs and I’m pretty happy with it, but I really think iPhones aren’t the best when it comes to build quality, I always had to return or replace for a few times to get a “perfect” one.
FWIW my wife's is silver and it didn't seem to matter what color for display models, from my experience.
Sure do, I accept they are mass produced and only was the 4th Xs acceptable.
I didn’t have any single problem with my previous Samsung phones. Maybe Apple always makes the design so complicated so it’s hard to get perfect quality control.
Okay there’s no way there were issues with all those model phones.
I ordered a Xs space grey online from apple online store 2 weeks ago and got the phone … i noticed that there are two slight dents on the ring around the flash on the camera… like someone forced the flash to enter with something ..
i returned it to apple
i returned it to apple
Just read the thread. I try to be extremely nice and non judge mental, but OP, yikes....
Just thought I would share my brief experience since I am also very detail oriented and picky when it comes to my devices. When I bought an iPhone 5S for the first time I had recognized that the powder button made kind of a clinking noise, and shifted a little in place, which when you shook the phone made a little metal knocking noise if you moved it up and down. I was unsatisfied, as it was my first iPhone purchase, and also had high expectations. I went to a different store the second time and received two new phones. One had a slightly loose camera lens that made a different type of noise when shaken, and the third one was pretty much the same as the first. I accepted that if it was on more than one device that it was how the manufacturing was set up. After 2-3 months of use, grime and gunk getting in the power button must have fixed the issue because it went away altogether.
TLDR, I think all the power buttons do that (due to the button design), and they eventually become less audibly noisy after some usage.
TLDR, I think all the power buttons do that (due to the button design), and they eventually become less audibly noisy after some usage.
I haven't read this entire thread but I thought I would share a couple of things, the first being half serious:
- I am honestly not sure anyone can expect perfection from manufacturing plants that pay what is it, a dollar a day to people who work untold hours to get a product out by the millions. Maybe perfection is less on their mind than it is on yours.
- I am a retired retail manager. Like it or not, more often than not any and every time someone makes a return on an item, we would lose money. We had habitual returners by the boatload. Also, MANY times the staff would take something off the shelf for the customer to inspect before being handed the money only to be told "ok this looks good now please get me another one." The customer would be asked why and the response was "well this one now has been opened." --- True story and very common. I manged a camera store..for many years. No it is not true that a camera usually does not have any kind of dust in it. More often than not, a camera and/or a lens WILL indeed have dust inside
- There were customers who routinely purchased an item, returned it and purchased it then again online. They even told us they were doing that...to save the tax. Very often, people would buy from us to try it out and if they liked it, returned it and bought it from an out of state retailer or Amazon...to save the tax. Some would do this with everything they purchased from us.
- So at some point the retailer has to say, enough is enough. I had more than once quietly and calmly taken customers aside and told them plain as day that we just could not afford to lose money anymore from them. I then told them that there would be a fee for returns from them starting with their next purchase. Even then I still had some same customers STILL trying to do the same thing and getting royally pissed off when we charged the restock fee. Well, I am sorry but believe it or not, the markup on a lot of items (and yes we sold a lot of Apple products too) is a lot less than the consumer thinks. A typical camera is marked up only maybe 5 to 10% and if we have to take it back and resell it, we cannot sell it as a new item. We would sell them as open boxes at a discount. To get any kind of profit on such an item, is almost impossible.
- I have a LITTLE bit of a hunch that in the case of these 16 iphones...maybe, just maybe these phones were returns from the first batches of Xs phones that had issues from the start....I don't know for sure. But this would certainly explain things like bad packaging or dust. Should they have been packaged back as new? In my opinion, certainly not. But I don't know what this is like in other countries. Here we used to do what we thought was right...package them as open boxes at a discount.
- Having said all this, I can understand the frustration but I have to say that at some point anyone needs to realize that the retailer is getting hurt by a customer like this. I know it's not your fault, but here in the USA at least, some stores, many of them major retailers, have even flagged customers who habitually return items and actually black listed them. Bottom line is, if the retailer isn't satisfying you, then maybe that is telling you that this is not the retailer for you and you should go elsewhere. Sorry to put it this way as I understand the issue, but I am talking here as a former retail manager. Your interests are paramount to me, but my own have to be considered as well. It is not the retailer's fault when something from the manufacturer is defective or improperly packaged. Maybe after so many exchanges, at some point it became time to take it up with the manufacturer. I don't know if the Apple stores in your country are privately owned or owned by Apple. But this approach is certainly worth considering especially since Apple itself can make sure that you get a proper phone as opposed to the store that receives them already packaged doing so. Have you thought about that?
For what it's worth, I have tried both an Xr and an Xs in the past two weeks. I returned them both but not for any of the reasons you stated. They both exhibited poor performance. Packaging, look, feel, buttons, everything looked perfect. And I am pretty picky too.
- I am honestly not sure anyone can expect perfection from manufacturing plants that pay what is it, a dollar a day to people who work untold hours to get a product out by the millions. Maybe perfection is less on their mind than it is on yours.
