The iPhone 3G is supposed to be the “revolutionary and breakthrough mobile device.” But why are there so many restrictions on what you can do? It’s almost as though Apple DOESN’T want us to utilize the full potential of their unique device. The thing most people are complaining about is the GUI. Apple restricts theming and makes users use their stock icons and graphics. The main purpose of this article is to go against Apple and LET US have control over the product that WE bought with OUR OWN money. After a consumer buys a product, we should be able to do whatever we want with it without restrictions…
Apple also forbids running applications in the background. They say that enabling background processes will drain battery life. Although this is true, it shouldn’t matter! We own it, it’s our property, and yet nobody stands up against them. I’m one of those people who like Apple’s products, just not them.
Products: Great!
Customer service: poor…
Warranty: poor…
Support: poor…
The list goes on…
I love the Macbook, iMac, iPhone, iPod, and many other products from Apple. But are those expensive price tags worth all of the future stress? Let’s say your battery just refuses to hold a charge anymore, you’re probably thinking “Oh I’m covered by Apple’s amazing warranty.” Well think again… If you have any damage to your Apple product, in most cases they won’t repair it. That includes but is not limited to cracks, scratches, water damage, cosmetic damage, and etc as they stated in their Warranty Repair Service Terms.
I mean common Apple! Face the facts… You are selling high class electronics to just about every age group in every corner of the world. It’s as if you have a mini monopoly in the electronic and telecommunications world. iTunes is the leading music distribution software. The iPod is the #1 mp3 player (mp4 player for iPods that support video). The iPhone is the most bought and sold out mobile device. In the US, if you buy an iPhone from an authorized retailer, you are forced into a two year contract with AT&T. Other countries have different laws and regulations. To compensate, iPhones are hundreds of dollars more expensive.
For iPhone 3G warranties, they don’t even have mail-in service. First you make a reservation for a time so you can come at your earliest convenience. Then, you have to drive all the way to the closest Apple Retail Store. After some time (could be minutes, sometimes hours), a Genius representative will verify if your iPhone still has warranty and physically check for eligibility.
The iPhone is almost an all glass mobile device. Of course people are going to drop and break them by accident. It’s a mobile device, and FYI Apple, “mobile” means to be on the go. To make your warranty even more limited, it only lasts only one year. If we want an extension, you make us buy these despicable things called “AppleCare Protection Plans.” They are unreasonably priced and things like that should come free to the consumer at no charge when buying a product.
Countries and states have to start adapting lemon laws for mobile phones and electronics. Otherwise the buyer becomes vulnerable and are less likely to buy another product. Their customer service is terrible. Many agents don’t know half the things that I would.
The easiest way to rebel against Apple, is to call them up and comment on how poorly they treat a customer (e-mails will work too). Another thing you can do is jailbreak if you haven’t done so already (if you are hesitant, please scroll down for reasons and benefits of jailbreaking). After that you can unlock it, although you might be on an authorized cell phone provider, just for the excitement and fun of it.
Jailbreaking is very simple to do, you can just follow the easy guides in our Guides section. Jailbreaking allows theming and running applications in the background with 3rd party apps like Backgrounder, which can be downloaded through Cydia. Cydia’s function is to allow you to download and install things not allowed by Apple or their SDK. Think of it as an App Store for unofficial and unauthorized applications that were either rejected or had limited use without the iPhones full capabilities.
Our true power is not to buy these product’s and wait until the loosen the chains that hold us back. Until we learn this law they will have us and our money. sorry but they do not care about call’s or emails once they got you trapped. we knew once how to control them now they control us. Yes I like my phone, yes I knew everything there was to know about it, good and bad, unfortunately i bought it anyways. Imagine Apple having no sales on their precious iPhone just how long do you suppose it would take before they tossed all their crappy ideas out the door to lure in the consumer. We have forgotten the power of our purchase power and follow the hype these day’s.
but yeah damn you apple.
I think you’re overreacting. In Australia at least, Apple is known for great service and easy replacements under warranty – certainly better than our Aussie companies.
quick, someone call a waaaaambulance!!
cry baby
Mr knowitall has to complain about every little thing. Background programs, please! If they included that you would be the first to complain about battery life.
