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Apple will repair iPhones with third-party batteries
In a change to its longstanding policy, Apple is apparently repairing iPhones with third-party batteries at its Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers. This is a about-face from its previous stance, which was to refuse repairs on iPhones with aftermarket batteries.
Apple ID now required to set Genius Bar appointment online
Apple has implemented a slight, but significant change to the way it books Genius Bar appointments online. Now folks wishing to make such an appointment must have a working Apple ID and password. Previously, users could simply enter in basic identifiable information like their name and email address in order to set up an appointment. TechCrunch adds some insight as to the reasoning behind the recent change: An additional reason for this change, we understand, is to give the control of a Genius Bar appointment to a user directly, who must know their credentials and enter them before being able to confirm a payment. There is also the convenience of having a customer's data automatically filled out with a simple entry of the Apple ID. This could allow Geniuses to look [up] past purchases and communicate with the user much easier now as well.
Daily Update for September 12, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Black market Genius Bar appointments
You've got to love Chinese entrepreneurs. Today the Beijing Morning News reported on how scalpers are grabbing all of the Genius Bar appointments at Chinese Apple Stores, then selling those appointments on the black market. Getting an appointment at one of the crowded stores apparently costs about ten yuan (about US$1.60), which sounds like a bargain compared to waiting all day in the store without an appointment to talk to a Genius. The reporter who wrote the story noted that there were no appointments available on the Apple site, but that they were available for purchase on the black market. Apple's apparently looking into the issue; the reporter asked if they will cancel the online concierge service in China because of the scalping, but had not yet received a response from Apple. [via Gizmodo]
Apple comes out on top in Consumer Reports tech support ratings
Consumer Reports has announced that Apple has come out on top again -- and bested its previous score -- in providing consumer tech support to its users. The company scored far higher than the other big companies for the elements that make for successful online and phone support: ease of contacting staff, clarity of advice, technical knowledge, patience and time for follow-up. The annual survey found that 88 percent of of customer problems were solved at an in-store Genius Bar, compared to only 70 percent at Best Buy's in-store Geek Squad bars. Consumer Reports also notes that Apple was able to resolve 82 percent of computer problems across all its support lines (in-store, phone, etc.). Overall, Apple scored 86 our of 100 in the survey -- the highest of any computer manufacturer. The next best was Lenovo, which scored a 63 out of 100.
Apple now asking potential Genius Bar customers to reboot iPhone before making an appointment
So, your new iPhone 5 is acting quirky, and you want to make an appointment at the Genius Bar to see what's wrong with it. You go to the Apple website, enter the location of your local store and let the concierge know what device you want to get help with ... and you're promptly greeted with the window seen above, asking you to reset your iPhone before continuing. This little trick often does help, and it's not surprising that a lot of new iPhone customers don't know about this. As Reddit user ehsteve23 pointed out in the first of 368 comments on brewstah's post of this screen on imgur.com, "Suddenly the number of Genius Bar appointments fall by 30%" ...
Apple Store remodel to introduce two-row Genius Bar
The Apple Store of the future could feature not one, but two Genius bars for technical service support, says a report in ifoAppleStore. The Garden State Plaza store in Paramus, NJ is moving to a significantly bigger location and redesigned the store to include the company's first double-row Genius bar. The bar will sit parallel to the rear wall, and customers will be able to walk around the islands. According to ifoAppleStore, this floating Genius bar arrangement was tested last July in the Los Gatos, Calif., store.
Daily Update for August 20, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Best Buy founder wants slashed prices, Apple-style customer service in $10 billion rescue plan
Best Buy founder Richard Schulze is proposing a plan to turn around the ailing electronics store as part of a $10 billion buyout. He's proposing the retailer slashes prices to compete with online rivals like Amazon, while offering Apple Store-levels of customer service. He's concerned that the current closure and size-reduction policy will spell the end of the business, which is rumored to announce another round of closures shortly. It's yet to be seen if his plan, which would mean running Best Buy at a loss for several years, would be accepted by the company's management, who are meeting to discuss the proposals at the end of the month.
