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Found: The iPhone prototype finder
Wired has located and interviewed the man who "found" Apple's lost prototype iPhone in a Redwood City bar: 21-year-old Brian Hogan. With a statement from his attorney, Hogan has shed a great deal of light on the ongoing saga of Gizmodo's premature unveiling of Apple's next-gen iPhone. The story, as told by Hogan, supposedly goes like this: Another bar patron handed Hogan the iPhone when the patron found it lying on a nearby barstool. This patron asked Hogan if it was his iPhone, then abruptly left. Hogan asked nearby bar patrons if the phone belonged to them. When no one said it was theirs, he and his friends left with the iPhone. Critically, there's no mention that Hogan made any effort to leave the phone with the bartender, which is what I probably would have done in that situation. [Ed: After you put together a hands-on and gallery for TUAW, you mean.]
AppleCare without Apple stores... still worth it
Once upon a time, I worked for a major American retailer in its electronics department. The manager of that department, above and beyond all other considerations, wanted us to push extended warranties to customers. These warranties represented almost pure profit for the company, because they cost nearly nothing to implement while costing the customer anywhere from 10-40% the value of the item they were buying. The profit margin on a $2500 LCD TV was very slim, often gaining the company no more than $100 of profit; by contrast, the $549 extended warranty was nearly 100% profit for the retailer. From the retailer's perspective, it's easy to see why they push these extended warranties. From a customer's perspective, though, it's a potential source of confusion or even animosity toward the retailer -- I had more than a few customers (usually older ones) ask me why they needed this warranty in the first place, why the company wouldn't just "stand behind their products." More interested in helping people than trying to BS them for either my own profit or the retailer's, often as not this meant I ended up not selling those extended warranties... it also meant I wasn't a salesman for very long. I won't say which retailer I worked for, but I will say that the memory of working there sears my mind to this day. Most purchasers seem to think that extended warranties are a huge waste of money, and in many (if not most) cases they're correct. Like an idiot, I bought an extended warranty for my Wii back on launch day in 2006 -- that was $60 down the drain. I'll blame that one on standing in line all night in sub-freezing temperatures outside of Target to snag one. But when it comes to AppleCare, I have no hesitation about laying money down for that. We've hit on the value proposition of AppleCare a few times on TUAW before. Sang related Megan's story of a dead MacBook, complete with a detailed analysis of why AppleCare is worth it. Robert made the case for AppleCare, and Cory's answer to the question, to buy AppleCare or not, was a resounding "Yes." I'll add my voice to the chorus of TUAW writers in support of AppleCare -- not because I'm trying to sell it to you (despite the word "Apple" in "The Unofficial Apple Weblog," our only affiliation with the company is as fans and buyers of their products), but because AppleCare has saved me literally hundreds of dollars in repair costs, even though I live in a country without a single official Apple store. Read on to find out how AppleCare saved my bacon, and then decide for yourself whether it's worth it for you.
Educational institutions: Get your discounted iPad 10-pack
MacRumors reports that Apple has begun offering iPad 10-packs to educational institutions at discounted rates. The discounts are relatively minor: $20 off of each iPad in a set of 10, or $40 off per iPad if they are ordered with AppleCare. The iPad 10-packs are shipped in a single box, which eliminates individual packaging. In addition to the ten iPads, the packs contain ten power adapters, ten USB-to-Dock cables, and one set of documentation. Currently, only the WiFi models are available in the educational 10-packs. Like the iPhone, there are no iPad educational discounts currently available to students or teachers. Many believe that the iPad can revolutionize the tools for education. This educational 10-pack could be an early sign that Apple will aggressively pursue the iPad as an educational tool. The iPad 10-packs begin shipping in April.
iPad 101: iPad AppleCare pros & cons
Considering AppleCare for your iPad? I know that I am. For $99, AppleCare extends your iPad warranty coverage to two years from the date of purchase. Although AppleCare tends to be expensive, for certain purchases it can really save you, especially for devices which run a higher risk of component failure over a lifetime of hard use -- such as laptops and other mobile tech. Many Apple aficionados tend to avoid buying AppleCare for robust devices like the Mac mini series. Those units tend either to die right away or last forever. They are highly self-serviceable for anyone who has a reasonable degree of comfort with a screwdriver. The iPad and the iPhone, on the other hand, can feel like accidents waiting to happen. Without a simple avenue for owner-repair, they are more of a black box purchase. And their components can and do die much more unexpectedly. In my history of purchasing iPhones and iPod touches, I have personally encountered video driver death and massive touchscreen failure. To be fair, both of these incidents happened within a month or so of purchase, so keep that in mind as well. For many devices, component failures tend to show themselves fairly soon. With a standard iPad purchase, you are covered for 90 days of phone support and a 1 year hardware warranty without any need for a further AppleCare payment, according to the Apple representative I talked to this morning. What's more, if you want to wait, you can. Purchasing AppleCare extends standard iPad coverage to 2 years each of phone support and hardware warranty. You can buy AppleCare up until the last day of your 1 year complimentary coverage, so there's not really a rush unless you need phone support during that time.