- I am a retired retail manager. Like it or not, more often than not any and every time someone makes a return on an item, we would lose money. We had habitual returners by the boatload. Also, MANY times the staff would take something off the shelf for the customer to inspect before being handed the money only to be told "ok this looks good now please get me another one." The customer would be asked why and the response was "well this one now has been opened." --- True story and very common. I manged a camera store..for many years. No it is not true that a camera usually does not have any kind of dust in it. More often than not, a camera and/or a lens WILL indeed have dust inside
- There were customers who routinely purchased an item, returned it and purchased it then again online. They even told us they were doing that...to save the tax. Very often, people would buy from us to try it out and if they liked it, returned it and bought it from an out of state retailer or Amazon...to save the tax. Some would do this with everything they purchased from us.
- So at some point the retailer has to say, enough is enough. I had more than once quietly and calmly taken customers aside and told them plain as day that we just could not afford to lose money anymore from them. I then told them that there would be a fee for returns from them starting with their next purchase. Even then I still had some same customers STILL trying to do the same thing and getting royally pissed off when we charged the restock fee. Well, I am sorry but believe it or not, the markup on a lot of items (and yes we sold a lot of Apple products too) is a lot less than the consumer thinks. A typical camera is marked up only maybe 5 to 10% and if we have to take it back and resell it, we cannot sell it as a new item. We would sell them as open boxes at a discount. To get any kind of profit on such an item, is almost impossible.
- I have a LITTLE bit of a hunch that in the case of these 16 iphones...maybe, just maybe these phones were returns from the first batches of Xs phones that had issues from the start....I don't know for sure. But this would certainly explain things like bad packaging or dust. Should they have been packaged back as new? In my opinion, certainly not. But I don't know what this is like in other countries. Here we used to do what we thought was right...package them as open boxes at a discount.
- Having said all this, I can understand the frustration but I have to say that at some point anyone needs to realize that the retailer is getting hurt by a customer like this. I know it's not your fault, but here in the USA at least, some stores, many of them major retailers, have even flagged customers who habitually return items and actually black listed them. Bottom line is, if the retailer isn't satisfying you, then maybe that is telling you that this is not the retailer for you and you should go elsewhere. Sorry to put it this way as I understand the issue, but I am talking here as a former retail manager. Your interests are paramount to me, but my own have to be considered as well. It is not the retailer's fault when something from the manufacturer is defective or improperly packaged. Maybe after so many exchanges, at some point it became time to take it up with the manufacturer. I don't know if the Apple stores in your country are privately owned or owned by Apple. But this approach is certainly worth considering especially since Apple itself can make sure that you get a proper phone as opposed to the store that receives them already packaged doing so. Have you thought about that?
For what it's worth, I have tried both an Xr and an Xs in the past two weeks. I returned them both but not for any of the reasons you stated. They both exhibited poor performance. Packaging, look, feel, buttons, everything looked perfect. And I am pretty picky too.
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@PumpkingKing any updates? I'd like to see a conclusion to this saga.
(Wonder if they're on an 11 now.)
(Wonder if they're on an 11 now.)
I don't blame the retail store for anything, I have always known it was the manufacturing plant causing the issues. How could it possibly be the retail store when the products are not packaged and sealed there? ?
I did not know contacting the manufacturer was an option in the case of this, and surely Apple retail, Apple care, or Apple support does not direct you to or give you the option to contact them.
In the case of an update, (I haven't reviewed my last post, but) I ended up on an iPhone XS Max approximately 1.5 months after my last or second last post. Basically I had been waiting for another 'batch' if that was even a thing. I organized that with Apple support. Like I said, its not my intention to put a company at loss. You have to remember, this company is selling premium products in which you are paying a premium price for. Imagine buying a bag or article of clothing from Gucci and that had a stitch loose. You don't just let that slide (probably more-so especially with the bag). I always had been working WITH Apple to achieve a satisfactory result, i.e. waiting for another batch, and never against them or in an unreasonable fashion, which is why I was never blacklisted or any of that nonsense.
This Max isn't perfect, but its the best of the worst I'd say, and I don't have any grief with it. Just still disappointing that they can't produce the product quality they used to.
I did not know contacting the manufacturer was an option in the case of this, and surely Apple retail, Apple care, or Apple support does not direct you to or give you the option to contact them.
In the case of an update, (I haven't reviewed my last post, but) I ended up on an iPhone XS Max approximately 1.5 months after my last or second last post. Basically I had been waiting for another 'batch' if that was even a thing. I organized that with Apple support. Like I said, its not my intention to put a company at loss. You have to remember, this company is selling premium products in which you are paying a premium price for. Imagine buying a bag or article of clothing from Gucci and that had a stitch loose. You don't just let that slide (probably more-so especially with the bag). I always had been working WITH Apple to achieve a satisfactory result, i.e. waiting for another batch, and never against them or in an unreasonable fashion, which is why I was never blacklisted or any of that nonsense.
This Max isn't perfect, but its the best of the worst I'd say, and I don't have any grief with it. Just still disappointing that they can't produce the product quality they used to.
Where you able to find a iPhone without dust behind the front and behind cameras?
