except with the RROD Microsoft admitted the issue and provided a replacement or repair service. Apple are just ignoring the issue and leaving the customer suck up the cost and hassle.
My 20 month old (i.e. out of warranty and with no Applecare policy) iphone 6+ started showing the symptoms a week and a half ago. The "Genius" at the Apple Store immediately recognised the symptoms and processed a free replacement (refurbished) phone without any prompting or negotiation on my part.
So while it's true that they are staying very quiet about it in public, it does seem that knowledge of the problem and a free replacement policy has been communicated within the company.
Note: if you are in the EU, settle for nothing less than a new phone (rather than refurbished).
There was recently a lawsuit in the Netherlands where someone sued Apple after receiving a refurbished phone after replacement under warranty [1]. She won the case:
The judge based his verdict on a verdict of the European Court of Justice [2], so it's likely that the outcome would be the same in other EU countries.
[1] 20 months would still fall under warranty in the EU.
What's tong with refurbished? With regular devices, only a few are tested each batch. With refurbished, every single piece of the device should be tested.
Your experience is an example of how capricious Apple's handling of the issue is. I walked in with a 14 month old phone in the exact same situation as yours, including the immediate identification of the problem by the Genius Bar rep, and I was told buy a new one. Period. No help, no willingness to help. Just buy a new one.
So when I've gone in for service at an Apple Store, they always take my Apple ID down. I always wondered if those who buy more get better service. For example, the person who has a purchase history of four or five iPhones, a few iPods, and pair of iPads, and a few Apple laptops might have a better chance of getting an out of warranty fix than someone who has only ever purchased one or two iPhones. It always seemed like this would make sense because Apple wouldn't want to alienate its diehards. Just a theory...
I've wondered that too. I've gotten much better service in terms of hardware replacement at Apple stores than my friends, and I spend a lot more with Apple than they do
Did you read the article? Considering the number of phones they talk about it is certainly not widespread or even Apple policy to replace these phones if out of warranty.
Perhaps a timely reminder than the plural of anecdote is not data.
Microsoft denied the RROD for a long time and then made people jump through a lot of hoops in order to get a replacement or repair. Also RROD was far more widespread (in terms of % of devices affected) than this issue appears to be.
Most people I know who got RROD ended up just throwing their 360 out.
Yeah I have started buying Chinese phones, started with a OnePlus One and I have just ordered a Xiaomi Redmi Note and most people consider them to be inferior because they are Chinese, oblivious the fact that their Apple device and many Androids are manufactured in China too.
Also never had an issue with the Oneplus, it has taken a battering and I have successfully changed the screen 3 times, survived a full submersion while turned on and numerous drops. It is currently missing the on\off button due to my carelessness but it is still going strong.
My 20 month old (i.e. out of warranty and with no Applecare policy) iphone 6+ started showing the symptoms a week and a half ago. The "Genius" at the Apple Store immediately recognised the symptoms and processed a free replacement (refurbished) phone without any prompting or negotiation on my part.
So while it's true that they are staying very quiet about it in public, it does seem that knowledge of the problem and a free replacement policy has been communicated within the company.