Smoking kills... your Mac
It should be pretty obvious by now that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health. What's not as obvious is that it might be bad for your Mac, too. According to The Consumerist, two different people got turned down for AppleCare maintenance because their Macs were used in a house with a smoker. Both people appealed their cases all the way up to Steve Jobs, and both of them lost. I've opened up a few computers that spent time in a house full of heavy smokers, and the insides weren't pretty. There was this disgusting brown resin built up all over everything, and it pretty much smelled like an ashtray stuffed full of 5-year-old cigarette butts. Though it's probably a stretch to call this "a biohazard" like in one of the cases The Consumerist cites, AppleCare agreements are worded loosely enough in their limitations of coverage that Apple seems perfectly within its rights to deny coverage in these two cases: The Plan does not cover: Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse (including faulty installation, repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider), unauthorized modification, extreme environment (including extreme temperature or humidity), extreme physical or electrical stress or interference, fluctuation or surges of electrical power, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes. It's that "other external causes" clause that's the catch-all, although you could probably argue that an atmosphere filled with smoke counts as an "extreme environment" as well. Bottom line: if you have to smoke, you might want to step away from the computer first. With the investment that your Mac represents sitting there on the desk, why take the risk of messing it up in an easily preventable way?
Think those warranty parts are new? Think again
We received a question from one of our readers earlier this week that made me cringe, cower in fear, and heavily debate posting the answer. He had just been to the Genius Bar and they had replaced his under-warranty iPhone for a hardware issue. He then asked us what the quality of said iPhone would be; is it new or refurbished, and will it be a problem in the future? Having spent time working behind the Genius Bar, as a technician at an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and now as the owner of my own repair shop in Denver... I know the history of the replacement parts and where they come from. If you have been involved with Apple repairs, you will probably know what I'm reluctant to tell you. If you are merely a consumer, prepare to be disappointed. The vast majority of parts that Apple ships to repair centers are what they consider "re-manufactured." As a Genius, I was coached to explain that process when we were asked where the parts came from. Customers would always respond with, "Wait, so you're giving me a refurbished iPhone?" I was told to say no, and to follow it by saying, "re-manufactured parts or products are different than refurbished. Someone may have used your device before you if it's a refurbished product... but in the re-manufacturing process, Apple uses known-good parts and builds new units out of them." So, they added a fake, nonsensical name to pretend that their parts or products weren't refurbished. What does this mean? The iPhone that you just received looks new on the outside because it has new glass, a new case, new battery... but the rest of the device is fair game for refurbished parts. The logic board, audio assembly, LCD, pretty much anything else on the inside that isn't visible from the exterior could be from another person's iPhone. I'm not saying that every part is used, every time... they'll use new parts if that's what they have in stock. But if they have working used parts, they won't hesitate to put them in your replacement iPhone. There is usually one scenario that will allot for a new replacement: if you purchased your device less than 14 days ago. In that case, they have the ability to do a POS (Point of Sale) swap instead of a repair. Any swap outside of 14 days needs a very good explanation and a manager's approval. This doesn't just apply to iPhones and iPods; it actually applies to any part they put into your Apple product. The logic board they put into your MacBook Pro: refurbished. The optical drive they put into your iMac: refurbished. The DC-In Board they put into your PowerBook G4: refurbished. There are many, many parts out there that Apple will happily replace for you, but beware -- it's probably not new. Re-manufactured is no different than refurbished. If you look at it from the environmental aspect, I have to give Apple some respect for repairing broken parts instead of just tossing them in the dump. Still, that doesn't mean that I -- as a consumer -- want someone's "fixed" two-year-old logic board going into my computer. At this point, though, I don't have much of a choice.
