Limited-time offer: Apple to replace 5G iPods for (almost) any reason

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has instructed its authorized service providers to replace any 5G iPods that exhibit "any type of hardware failure [including] those that would normally be classified as abuse," in a message to its channel partners. This limited-time policy is being seen as a preemptive customer relations booster, and not (yet) as a sign that the new 'Pods with video have some unannounced inherent defect. The announcement comes at a time when Apple is under fire for the scratchability of the nano, having recently been hit with a class action lawsuit. 

[matt @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

here we go with the corrections...

smashmyipod used a 4g not a 5g

[iPodSmasher @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I smashed it already and I didn't "abuse it" I promised. It just decided to crawl out of my pants and drop to the ground when I was skateboarding. Oh well, I have a nano as a back up.. hmm I should've used that the first time instead huh?

[dmac @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

3....2...1... kamil maytik posts a scathing post about how shit the ipod is and all the losers who bought one are losers.

[apeguero @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Does this mean I can bring my 5g 30gb vPod back to exchange it for the 5g 60gb vPod because the video battery life on the 30gb totally sucks? Should I expect no hassles from Apple Store reps?

They did nice by including the �5 soft case with these new vPods. The only problem is that they get more scratched when one has to keep taking them out in order to use it. They should just made it a simple windowed case. A case like what is normally included in the cheapo flash players from Asia.

A tip to all, I use a PSP screen protector over the whole vPod to keep the whole thing from getting scratches. Works like a charm since the whole front of the vPod has roughly the same dimentions as that of the Playstation Portable's screen. I'll using that until Incase or someone else comes out with a half-way decent protective case.

[danny31292 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Maybe they can use the old ones as refurbished ones. Just a thought

[Daryl @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

They are capturing any known defects with the new ipods, they do this with any new products. Nothing new...

[Adam @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Dunno about the rest of you, but this makes me think that there's something wrong with the first batch . . . seriously wrong. Wonder when we'll see the story pop up here in the next few weeks . . .

[vrf @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

so... could you like, harvest a few parts from inside, close it up, and then exchange it?

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

i sent mine back. hard drive clunking.

[Handsome jon @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Take out the harddrive?

has anyone figured out a safe way to take it apart?

[fogd00d @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Good to see them finally do the right thing. I wonder if they actually adjusted the polycarbonate mix to be a little less soft. Needless to say, when my replacement comes back, its not coming out of the box until I hear how the "new batch" lives in the wild ... without wearing a helmet, sunscreen, condom, etc.

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

does anyone else find the apple "in-house" click wheel really really sensitive. I don't own a nano, so i am really not sure if it is the same way. It just doesn't feel as tight as the 4G.

[Shaft @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

here's a thought.......how about u spend a little more time testing products before release....... rather then just getting your products out in the market as fast as possible and face lawsuits and cause people to believe that your products are well marketed crap.

[JD @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I just ordered an iPod last Saturday via Apple's website. Does anyone know how long Apple will be replacing the defective(?) iPods for, just in case mine suddenly turns its screen around and spits up pea soup?

[JD @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I just ordered an iPod last Saturday via Apple's website. Does anyone know how long Apple will be replacing the defective(?) iPods for, just in case mine suddenly turns its screen around and spits up pea soup?

[Will @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

so will this count for the nano's, my been acting flaky as hell, freezing up, not turning off, skipping. i would like to get me a nice purdy new one and a new case.

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

they arent doing anything for Nanos anymore Will. At least that is what the apple guy told me. I am assuming because people made up stories to get their nanos replaced... most likely because of scratching. If you call apple and say "nano" and "scratching" in the same sentence I think they will hang up on you.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

"and cause people to believe that your products are well marketed crap"

The nano was definitely ill-conceived in its execution. But I don't see any evidence that there's anything wrong with the 5G iPod. So they've got a liberal return policy; so what? Do most companies with defective products adopt a liberal return policy as a cover for it? Has Apple officially adopted a liberal return policy for the nano? No, and that's the player with the problem. What's a liberal return policy going to accomplish, anyway? So you give somebody a new unit with the same alleged and unidentified design flaw - how does that help?

