Apple Launches Free Repair Program For 'No Service' IPhone 7 Bug (betanews.com)

Mark Wilson writes: Apple has launched a new repair program aimed at iPhone 7 users who are experiencing a "No Service" problem. Apple says that affected models that were sold since September 2016 will be repaired free of charge. The company explains that the No Service bug only affects a "small number" of handsets, and it is caused by a failed component on the main logic board...

Apple says that the problematic iPhone 7s were sold in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, and the US between September 2016 and February 2018. The specific model numbers are A1660, A1780 and A1779 and anyone whose phone is displaying a "No Service" message even when signal is available is told to contact their nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider, Apple Retail Store or Apple Technical Support.

Comments

it just works roflmao

[Hognoxious]

n/c

Re:it just works roflmao

[MightyYar]

Yeah, it really sucks when a company stands behind their product.

Re:it just works roflmao

[LynnwoodRooster]

FTA:

Any existing problems -- such as a cracked screen or other damage -- needs to be addressed (and paid for) before the No Service issue can be fixed. Apple points out that the program doesn't extend the standard warranty coverage of the iPhone 7.

So you HAVE to fix all other problems in a 2 year old phone before you qualify for this fix. That should be mentioned as well. Small crack in the screen that you can live with, but you get the "no service" bug? Too bad - replace the screen or buy a new phone.

Re: it just works roflmao

[MightyYar]

That's probably still a biting insult in whatever shithole you live in.

Re:it just works roflmao

[MightyYar]

What does a screen cracking have to do with a faulty chip on the logic board?

Re:it just works roflmao

[MightyYar]

I mean, I get your point: "Hey, this phone was defective even before I trashed it!"

But at the same time, you trashed it. I don't have an iPhone, and the last Apple product I bought was in 2009. But when my Motorola died after about a year for exactly the same reason (No Network), it didn't even occur to me to seek compensation from Motorola. I just figured I'd dropped it and sat on it too many times.

Re:it just works roflmao

[LynnwoodRooster]

I used my Note 2 for 8 months with a single crack in the corner of the screen (outside the visible area) - not trashed at all. Didn't affect operation at all, and I finally changed it out when I was offered a Note 5 for essentially free (company I was contracting for threw it in as a "perk"). To this day, it still functions as a home controller (SmartThings, SONOS, thermostat, etc). With a small crack. Would suck to have to replace the screen - which is 100% functional, the crack is outside the visible area - just to get it to work right because of a defective chip inside!

Re:it just works roflmao

[MightyYar]

I think we're now arguing over the definition of the word "trashed" and the mistreatment of the phone isn't really in question.

Needless to say, a drop can crack the screen, and it can also damage other components.

Re:it just works roflmao

[LynnwoodRooster]

Sure, a drop can damage other components. Per Apple, you MUST fix those other parts too, before they will do this fix. It's like having your transmission fail intermittently, but the factory will not fix it unless you first fix the crack in your windshield and straighten your fender. Because you know, those affect the way the transmission works, or something.

Re:it just works roflmao

[MightyYar]

Probably because they need to remove the glass to fix the phone, and they aren't going to put back your damaged glass when they are done.

I experience this problem on a 6+

[mark-t]

Thankfully not often, but perhaps 3 or 4 times in the past year or so, and never prior to that, I've had "no service available" where I know I should otherwise have. Doing a complete power cycle seems to make the problem go away each time, but it's damn annoying.

Re:I experience this problem on a 6+

[rtb61]

Taking into account the reality of the 'er' reliability of software within the current warranty no warranty arrangement. The longer they run the more unreliable they become, they should auto complete reboot at least once a week. Android gets worse over time if you don't reboot. You also have to clear the main system cache and never forget individual application caches. Should do this on any OS upgrade (they should do it by default) because they can become really unstable. So auto reboot with auto cache clear, system and applications and it likely should occur at least once a week.