Dear Aunt TUAW: My Lion-only MacBook just died. Help! (Updated)
Dear Aunt TUAW, The hard drive in my late 2006 black MacBook died this week. I purchased a new hard drive for it, used my OS X 10.6 install CD and then updated. I then went to the Mac App Store and found I can no longer download Lion, even with trying to hold the Option key down. What can I do other then buy the US$69 USB key? Your loving nephew, Todd Dear Todd, Update: The Lion installer has made a re-appearance in the Purchases tab, so it may be worth trying to download it one more time. Auntie gathers you didn't make a USB install drive from your original installer, yes? As for Apple's USB installer, Auntie's afraid that's no longer available. It must have been removed from shelves when Lion disappeared from the Mac App Store. Pity. She thinks you should head on over to an Apple Store Genius Bar and throw yourself and your MacBook on their mercy. You shouldn't have to pay $69 for a copy of the installer software that you already paid for. Since you did already pay, if you have any friends with copies of the installer, you're probably on reasonable moral grounds to re-install that way as well. Not near an Apple store? You can also try calling Apple Support, although that's generally better to do if you have Apple Care. Mind you this is Auntie's own opinion. And Auntie has a lot of opinions. Like Teen Wolf. It should be on every night, and go for 52 weeks of the year. All Teen Wolf, all the time. And Werthers should sponsor "Dear Aunt TUAW", providing the TUAW staffers with free candies and back massages. See? These opinions are not entirely based in any reality, so check with Apple about your options. In any case, Auntie wishes you an easy upgrade and a quick return to Lion health. Hugs, Auntie T. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Daily Update for July 2, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple trying new Genius Bar layout
IFO Apple Store has spotted a new trend in a few Apple Stores around the country: Apple is trying a new layout for the in-store Genius bar, turning it perpendicular to the store wall instead of running parallel along it. The new layout is designed to make things more accessible, and provide more room for users to come in and get their various Apple items inspected and fixed. I think it might make things more chaotic, with both sides of the bench available to Geniuses and customers. But especially for long, narrow stores with little room to spread out lengthwise, the bar metaphor isn't always best. Hopefully this new layout, if adapted chainwide, will help get more Apple users more help faster.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Retina MacBook Pro, buy now or wait?
Dear Aunt TUAW, My brother is getting one of those devilishly good lookin' new Retina MacBook Pro's. Should he order now and wait the 2-3 weeks? Or wait and see when it comes in stock at a local Apple Store? Your loving nephew, Jesse Dear Jesse, Do you need to customize your processor and RAM? You'll probably do better online. If not, and you're close to an Apple Store retail outlet, go ahead and look for one in-store. Remember, the Retina MacBook is not end-user serviceable, so you'll need to purchase a unit with the exact memory and storage you'll use for the lifetime of your system. Auntie recommends buying as much RAM as you can afford. (Feel free to max out any specs you can handle monetarily, but Auntie's particularly a fan of RAM for best system performance.) As to where to buy, Apple's online order system generally gets backlogged quicker than its in-store availability. Auntie suspects that demand for the new Retina Pro won't be as high as for that of a new iPad or iPhone, so store inventory should be steady. Whatever you do, especially as you're planning to buy near the top of the Apple ecosystem, make sure you buy into AppleCare. Yes, this raises the base cost of a system by $349, but Auntie considers it an absolute essential for a Retina purchase, as well as for any MacBook Pro. AppleCare greatly increases the likelihood that you'll have a good customer experience over the lifetime of your unit -- and Auntie rarely buys consumer warranties for anything. By purchasing AppleCare, you're buying into Apple's Genius Bar and telephone support ecosystem for a full three years. It's worth the cost differential. Hugs, Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Did my wife just get a free upgrade?
Dear Aunt TUAW, So my wife's 11-inch MacBook Air went into an Apple Store to get its screen replaced because it cracked. It's got a core i5 1,6ghz processor in it... Or at least it did! We've just got it back home and I clicked on "About this Mac" out of habit and it's reported that it's got a core i7 1.7ghz! So my question is: Can the "about this Mac" info be wrong? Your loving nephew, Matt Dear Matt, That's a puzzler indeed. Do you know if the serial number matches up to what it was before the repair? In Auntie's experience, "About this Mac" is pretty reliable. However, as a nice man at AppleCare pointed out to her today, the store has discretion over how it performs its repairs. If it's too hard to replace a screen on an older unit, they might theoretically pop out the drive and install it into a newer Mac for in-warranty repair. Given that the screen is physically distant from the processor and not naturally linked, this might be the answer to your mystery. Please write back and let Auntie know if all the other facets of the computer match up to the pre-repair condition, or if the Genius Bar delivered a free upgrade to you! Hugs, Auntie T.