Unboxing an Apple employee t-shirt
A little while back we posted about the unboxing of an Apple job offer, and now here's another unboxing having to do with becoming an Apple employee -- Mac Rumors has shots up of an unboxing of one of the t-shirt giftboxes recently given to AppleCare call center staff, and once again, even in something that the public was never really supposed to see, this company shows just how much care and attention they put into their design. From the way the t-shirt's folded, with the stark three word design sitting perfectly centered, to the embossed gift note and company stickers, clearly this is a company that believes presentation is important. In fact, it almost makes me want to go over to Apple's Jobs site and start looking for myself. Apple, any interest in hiring a witty, sarcastic and cynical blogger? I'll work for peanuts!
Dead Time Capsules can hang out together
We reported on the abundance of Time Capsule failure-to-boot after 18 months in September. A new site has emerged from the mist to help Time Capsule owners who are struggling to get Apple to acknowledge the issue. TimeCapsuleDead.org exists as a register for the owners of dead Time Capsules and has links to self-help discussions as well as the Apple Feedback page. Of the devices that have been registered thus far, the average time until ports-up is 17 months and 29 days -- eerily close to the estimated 18 month mark. We'd like to give you a friendly reminder that our own Lauren explored the AppleCare agreements, and found that any computer-centric AppleCare agreement that's in force should cover this Time Capsule failure (as it's considered a peripheral used with the Mac). That does not mean that our readers who don't have a current agreement should be left begging on the streets by Apple. This is something that needs to be addressed. Hopefully this new site will be a good resource for all of our readers. Thanks, Pim and KB!
Which peripherals are covered under AppleCare?
In the wake of our earlier post on possibly time-bombed Time Capsules, there was some confusion as to whether or not the Time Capsule would be covered under any AppleCare Protection Plan you might have. The suggestion was made in the comments to Mel's post that extended coverage would apply, but we decided to double-check. In short, it's true. if you have an AppleCare Protection Plan that is currently in-force for a Mac that you own, your Time Capsule is covered under that agreement. In fact, there is no need for the Time Capsule to be on the same receipt as the computer you purchased. As long as the Time Capsule is owned by you and "in use" along with the covered Mac system, it is covered along with the product for which you have an existing AppleCare Protection Plan. Of course, this does not cover any damage you inflict on the Time Capsule, and it must not be hacked or used in any way other than it was intended. In other words, don't use your Time Capsule as a doorstop and expect to get AppleCare coverage on it when it breaks. In addition to the Time Capsule, this "in use" coverage extends to the following products: AirPort Extreme Card AirPort Express AirPort Extreme Base Station Apple-branded DVI to ADC display adapter Apple RAM modules MacBook Air SuperDrive And, naturally, while coverage does not extend to products that are subject to their own AppleCare Protection Plans (such as an iPhone, iPod, or, of course, another computer) it does extend to a single Apple-branded display if the display was purchased at the same time as the computer you're using it with. Otherwise you need to purchase a separate AppleCare Protection Plan for the display. Clear as mud? All of the above is contained within the terms and conditions of the AppleCare Protection Plan for North America. In addition to those actual terms, an Apple Genius I spoke with said that coverage also typically extends to Apple-branded hardware on the same receipt as the covered computer purchase, and in general he and his colleagues endeavor to extend the best courtesy they can to their customers when the situation permits. So you may, in fact, receive coverage better than the terms within the agreement itself if you are pleasant, don't yell at the nice Geniuses and say "pretty please." Complimenting their shoes is always a nice touch. They also like chocolate. If you'd like to check to see what agreements are current, you can click here to check them out, see when they expire, and read the terms and conditions yourself. If your agreement is not registered or is not listed under your Apple ID, you can check by agreement number and computer serial number. Also, if you are not in North America, you can read the terms specific to your agreement here -- many European countries have stronger consumer protections than the US does, and longer warranties may be standard where you live.