Re:I experience this problem on a 6+

[tlhIngan]

Thankfully not often, but perhaps 3 or 4 times in the past year or so, and never prior to that, I've had "no service available" where I know I should otherwise have. Doing a complete power cycle seems to make the problem go away each time, but it's damn annoying.

This is likely a software problem and not a hardware problem. The software running on the modem is highly complex and there can be exception states that lock up the modem processor. Or lock up the DSP on the modem.

We found a reliable way to crash the modem stack on a lot of devices a few years ago - it turns out the commuter train entering a tunnel causes enough strange signal oddities that the DSP and modem processor weirds out and often crash. Alas, a carrier decided to add in hardware to provide a cell signal inside the tunnel, so that technique doesn't work anymore.

The modem software is quite complex with quite a few threads, state machines and other things. It doesn't take much to have a memory leak, or interesting signal conditions that cause the software to enter exception states in just the right way to expose bugs.

Re:I experience this problem on a 6+

[inflex]

Often is the same hardware fault. Traces to the BGA balls suffering fatigue, just like the iP6+ touch, iP7 lag-audio, and plenty of other baseband IC issues ( U1 and V1 pads).

Here's a video of one being fixed (started at the point where he's looking right at the U1 and V1 pads ) https://youtu.be/tdD7BSIy_u4?t...

Re:Why is this on Slashdot?

[MightyYar]

This is a pro-Apple story, so I'm not sure why them hating on Apple would drive their decision to publish it. More likely, they see a bunch of hits on stories about Apple and being good capitalists, they are encouraged to publish more.

Re:apple should be recalling all these defective p

[MightyYar]

I don't know how you use the word "recall", but a free repair for afflicted models certainly counts in my book.

Re: apple should be recalling all these defective

[Brockmire]

In previous recalls, it didn't matter the condition of the original, it was replaced with free shipping both ways (iPod nano 3rd Gen died on day fucking one from cracked screen, they refused warranty repair because it was manufactured 6 weeks after they supposedly fixed their defective screens, but clearly was still defective. Got replaced with 5th gen piece of shit).

Re:Too bad the refuse to honor their $29...

[phayes]

Bullshit. Apple replaced the battery on my old battered 6 for $29 without any problems.

what about the 6s plus?

[LostMyBeaver]

I've been getting messages on the 6s plus for months that there was no service where there was?

Re:what about the 6s plus?

[serbanp]

you are not alone, I started experiencing this annoying issue ever since I upgraded my 6s to iOS11.

When that happens, cycle through airplane mode, which turns off the RF subsystem. No need for a hard reset.

Re:Why is this on Slashdot?

[Godwin O'Hitler]

Because this repair is FREE! Imagine that!

Re: Too bad the refuse to honor their $29...

[beckett]

did you have third party batteries installed? i believe their offer only applies to replace Apple batteries.

Re:Intel modems?

[inflex]

The fault is with the small traces connecting to some of the BGA chip balls. This is the same failure mode as what caused the iP6+ touch disease and the iP7 lag(audio) IC issue.

Fundamentally, we're getting circuits at a size now where the daily physical expansions/contractions and vibrations are causing these traces to fail because they're so fine/thin.

It's not the chip specifically at fault, it's the copper track on the top of the circuit board that's suffering fatigue fractures.

Re: apple should be recalling all these defective

[MightyYar]

You don't think a defective screen, where the defect is that the screen cracks, might warrant different treatment than a failed chip on the board? In that case, the cracked screen is a clear sign of abuse.

Re:apple should be recalling all these defective p

[MightyYar]

You are free to take your business elsewhere. To another company that fixes 2-year-old phones.

Re: apple should be recalling all these defective

[MightyYar]

How is dropping your phone not abuse?

Re:apple should be recalling all these defective p

[MightyYar]

I hear Samsung makes good phones and won't burn a hole in your pocket.

Re: Too bad the refuse to honor their $29...

[phayes]

It's telling that only AC's are claiming that Apple isn't respecting their promise to perform one battery replacement per 6/6S/7 for $29...