The 1G through 4G iPods are pretty reliable so I doubt there's anything wrong with the 5G. This is probably just a reaction to head off any potential nano-type copycat lawsuit. The unfortunate fact of the matter is the iPod has always been too easy to scratch; the nano is probably way moreso, but anyone who reads about that and then buys a 5G instead thinking they'll be getting a more scratch-proof model is probably going to be in for a rude awakening (especially since the 5G iPod is not intended to be specifically made tough enough to be kept in a pocket).

If Apple does release a crappy product I'll be the first to call them out on it. I called them out on the nano design and I called them out on the shuffle, which I still believe is one of the most ridiculous products on the market right now. I'm also no big fan of the Mac I'm forced to use at work, which has a jet engine for a fan and *still* feels slower than my PC at home (and it's a G5, which supposedly had the fan problem fixed!).

But I'm gonna wait to make any knee-jerk reactions to this return policy unil I see real evidence of problems. I've had zero issues with my 4G model other than the fact that it scratches more easily than I'd like, but that's certainly nothing new to the iPod line (though it is something I've been wishing they'd deal with for a long time).

[Bob @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

my 5g ipod has some faint hardrive clicks occasionally...maybe its one of the reasons they are being so loose on returns and they know it

[Scarpad @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

More and more everyday I'm glad I cancelled the Black 5G I had on Order and ordered An Archos AV5100. Everything I've read on it's been positive from the screen, duability and codec support, it was $200 more but I'm glad I did it.

[Yakuza @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I'm not sure if mines defective, but my battery life seriously sucks. It won't even last a day, and I have the backlight to 5 seconds. Ya think I can return it?

[Scarpad @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

My Mini has been rock solid since day one, funny that a product that they decided to kill will turn out to be the one with the least problems.

[Russ RuBert @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I got one in New York yesterday and it is nice. No problems so far.

I had the chance to try them all and went for the 30 gig white one because it is thinner and shows scratches less.

Nice device, now I'm in Texas and all who see it like it.

[alan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

This is why I hate Apple. My 1st Gen IPOD was crap, and now I hear others are defective. Like the other poster said, why don't they test well before handing out crap?

[Jack123 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Just got my 60 gig iPod tonight....first thing I did after I got it out of the box...put a pda plastic film protector over the screen. I also have a nano that is scratched all to hell...but do I care, no. It is not a piece of artwork, I like its size and that it plays music. It stays in my pocket and plays music, I don't need to look at it. My new iPod on the other hand, I will baby the screen everyday. Why, cause I do need to look at it.

[JohnnyCashAK @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I've been trying them out at the local stores for a week now, but I won't buy one until a good case is made. I put my 4G in Iskin case as soon as it came out of the box, and I just sold it last week on ebay for $250, partly because (I'm assuming) it was in pristine condition with no dents or scratches. Besides that, it felt a lot more rugged in that case and I was never worried about taking it with me to the gym, camping, traveling etc like I was with my original first gen Pod.

[Shawn B @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

My Ipod 60GB 5G is very sluggish. I owned a 3G and a 4G photo ipod and I would be able to scroll down my playlists in 5 seconds flat. Now if im continuously scrolling, my ipod pauses and it is bugging the hell out of me. It takes a few minutes to scroll down all my songs. They have to fix this because it is a serious problem. It defeats the purpose of having a scroll wheel.

[Tastes Like Burning @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Uh, my iPod jumped out of my pocket and trasformed itself to this Donny and Marie casette... I'll need a new iPod and some large fries please.

Dmac, it's past kamil maytik's bedtime. Gotta wait till the morning for his tirade.

[Andy Chang @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Still waiting for the $25 credit from Apple for the 2G battery replacement. Anyone got it yet?