To AppleCare or not to AppleCare -- that is the question
The following is a re-enactment of the mysterious and sudden failure of Megan Lavey's MacBook. It was the evening of Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Megan Lavey heads out to the movies to watch the eagerly anticipated Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince. But the excitement of the night was short lived. Upon her arrival home, Megan found her MacBook in an unconscious state. She tried several attempts to revive it: plugging it and unplugging it, removing and reinserting the battery, as well as performing an SMC reset. However, these attempts proved futile. In a last ditch effort, Megan made an emergency visit to her local Apple store to meet with a genius. They had both good news and bad news. The good news was that they identified the problem with her MacBook (the logic board) and could save it, but -- and here comes the bad news -- could cost up $750 to repair. What's worse, Megan didn't have AppleCare coverage. In a state of shock and sadness, Megan leaned on the shoulders of her fellow TUAWers, each of whom offered words of encouragement her: Chris Rawson: "My wife's mid-2007 MacBook is having the exact same issue right now. Luckily, it's covered by AppleCare, and going to the local repair place ASAP." Erica Sadun: "":( :( :("" Sang Tang: "Hey, this would make an interesting post. I'm going to write something on this." There are many Megans in the world, and each is faced with the difficult task of deciding whether or not a repair is worth its cost. It's also times like these that one regrets not purchasing AppleCare, for often times repair costs outweigh the cost of AppleCare. And this raises the question. Should you purchase AppleCare? Several months back, TUAW's Robert Palmer penned a piece on why he believes AppleCare is worth it. This post expands upon that and provides examples of when AppleCare is and isn't justified.
Mac 301: Time Machine backups after your Mac's brain surgery
As I've discovered recently, one of the unfortunate side effects of having the logic board on your computer replaced (aside from the potentially hefty bill involved if your AppleCare has lapsed) is that your Time Machine backups won't play nicely with your Mac after the repair if you're using a Time Capsule. Replacing the logic board is essentially like getting a whole new Mac; though all the data on the hard drive is identical, the new logic board will have different hardware identifiers (specifically, the MAC address) that will tell your Time Capsule, "This is a new Mac that's never been backed up before. Please treat it as such." The Time Capsule, doing as it's told, will fumble along and create a new Time Machine backup while ignoring the old backups completely.Your options then are these:1. Scrap your old Time Machine backups and start fresh. There may be an allure to this, but it's almost certainly unnecessary, and you can lose months of perfectly good backups. Plus, you then have to deal with the incredibly long first Time Machine backup all over again.2. Hack your Time Machine backup using the following procedure, which will allow you to resume Time Machine backups as though your logic board was never replaced.
Apple Stores will replace broken iPhone displays
Apple's service options for iPhones have improved since 2007. Back then, long-term repairs meant traveling to an Apple Store and paying the $29US fee for a loaner. Later that month, Apple released the Apple Care Protection Plan for iPhone. Among other things, this plan extends technical support to two years from the date of iPhone purchase, and extends hardware coverage to two years from the same time period.This week, Apple announced that a specific repair, screen replacement, can be performed at Apple Store Genius Bars while the customer waits. The service is free if your phone is under warranty, otherwise it will cost you $199. Yikes. Of course, "Under Warranty" refers to the date purchased as well as other factors like liquid damage* or jailbreaking.Here's hoping you won't need this service (hold on tight or buy a case), and if you do, you aren't 200 miles from the nearest Apple Store like yours truly.Speaking of repairs, we've seen iPhones and iPod touches survive some serious knocks, like a run-in with a pickup truck.*Note that Apple will let iPhone owners swap their liquid-damaged iPhones for replacements, provided that it succumbed to an out-of-warranty encounter with liquid.This post was about screen repair specifically.
iPhone for Newbies: Ringtones, double contacts, periods, and AppleCare
I just bought my first iPhone, a 32 GB iPhone 3G S, and found that that there is an abundance of information out there covering just about every aspect of its use. As an iPhone virgin, most of this is new to me, but I'm sure it's old hat to most. Apple, however, is set to sell over half a million new iPhones this weekend, so I'm sure there are a lot of virgins in my position. This post and maybe some to follow are not meant for anyone who is fluent in iPhone, but rather for newbies like me. So, skip this if you've been at the party for awhile, but if you just ripped open your iPhone box, read on:RingtonesI tried making a ringtone from iTunes, but when right-clicking on a song and choosing 'create ringtone' I found that only songs purchased from the iTunes store could be used, at least in iTunes 8.2. In reality you can make a ringtone from any MP3. You can find the easy steps here.Double Contacts and Calendar EntriesAfter setting up MobileMe and syncing my phone the first time, I found that all my contacts and calendar entries had been duplicated so that there were two identical entries of everything. Our own Chris Rawson set me straight on fixing this. If you disable calendar and contact syncing from the iPhone, all the information brought in from MobileMe will vanish. Next, re-enable them and you will be asked if you want to merge the contact and calendar information with what's on the iPhone (which was brought in by iTunes). You do. And in doing so, the problem will vanish. This tip is not just for iPhone 3G S owners, it's also happened to previous iPhone users who updated to system 3.0.Period Space Bar TrickWhen writing an email, typing the period key on my iPhone 3G S often does weird things like jumping down a line or two, slowing me down to a crawl. Chris Rawson also came to my aid by telling me that when you reach the end of a sentence, double tapping the space bar displays a period. This is much quicker for me, and my typing is cleaner. I'm not sure about earlier iPhones but for the iPhone 3G S, this must be set up manually. Go to settings-> general->keyboard and turn on the "." shortcut.ApplecareThere is no need to pay Apple $69 for AppleCare. I've been buying AppleCare from eBay at a decent savings for years. Often you don't get a full box, just a paper with the registration code, but I've never had a problem. Right now you can get AppleCare for $42 including shipping.What have you found? If you have a problem or question and are too bashful to ask: ask here and we'll put our hive-mind right on it.