Stop buying apple products, please!!!
Jailbreaking has a lot of good features but my favorite one is Clippy enables copy and paste on the iPhone.
I got iPhone 3g 2.2.1 jailbroken
I found apple have a great costumer service , warranty, and support and also great device much better than other product.
if you see many mac forum all over the world, most of them very very satisfied with apple product. moreover they are proud with apple product they have.
i don’t understand with all of this issue you up.
In defence of Apple, there isn’t a consumer product in the world that is automatically covered against accidental damage or breakage, but as for the rest, I agree!
Unfortunately, in reality we’ll never be set free. There are so many more people who either don’t care what happens (‘cos they’re not interested in the iPhone) and people who actually support this and say it’s the “free market” and they can do whatever they want with their product. I went through HELL trying to get people to take 2 mins. of their time to sign a petition to unlock the iPhone and I got more negative feedback on it than people who supported it … people just don’t care unless it’s them who’s affected. All we want is the ability to use a product that we paid for in the way we want it!!!
thinking about jailbreaking mine when i get it in a few months
Right on!!! Apple is evil and selfish! Great article by far and had I read It before buying an iPhone, I’d probably woulda went win mobile. Apple ftl imo fail.
As far as calling or emailing, or even posting in Apple’s forums, personally I have had no luck. They don’t CARE! Period! Apple as a company is turning into crap. I’ve gone through 2 iPods with no response to letters I shipped in the box to them. No one cares when I talk to them on the phone, they just say SORRY! which still outs me lots of $$ that they took already. I can’t say anything negative in their forums because they just delete the topics, I have gotten three topics removed in less then 20 minutes for posting in them. And I have never got a returned email. Basically told them to F off last time, from now on I tell people to by something else. No longer promoting Apple products unless like the iPhone you hack the crap out of it. Only reason I still use mine. I’m on T-mobile and I get any apps I want. I pay WAY less for my services saving tons of money over AT&T and the service is pretty much the same. They both have quality issues. I’ve used every carrier in the states since about 1997, I still have sprint, boost and t-mobile accounts. Personally I’d switch back to verizon if they weren’t so damn expensive. Hands down the best coverage out there. Apple has gotten gready and stopped caring about the people who buy there products, I’m tired of it. I just use OSx86 on my ASUS PC and spent a 1/3 of what a Macbook costs. Only needed a Mac for one program anyway. I’m an audio engineer and have sworn by Mac computers for years. No more, I’ll deal with PCs till Apple gets there act together. As far as the iPhone, I’d never buy one. Got this one for free, othewise I would have never used one.
microsoft, dell, ibm any company you can think of that has the same large scale production are no better. imagine how many people would call each day. you cant let people play with the system files of a device and still offer a warranty. i do beleive they could offer a themes section in itunes though. why are you on this site if you dont like iphones???????
I just downright hate the corporate companies. I love their products, just not the people who make them…
Here in Japan, the service is good. The warranty is good. The tel operators helpful. The carrier (softbank) shopkeepers helped me setup the iphone. No complaints except that there is no wifi here in Japan and the reception for the iphone vs my other softbank phones sucks.
Here in hong kong, they are really helpful. i have changed my 3G iphone 5 times so far for various reasons such as: battery runs down toooo Quickly, or keeps rebooting and my last reason was my new replacement just kept playing music randomly without my control.
However, all that aside. the guys here are very helpful. i always jailbreak my phones but if i have a probem, i just restore it to factory through itunes and send it back. Usually within the hour i have a brand new replacement.
Yay!
I agree with apple being selfish, and a manipulative power. But we need to continue working around their monopoly. I think that if we continue to design our own apps, and making the available installers better. Then you know what, screw apple and there app store. They cannot stop the underground geek world, no matter how hard they try. Power to the people and keep on with the keeping on.
Oh come on if you hit your iPhone with a baseball bat “accidentally” of course Apple won’t get it fixed for free. And if somebody hates Apple that much he/she should step outside and look at the other corporations, they’re way much worse.