AT&T concept store uses iPads, iPhones for checkout
An AT&T concept store opening this weekend in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights aims to "differentiate the AT&T experience," according to AT&T retail president Paul Roth. Roth told AllThingsD that AT&T needs to do more to lure the shopper into its stores now that most mobile phones essentially look the same (blocks of glass with software underneath). To that end, AT&T is borrowing heavily from the Apple Store model. The Arlington Heights concept store has eliminated traditional cash registers in favor of a payment system using iPads and iPhones, just like Apple does in its stores. The store will also feature wide glass windows, so passersby can easily see what's on display inside and feel more "invited" to come in -- another Apple Store trait. Finally, the store will offer "bar stool-style seats and tables to try out the latest devices and services as well as a spot to get in-store support for devices and software," according to AllThingsD. Throw a logo of an atom with swirling electrons on it and you'd have a Genius Bar. Some non-Apple Store features will also be included in the store, including two large touchscreen walls and an entire section of the store dedicated to "emerging devices," such as new Bluetooth and wireless accessories. Expect whatever features of the concept store that are a hit to make it into other AT&T stores in the future.
Hackintosh repaired at Apple Genius Bar
So, you're in Shanghai, China with your fake MacBook Air when it suddenly stops working. What do you do? Make an appointment at the real Genius Bar for the Apple Store, Pudong in Shanghai and get help. Fortunately for the man who brought the "MacBook Air" into the store, the Geniuses behind the bar were in a good mood and actually helped him out with diagnostics and troubleshooting. I somehow feel this type of friendly and helpful reception might be lacking if a certain colleague of mine brought her trio of hackintosh netbooks into a local Apple Store here in the U.S.
Rumor: Best Buy stores to add more Apple products, get Genius Bars
An anonymous tipster who works at a Best Buy store let us know this morning that he was informed by his Apple rep that the Apple section of the computer department will be going through a transition sometime this spring to allow more products to be displayed. At the same time, the stores will get a Genius Bar, up to this time a fixture only at Apple Stores. If this is true, this marks the first time that Apple has expanded some of the trademark features of the Apple Stores to other retailers. This, and the earlier report today about a Mac setup section in Apple Stores, seem to mark a renewed commitment to customer service by Apple.
Proximity sensor woes caused by reflective ear canal
Following the recent release of iPhone 4 several of you reported an issue with the proximity sensor running amok during your calls. Our poll results were dead even with 50.1% of readers seeing issues and 49.9% having no problems. At the time I considered myself in the all-clear category, but recently that changed. Read on for my story of woe, intrigue, and incredulity.
Readers: How to get satisfaction from Apple support on iPhone 4 issues
Apple's rumored policy is to not give away the $29 bumpers to consumers, and DIY bumpers may not suit your style. So, how do you get the golden ticket, in this case the free bumper? It seems that documenting your case carefully and showing that you've performed all of the recommended fixes in advance of your Genius Bar appointment helps a lot. Click on the read more link below to see our suggestions on what you need to do to best represent yourself before heading off to the local Apple Store.
TUAW Brain Trust: iPhone 4 phone calls
I have been having problems making calls on my iPhone 4. Whether at home or on the road, my signal strength is simply awful. The only place that I seem to get five bars is the Apple Store itself. I visited the Genius Bar there tonight after Mike urged me to report my signal issues. So, I did. I called 1-800-SOS-APPL, and I was repeatedly and strongly urged to purchase a Bumper. I declined, so the rep made me a Genius Bar appointment. The Genius hooked my phone into a laptop for diagnostics and told me that my calls were fine. The diagnostics showed no lost calls whatsoever -- in spite of what I experienced last night when I was repeatedly dropped from Talkshoe (see the image that accompanies this post). I ended up hopping over to a landline for the TUAW talkcast. Read on for the rest of the saga...