Don't panic: Liquid damage, and what to do about it
We've all had an "oh poopie" moment involving liquids: Time slows down, you watch as the glass tips over, its contents cascading (beautifully, in another context perhaps) over the rim and onto the table. The rivulets of beverage roll in a miniscule tidal wave across the surface, over the edge, and drip to the floor. All in the span of a few seconds. The worst part is when there's a computer between the cup and the table. That's when an oops becomes a crisis. What's the best thing to do when there's a spill on your laptop? Keep calm and carry on: 1. Don't panic. First, know that your data is safe. Hard drives -- while not hermetically sealed -- are tightly put together. If you act quickly, you can prevent the liquid from getting to your hard disk, and damaging your valuable data. (I'll save the bad news for later.) 2. Turn off the computer. Even before you run to get a towel, turn the computer off. If you can't shut it down normally (the keyboard won't respond for example), try pressing the power button for several seconds to force the computer to shut down. Unplug the laptop, and disconnect any cables and USB devices. 3. With the lid open, turn the computer upside down. This prevents the liquid from getting too far into the computer. While the computer is upside down, remove the battery and set it aside. 4. Wipe up the liquid. All joking aside: use toilet paper. Ounce for ounce, it's the most absorbent material you're likely to have handy. It's also thin, so it can reach down into crevices in and around your keyboard to soak up the liquid. This is especially important for sugary drinks like colas and juice: Sugars are sticky, and if they dry, you'll have a bigger problem. Next: If you're prepared, you can take your computer apart to clean up any liquid inside.
MacBook Air hinge defect not covered by Apple's warranty?
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/MacBook_Air_hinge_defect_not_covered_by_Apple_s_warranty'; Our rocky history with the MacBook Air Rev. A has been well documented, and while Apple would very much like us to forget all about it and plop down another $1,800 for the much-improved Rev. B, not everybody has that sort of birthday money to throw around. Reports of cracked hinges on the laptop are nothing new, but we always assumed Apple would eventually 'fess up to the problem and comp those repairs. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case, and we just got another report of a hapless MacBook Air owner who has a broken hinge that Apple says will cost $800 to repair, despite the fact the laptop is under warranty. Our own MacBook Air Rev. A had the exact same problem -- the hinge becomes loose over time, then suddenly catches and cracks from normal use, it's not from undue stress -- and Apple did the repair for free, but only after we escalated the issue to a manager, who let us know how very nice of them that was. From reading various reports, that seems the exception to Apple's repair policy, which lists this sort of damage as "accidental," and we're wondering how widespread this issue may be. If you or a loved one has been affected, hit up the poll below and pour out your heart in comments. If you're unscathed or MBA-free, feel free to show very little compassion to your fellow man. Wiggle hinge and broken hinge video is after the break. [Thanks, Alex, and sorry for your loss! Photo courtesy of LanDung2008] %Poll-26759% Read - Apple Discussions forum thread Read - MacRumors forum thread Read - Crashzone's link roundup
So you just got your first Mac -- now what?