I consider myself to be ridiculously OCD and I have never returned 1 phone, and I’ve had every model except the 5 (tried Galaxy). I can’t believe for a second that you went through more than 16 phones to find something that works for you. How are you happy with anything. I’m sorry, it has nothing to do with manufacturing deficiencies and everything to do with your OCD. I know I really need help with my OCD....so.....
But, I LOVE your username. Great movie. Great character.
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Because this thread is fascinating. I’m floored at your experience. I don’t think people are haters, it’s just a matter of you being beyond ridiculous. I’m a beyond ridiculous person myself, but at least I am aware of it. Thankfully, my OCD doesn’t revolve around checking everything I buy with a magnifying glass to find even the smallest flaw. I just go insane double-checking everything before I leave the house and worrying that I didn’t somehow lock the door.
But, I LOVE your username. Great movie. Great character.
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Because this thread is fascinating. I’m floored at your experience. I don’t think people are haters, it’s just a matter of you being beyond ridiculous. I’m a beyond ridiculous person myself, but at least I am aware of it. Thankfully, my OCD doesn’t revolve around checking everything I buy with a magnifying glass to find even the smallest flaw. I just go insane double-checking everything before I leave the house and worrying that I didn’t somehow lock the door.
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There is nothing wrong with being very picky on a $1500 iPhone. It is supposed to be a premium product.
My girlfriend her Android phone costs maybe $500, yet it has all the features that my iPhone 11 Pro Max has (also the same camera setup with night mode). So I think the OP has every reason to demand premium quality for these prices Apple charges.
My girlfriend her Android phone costs maybe $500, yet it has all the features that my iPhone 11 Pro Max has (also the same camera setup with night mode). So I think the OP has every reason to demand premium quality for these prices Apple charges.
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OP's post is so triggering to me.
The fact you went through SIXTEEN phones at the same store.
Did you not think after say, 4 or 5 phones to try a different Apple store if these minor flaws are so important to you?
Either lower your expectations, accept these minor flaws, try a different Apple store or just change to a different phone.
Seriously, if I was an Apple store manager I would have just banned you for being bad for business in the same way a bookmaker/casino bans profitable gamblers. You might be within your rights but that doesn't mean Apple should deal with you.
The fact you went through SIXTEEN phones at the same store.
Did you not think after say, 4 or 5 phones to try a different Apple store if these minor flaws are so important to you?
Either lower your expectations, accept these minor flaws, try a different Apple store or just change to a different phone.
Seriously, if I was an Apple store manager I would have just banned you for being bad for business in the same way a bookmaker/casino bans profitable gamblers. You might be within your rights but that doesn't mean Apple should deal with you.
I’m guessing that this guy will find issues in anything he uses. Even if it doesn’t really change how he uses the phone in any way. There won’t be any phone or anything worthy of his ocd is how I’m reading this.
No, there is nothing wrong with being picky, but it is obvious the OP is being absurd. There is NO WAY he found problems with 16 phones. No way. That's called using a magnifying glass and just looking for flaws. The Apple Store should ban him from purchasing their products. It's ridiculous. There's no way around that.
I'm reading this thread in disbelieve.
Not about the OP, I know there are people like him, but about the Store manager.
I would have the customer kindly banned after the 3rd o 4th return.
"I'm sorry, we are not able to sell you a product on par with your standards" would be a polite way to tell him "get the f@!k out!" ? ?
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Not about the OP, I know there are people like him, but about the Store manager.
I would have the customer kindly banned after the 3rd o 4th return.
"I'm sorry, we are not able to sell you a product on par with your standards" would be a polite way to tell him "get the f@!k out!" ? ?
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$1500 is still a price too low to seek for perfection in large scale production.
I limit myself to 2 exchanges / returns if I get a bad phone. Luckily this year my 3rd 11 Pro Max is perfect. I was unhappy with the 11 that I got, nothing wrong with it. Rather than return it I sold it and ate my loss.
If I am still unhappy after 3 phones I either keep it or sell it and buy another. This way I don't abuse any return policy or become "that guy" at the Apple store. And maintain my sanity. And also possibly help someone else out by selling him/her a discounted brand new phone, who couldn't care less about some yellow / pink tint or other defect. It's my yearly good deed I guess, haha.
If I am still unhappy after 3 phones I either keep it or sell it and buy another. This way I don't abuse any return policy or become "that guy" at the Apple store. And maintain my sanity. And also possibly help someone else out by selling him/her a discounted brand new phone, who couldn't care less about some yellow / pink tint or other defect. It's my yearly good deed I guess, haha.
Sounds like a rough life. My song cassette player in the 90’s has all kinds of issues. Ruined my life.... ya not really. Life is too short to care about things that don’t matter. Stop losing money over something that doesn’t actually change the way you use your phone. A spec of dust in the lens... sure. Part of the sticking up on one edge.... sure. Weird color blotches in the screen... sure. But nitpicking about things that don’t really matter won’t improve your life. Who micro analyzes things besides artist and people thar are meticulou? I get being ocd. I won’t let anyone touch my projects because I like it done my way but with tech little things that nobody will notice but you is a little hard for me to understand.
i did return my iPhone 5 slate because those edges chipped by looking at it. But that was a design flaw.