[Sledge Hammer @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Apple does it again, no other DAP maker offers this type of protection, way better than Creative who sell inferior products at a higher price!!! HAhA!!

My nano was delivered 2 weeks after introduction and doesn't have a scratch on it, I got 2 people at work to buy nanos and they are pc folk and love the nanos...I also got 2 family members to buy iMacs, Apple is taking over the world.

Trust me, I know what I'm doing.

[fogd00d @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

re: #18 "Jeff" says "... and I called them out on the shuffle, which I still believe is one of the most ridiculous products on the market right now."

Good thing we've got a Jeff looking out for us.

What exactly is wrong with the Shuffle, Jeff -- other than your possible inability to understand that not every product suits or need suit every customer?

What is right about the Shuffle:

- its lightweight
- if it dies, USB ports are everywhere = easy to charge
- its inexpensive
- you don't have to pull it out of your pocket to control it
- you don't have to lock out the controls when you put it in your pocket
- if you don't need every last album in your pocket at all times, its big enough (512MB is tight for me, I don't mind changing out my selections on the 1GB every couple days)
- it has a superior amplifier to all prior iPods (see http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1777890,00.asp and http://www.machrone.net/mt/archives/2010/05/bass_performanc.html#more -- warning: Facts and graphs may be scary to some fanboys!)
- with a simple 20KB Python script (or 12KB .exe) you can forever do away with iTunes for managing the unit -- just treat it like a USB key you drop audio files onto from ANY PC or Mac (see http://shuffle-db.sourceforge.net/)
- there's no screen (once its in your pocket, do you really NEED the screen?) to worry about getting scratched up or cracked OR (especially for color iPods that need the backlight for visibiilty) drain power
- the plastic seems to be the same ABS material as Lego, so while not scratch-proof, its pretty strong
- who cares about scratching it to hell when you don't ever need look at the thing?

Basically, the unit is tiny, featherweight, convenient as hell (USB drive without iTunes!) and has one the best amplifiers ever measured in a DAP.

I have a Nano, I love the form-factor ("See, in the spy world, its reversed ..."), the amp isn't quite as good as the Shuffle (but its way better than the Mini, but too bad it doesn't have the same sweet fingerprint and scratch-resistant finish as the Mini) and despite careful care and handling it is scratched to hell.

But I digress.

Tell me again why you had to "call Apple out" on how "ridiculous" the Shuffle design is?

:)

[mike @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Dunno about the rest of you, but this makes me think that there's something wrong with the first batch . . . seriously wrong. Wonder when we'll see the story pop up here in the next few weeks . . .

----

AHHAHAHAHAH you're so dumb. They're calling a bluff. They want to see how many people actually go to the store and complain and get the iPod replaced.. most likely only a handful will use the service and Apple looks like a warm caring company.

All the people who bitched about the nano (all 7 of them) made a lot of noise, but at the end of the day, were they really unhappy with the product? Here's how we'll see. Remember, all iPods are made of the same plastic, the white, obviously, doesn't reveal scratches like the black does..hence the Nano shitstorm.

You're going to put off buying an iPod because you think APPLE KNOWS THE FIRST 20,000 or so are busted!??! What a tool..

[Kevin Fox @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I was all excited for a minute when I thought the post was about refunds for 5GB iPods, of which I have one sitting in a drawer.

[JohnnyCashAK @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Lol @ Apple? That's the best you got?
Damn that was anticlimatic.
I love my shuffle... I use it more then I do my old 3G mainly because 90% of the time I need a portable music player is at the gym. I wish it was more audiobook friendly, but for a 100 bucks who cares. It's got better sound then my friend's flash players and I've dropped/stepped/slammed the damn thing I forget how many times and it's never skipped a beat.

On topic: Compared to the shit Creative is pulling right now, I'm not going to look down too much on Apple for this reaction to a class action lawsuit.

[RedBull Runner @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

OMFG PEOPLE.
Oh no, the screen scratched.
Oh no! My nano scratched.
Oh no! My penis broke!

wait, scratch that last one, but the others, theres a solution...