All day on December 25, TUAW presents "Now What?" We've got first steps and recommendations for all the Apple gifts you (hopefully!) found under the tree today. Happy holidays! If you're a Mac veteran, send a link to this post to the switcher on your holiday list. Merry Christmas, new Mac owner. First of all, congratulations! Welcome to the family. There's some eggnog on the table, and feel free to put your coat on the bed. Setting up your new Mac is a famously easy experience. It should take about 10 minutes, depending on the kind of Mac you bought, and where you want to put it. Once you have your new Mac on your desk, it will take you through a short setup process to personalize your new machine. You'll choose a username, a password, and will be given the option to register your Mac and sign up for MobileMe, if you want. (You can register and sign up for MobileMe later, if you don't do it now.) If you bought any applications along with your Mac (like Microsoft Office, for example), you can install them very easily. Just insert the disc, and either drag the application to your Applications folder (on your hard disk) or double-click the installer application. You can eject the disc when you're done by dragging it to the Trash, or pressing the eject key on your keyboard. For Windows compatibility, get your Windows XP (SP2 or SP3) or Windows Vista disc ready, and double click the Boot Camp Assistant in the Utilities folder (it's inside your Applications folder). Boot Camp Assistant will walk you through the process of installing Windows on your Mac. It's not difficult, but it will take a little time. Once Windows is installed, you can hold down the Option key before your computer boots to choose which operating system to run, or select a permanent preference via the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences. You can read more switcher-specific tips in our Switchers category. If you're switching to the Mac platform from the PC, I might humbly suggest you read Part 1 and Part 2 of my experience introducing my dad to the Mac. He was a hard-core PC user until he fell in love with his Mac mini. Continue reading for a few best bets about how to extend and protect your new Mac.
The case for AppleCare
With the holidays approaching, I know more than one family will be getting a new Mac. Many first time buyers whom I've guided through the purchase of their first Mac ask me, "is AppleCare worth it?" For your new Mac, absolutely; I speak from first-hand experience. Now, I'm a pretty capable guy. I can fix application problems, recover data, and reinstall operating systems like a champ. I've replaced power supplies, installed memory, and upgraded hard disks. I thought I didn't need AppleCare. That is, until I bought my iMac G5 a few years ago. It was a great computer, but it had some manufacturing defects that reared their ugly heads well after the standard one year warranty expired. Turns out I needed a new logic board (or motherboard, for our PC friends). Outside of the one year warranty, that was a $900 proposition.
Original iPhone warranties about to expire
Do you hear that ticking noise? It's your iPhone's warranty preparing to go "boom." If you purchased your iPhone on the original US release date -- June 29, 2007 -- your warranty will expire in three days (as of this writing) on June 29th, 2008. Tick, tick.Of course, you can extend coverage by purchasing AppleCare for the iPhone at $69.95US (or toss in an additional $129 for iPhone 3G). Otherwise, get yourself to an Apple Store Genius Bar ASAP! If the iPhone is anything like most cars I've owned, everything will go wrong the very day after the warranty expires. I'm just saying.
Engadget: Houston overrun by electronics-killing ants
It sounds like the plot of a Roger Corman film, I know, but as reported on our sister blog, apparently swaths of Texas are being overrun by "Crazy Rasberry Ants," named for their discoverer (and exterminator) Tom Rasberry, not for the tasty fruit. The ants, for some reason, are attracted to electrical equipment, including your Mac. A friendly chat with an AppleCare representative revealed that AppleCare policies do not cover insect infestation. Instead, the rep helpfully suggested that your renter's or homeowner's policy might cover the computer instead. The ants arrived in the U.S. via a shipping container. They reproduce quickly, and are very difficult to kill. Might be worth it to keep an eye out. Apparently, they've been spotted near Johnson Space Center, and who knows what secrets they could be after.
AT&T refurb iPhones arrive with incorrect warranty coverage
Doug Toombs from Howard Forums tipped us off that those refurb AT&T iPhones many TUAW readers bought a few weeks ago might not have properly issued warranties. He sent me over to Apple's warranty self-checking site and sure enough my new iPhone's limited warranty is due to expire on July 22nd.I gave Apple a call at 1-800-694-7466. I was given the standard Apple line: they do not offer a full year warranty on refurbs. Your warranty ends a year from when the iPhone was originally sold and activated. She then connected me to AT&T, which promptly hung up on me.So I called back. The sticker on the AT&T box says clearly: "Refurbished iPhones have a full 1 year warranty. You must retain receipt for warranty claims through Apple."Second time around, I got the most fabulous agent. She contacted the agreement administrator and within a few minutes my warranty was extended to 03/2009, no fuss, no muss. I'm kicking myself though that I did not check into whether I could extend the warranty after that year through AppleCare--so if you find out, do let us know in the comments. Thanks!Anyway, to summarize: I did need to confirm a valid AT&T account, explaining that I was upgrading from my 4GB to my new 8GB. I offered to send a picture of the sticker on the AT&T box but the agent said this had to be a known problem and that she didn't need either that or the receipt. I also took advantage of the Apple call-you-back service. Instead of waiting on line, they automagically take your number and call it back when you're ready to hit the head of the queue. Very convenient.
