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View Full Version : Can anyone properly diagnose my broken iPhone?


Mellotron
13-03-2009, 10:46 AM
So yes, got an iPhone a while back, had a good few months playing with it, then the screen became less responsive. As in, it would take a few swipes to get it to unlock.

Slowly that has deteriorated until it won't recognise touching anymore at all. The rest of it seems to be working (when i turn it on, sound up and down on the side etc, so doesn't seem to be a software/hardware fault otherwise) but obviously if I can't unlock it I can't use it.

I've looked around the net but haven't heard of this problem anywhere else. Ideas? Don't really want to pay out over £100 for a repair.
eno
13-03-2009, 03:21 PM
Simple answer ..... take it back to were you bought it, as it sounds like it should still be under guarantee and therefore is up to them to sort the problem out or replace the phone as faulty.
Even if the guarantee has run out they still have a duty under, The Sale of Goods Act to repair (within reason) or replace as long as the period of time since you bought the item is within the length of time you would reasonably expect the item to be fully functional. For your phone I would expect a couple of years at least.
Andrew Moore
13-03-2009, 03:40 PM
If it's less than a year old an apple shop will do an out right swap free of charge! Find your nearest store and get it replaced ;)

Andy
Mellotron
16-03-2009, 11:33 AM
If it's less than a year old an apple shop will do an out right swap free of charge! Find your nearest store and get it replaced ;)

Andy


Really? Wow I'll have to try that.

Now I have to be honest. As you may have suspected, I did unlock/jailbreak the phone, and of course it is a possibility that it was some 3rd party software that caused the defect.

Also, when I popped in previously regarding getting it repaired, they asked for my o2 contract details. Obviously, I don't have any as I unlocked it for use with my PAYG Vodafone SIM.

Shall I just take it to the o2 shop without a SIM in and try my luck?

Another problem could be that it is 1st gen, and I'm assuming they don't have any of those in stock now.
system7
16-03-2009, 12:16 PM
Presumably you can reinstall or update the OFFICIAL Apple firmware?

Get back to square one...after all, these cracks are often not industrial-strength reliable. ;)
Mellotron
16-03-2009, 12:47 PM
Presumably you can reinstall or update the OFFICIAL Apple firmware?

Get back to square one...after all, these cracks are often not industrial-strength reliable. ;)

Can you explain that first sentence in more layman's terms? I think I can restore the iPhone back to factory settings, which would leave no traces of 3rd party tampering....if that's what you mean?
Nox
16-03-2009, 12:50 PM
yep, do that. See if the fault still exists. If it does, it was hardware. If it doesn't it was software.

Nox
system7
16-03-2009, 12:56 PM
I don't know how the crack works, but, yes. Getting back to square one seems a plan, whatever that entails. New/updated firmware may be unneccessary if the crack was just an additional program though. Firmware is what gives phones and iPods there basic functionality and is often updateable for new features via USB or whatever. Clearly the iPhone is currently unusable, so what choice do you have?

Maybe you can then find a newer crack with less issues. ;)

BTW, is there anything stopping you putting an o2 Pay as you go SIMM in?
Nox
16-03-2009, 12:58 PM
It's still not an o2 'iphone' contract sim though. It's a firmware update to restore it, all you need to do is plug your phone into itunes and tell it to restore or let it download the latest if you haven't got the latest.

Nox
Mellotron
16-03-2009, 01:05 PM
I've restored previously and the fault remains so it is a hardware fault.

Exactly Nox.

I hope they take a Natwest statement as proof of purchase. I'm very lucky I discovered the warranty when I did, I bought it 49 weeks ago and the Warranty lasts a year!
Nox
16-03-2009, 02:08 PM
yeah I was thinking that - bet you got it the same time as my wife did :D

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you - but have a sneaking suspicion they may not honour the warranty, just like you didn't honour the contract :(

Good Luck!

Nox
Mellotron
16-03-2009, 02:51 PM
yeah I was thinking that - bet you got it the same time as my wife did :D

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you - but have a sneaking suspicion they may not honour the warranty, just like you didn't honour the contract :(

Good Luck!

Nox

Well the funny thing is, they didn't seem to suggest I had to honour the contract at the time. A shop just over the road from the o2 store I bought it from had a sign in the window saying We Unlock iPhones so I was confused over the legality of all of it.

I went into the o2 store and asked one of the assistants whether I HAD to buy a contract with this iPhone (as it suggested on the brochures/pamphlets etc). The guy said: "No, you can do what you want with it."

Wondering what I should say when they ask about the contract....ideas?
Nox
16-03-2009, 03:19 PM
Pray they don't!!

You didn't read the small print that says something along the lines of "after 45 days, if you haven't activated we're sending the boyz round" Think my wife threw away all that stuff or i'd check. Still got mine here, but was for a 3G, and i signed up for it.

Nox
Mellotron
16-03-2009, 03:30 PM
I may have just got away with it.

My Mum (yeah makes me sound cool I know) just had a look at the warranty and said: "I don't know why you're bothering even talking to o2, Apple are the product makers so it's their warranty, take it up with them."

Short ring to Apple later and it looks like I'm going to be getting a replacement. Best not involve o2 at all. The warranty is from Apple, so it's on the equipment, not the contract. The cheek of the guys at o2 saying there was nothing I could do.

3 weeks later and I couldn't have done this. Thanks everyone.