BRASSO! got a scratched nano, BRASSO IT!
got a scratched screen? BRASSO IT!
scratched your glasses? BRASSO IT!
scratched a cd, BRASSO IT!

maybe they do scratch easy, i dont really know, i dont have an ipod, or any other DAP, all i know is that if the product scratches easy, and you MUST have it, PROTECT IT OR DEAL WITH IT! i mean, use common sense... If you go to a store, and they have the newest, hottest, must-have TV on sale, but ALL over the net people are saying "Don't Buy this, It blows up after 3 hours of use, OMG i died from it, it killed my cat and broke my penis. Would you buy it? or... Would you wait until they came out with a version that didnt have those problems...


Thank you, i rest my case

[Galley @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

#12, I finally saw the 5G yesterday. The first thing I noticed was how freaking sensitive the click wheel was!

[polaralex @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I do not think that a Nano or a 5G would be scratched if protected in a serious manner. Even my Shuffle, I protect it with care so that nothing "bad" happens to it.

If you have a Nano in your Jeans pocket, it is common sense that it will be damaged. Just put it in your jacket's wide pocket or hand it 'round ur neck.

[Interstink @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I just purchased TWO iPod 5G's: One Black 60GB and One White 60GB.

After three days, the white looks brand new and works great (Drive clicking seems to be normal operating noise).

After 1 hour the black already had "smudge" scratches on it. Mainly because I touched it while putting on a screen protector.

Im sure its just the color shows more... no news here.

The whole Black vs. White question can be simply answered for all. If you like your device looking new for a long time, white. If you dont mind your iPod having some character and fingerprint recognition, Black is very hot.

My hacked iPod 5G case: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevhead/55801221/

[mike @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I love how small my iPod is, it fits in my pants pocket with enough space for my keys....OMFG it misteriousaly became slightly scratched, i demand justice!

If scratching is your excuse to trade in your iPod then shame on you.

"Being responsible is knowing the history behind every scratch on your ipod and learning from your mistakes, not blaming Apple" - my roomate

[Ryan Gardner @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

The 5G I stole from a guy on the subway works fine - but I would like it replaced. They don't check SN's, do they? ;)

Those guys over at smashmyipod better get on with it! sounds like they can smash it - then replace it!

[LMidnight @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

#27, WORD. It's a scratch. Deal with it.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Did anyone watch the release of the 5G Video Ipod? On that Steve Jobs specifically said that they had to change the method of making the external case coloring to better handle the different colors. He said they started doing this for the Nano. To allow for the white and black colors, they now make the sace and then put the acrylic coating on it after the fact. This is to allow for the different colors and the smaller size. They are doing this for the Nano and the Video Ipod. This may be why the nano's are scratching easier and why they are implementing a different return policy. They have not used this method prior to the nano, which is why it has not shown up before. If you question this, go to their web site and download the quicktime movie of the release for the Video Ipod at the Marcone Center. As a side note, I am a big fan of apple and their products. I will probably end up getting either a nano or a video Ipod, but not right now. I think there is no way to properly test for any and all possibilities, that is what warranties are for. Apple in the past has had a varied response to problems with their systems, some good some bad. Hopefully they will make this right and continue forward.

[Ravi @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Hmm...about the clunking thing..my HDD seems to make that noise sometimes when viewing different menus (Music to Video to photos, etc]. Could this be a problem? If so, i'm heading down to my radioshack and getting another one

[fogd00d @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

re: #32 "mike" says ".. the people who bitched .. (all 7 of them) .. were they really unhappy .. ? All iPods are made of the same plastic, the white, obviously, doesn't reveal scratches like the black does..hence the Nano shitstorm."

Guess what part of the black and the white Nanos are the same color, other than the chrome backing?

THE SCREEN.

What part actually matters if it gets scratched up?

THE SCREEN.

Great theory, Mr. Science.

The plastic over all of the fascia except the wheel is the same on the black and the white and is one continuous piece over the screen.

So all seven of us are just bitching unnecessarily I guess and should listen to the first-hand experiences of all those non-owners out there shouting us down for .. attention?

These screens won't be readable after a short time of normal use with proper care and handling.

Love everything else about it, but mine's in the mail back to Apple.

I still don't why the unqualified are so vocal here. Oh wait, I forgot .. its the golden age of blogdom. Being heard is way more important than being right.

[fogd00d @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

re: #37 "RedBull Runner"

Brasso?

You kidding me? I'm not into massaging, caressing or otherwise beating-off my audio gear, or any other PORTABLE gear for that matter.

Maybe this is solid logic for most iPod owners who worship the stuff already and treat their iPod like a status symbol to be regularly waxed and detailed.

I did as I was shown. I put it in a pocket. No keys, no steel wool. It was obviously on its way to unreadable after a few days. Fascia is too soft. What's so hard to understand?

First-hand experience would shut a lot of these posters up.

Brasso. Its so obvious. What is wrong with me for having to be TOLD that the solution is to Brasso it on a regular basis?

Couldn't possibly be that the plastic mix in an apparently large initial batch of Nanos is TOO soft.

[ars_workerbee @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

here's the deal.

the 5G iPod is currently in what is called EFFA--Early Field Failure Ananysis.

Apple asks repair shops and their stores to "capture" failed units for certain reasons. For the nano, there were several EFFA captures, from display failures to flash failures, to just "will not power up" types of categories. Each category has a certain number of units that Apple Engineering requests back.

In this case, they just issued a catch-all EFFA for the 5G iPod. To see why its breaking.

Q.E.D.

~ars_workerbee

[Motorola 3G Victim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I have one of the very first 5G 60GB vPod's, ordered 10 min after the online store re-opened. It has started to lose it's freaking mind. I click into Music->Artists->Madonna->GHV2 click center wheel and it starts clicking through the songs on the screen once every 5 seconds but never plays anything. The wheel is very non-responsive but it will reset. If you let it walk through all the songs it goes back to the top menu. Click you way right back and it will now play the songs. Grrrr.

Hard drive is much louder than previous iPod's and it vibrates noticeably in my hand.

As for scratches. You know Apple's attitude really sucks on that one. Yeah right, the day you get your nano Apple had the Nano Tubes ready right? Bzzzt! No they didn't nor did anyone else. Ditto 5G, no cases. The $1 case they threw in was so tight I knew it would scratch the living hell out of my 5G.

Also when watching Desperate Housewives the 5G battery meter moves as fast as the gas gauge in big ol' F150 V8 doing 75mph with it's tail gate up. Not good.

If it isn't Cingular out to set my A845 on fire in my pants, it's Apple out to get me. :-(

[fogd00d @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

re: #48 "Motorola 3G Victim" -- no worries, M3GV.

Just keep doing what you should do as a consumer: look out for your own rights. By making sure you SAY something when gear is funking up in your hand (or your pocket) you help protect other consumers.

The fan-boys and five-second-fame-whores (read: most of the "Nano" posters on Engadget who haven't owned let alone used one) will get theirs someday and be in the same boat, so ignore their acrimony.

The market is the slave to the consumer. If we all remembered that, we wouldn't have all this bullshit hot air from non-owners and fanboys alike. Products would evolve more quickly, crap would get landfilled and we'd have tighter product cycles and quality gear that did not need helmets, diapers, condoms, sunscreen and other jizz required to retain their functionality OR their looks.

Ultimately, screw looks, but I'll aim for that once long-term functionality is secure.

[talker @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

i think at least Apple are better than Palm Inc...look at their Treo 650, did they really cares what happen out there? what they want is just still earn some money with their products, but the products are just full of unstable.

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Just reading through all these comments has started to get me worried. Ive preordered my ipod (I live in NZ and the first lot arrives this week), and now im starting to worry that maybe i will have problems with it. Does anyone think that I will?