This is a tough one to solve because it happens with all the major manufacturers. Galaxy S3 is about the same. The only reason they get away with it is because of the subsidies the carriers are willing to pay. As more and more people move to no contract plans the subsidies will dry up and you'll start to see pricing fall to reasonable levels. My guess would be 3-5 years before we see it though.

Not being able to add your own memory does seem crazy, and backward.

black 64gig, i love it. its my first iphone

My wife's iPhone 5 is having issues less than 2 weeks after purchase. The phone does not recognize the SIM card. Turns out this is a pretty widespread problem, according to Sprint customer service and Sprint forums. And no clear solution at this time either. Anyone here having this issue?

Sprint is using a sim card for the 5?

Sarcasm meter dude. Calibrate.

guess so. The wife just went to the Sprint store to have them replace the card, which they did. Seems to be working now. The phone rep from Sprint said that this is a widespread problem that both Sprint and Apple know about.

EDIT: sounds like the problem is prevalent at both AT&T and Verizon as well, according to the forums...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0

Just pop the SIM out and back in restart. Should fix the problem.

Sprint and Verizon are using the SIM because its an LTE device even though Sprint has about .00000001 LTE coverage. Verizon had a SIM in the 4s because it was a global phone but it never actually got activated unless you went overseas.

So apparently the phone is a giant POS.

Scratch and cosmetic issues right out of the box
Camera problems
Light leakage on white models
Shitty battery
Shitty Wi-fi
Battery comes loose inside phone and makes rattling sound
No SIM problem
Some phones just refuse to activate
and today it was announced that even though the phone is in Wi-fi you still get charged data as if it was in 3G/4G

HAHA looks like Apple really dropped the ball on this one but it wont matter. SELL ANOTHER 5 MILLION

Haven't encountered a single one of these problems.

Well nevermind then. I guess multiple tech sites, blogs, and several media outlets are just making this shit up since YOU have never encountered any of these problems. My bad.

You love to generalize don't you, you dumb shit?

I said I didn't encounter them. Since you like to constantly cry about apple when you're not being a stupid ****ing troll about Cassel, I'll let you carry on and act like everyone is having problems with their IPhone 5.

We get it, you aren't buying one.

Doesnt matter

I originally bought a 64 Gig black model and it was perfect, outside of the fact that I didnt ever need that much storage. I thought I'd trade it back in within the 14 days and get a 32 Gig black and everything would be fine, and it has been except for one thing that the first one didn't do. It gets pretty warm, not hot, just warm, I heard resetting the phone on itunes will fix it if its a software issue but it bums me out that I took a chance to get $100 back and I came out slightly on bottom. I can take this one back if it doesn't fix itself but I don't want to be that customer... On the first one my battery was pretty shitty at first, I overcharged it like a mofo and it fixed itself which was surprising so I'm hoping lightning will strike twice.

Haha, why do people try so hard to put down apple products. I literally have not had a problem with one thing on that list, including not getting charged data on wifi

Take it back and demand a replacement. Tell them specifically that this one gets much hotter than the previous one. Don't worry about being "That customer". You're paying a shitload of money and tying yourself down with a 2 year contract. You deserve to be satisfied with it.

True. They are probably pleased that a customer is in there that knows something about anything.

I've never worked in the industry, but everytime I go in there "that customer" are the morons that are trying to buy/operate cell phones that have no business operating a microwave. Picture this continually.

Rep: "This phone does a lot. You can download apps, email, and this particular model has touch to talk."

Customer: "I don't have any email. And what are apps?"

You'll be fine.

You're right. Everyone else is lying /MattCassel's Ass licker.

I don't care that you two Apple lackeys havent had any problems. The FACTS are there are thousands of people experiencing it. Verizon had to release a statement saying customers won't be charged for any data that was “unwarranted"

Apple says the purple haze is “normal". The chips and scratches out of the box are “normal".

Sounds like Apple is taking a page out of the Pioli handbook

Yes, I'm an apple lackey because I purchase their products. I don't go on Android threads and rip users for their problems, because I don't care what people decide to spend their money on.

Sounds like you're just a ****ing butthurt asshole.

It's ok dude, don't be angry that people laugh at Apple sheep behind their backs. Embrace your mindless cult of Apple and drink whatever they tell you to drink. Apple will be just fine without Jobs.

Oh wait! Isn't it exciting?! There's a seven inch iPad coming out! Stand in line! Get your credit cards out people! Don't forget the Apple care!

Between the Cassel trolling and Apple trolling, your role on this forum is pretty sad.

The Cassell stuff I do for shits and giggles, the Apple stuff is what everyone talks about whether you like it or not.

I've never owned an IPad. More generalizations from the bulletin board toolbox.

I also owned an Android phone for 2 and a half years. I gave them a chance, but in the end, I like Apple phones better. I absolutely hate my Macbook, so if you're going to lump me in the Apple fanboi discussion, you couldn't be more wrong.

God, you are a douche.

Ha, everyone.

Good grief, dude. You're effing nuts.

Next time I start a thread, can we ban LA Chieffan? Son of a bitch.

Fixed your post. I haven't had any of those problems either, so that makes three of us. :)

I have a story about Apple. I had an iPhone 3GS for almost two years. I admittedly had dropped the phone several times. Eventually it developed a small crack on the back. I took it into the Apple store and asked an employee how much they charged to replace the back piece. The employee replied, we won't replace the back but we can get you a new phone.

I was blown away. Coming from Verizon and LG phones previously, I was used to paying a fee for any exchange. I'm a happy Apple consumer and have had very few problems with any of their products.

My friend has the new Razor and accidentally broke his screen. He pays a monthly fee for insurance and when he took it in to Verizon, they wanted $100 for a replacement.

I'll stick with my Apple products that do a damn good job at doing what they are designed for and would probably work for most people. You can prance around with your Android devices and feel superior for not being a fanboy.

Remember who you're dealing with here... :doh!:

Awesome story about the phone, and exceptional customer service by Apple in this case.

I have a similar story about Dell--

My freshman year of college I spent over $1k on a Dell laptop, and it was top of the line at the time. Flashforward to Christmas break and I'm flying down to see my folks, and on the plane I spill one of those cokes you get on the airplane all over it, it immediately shut off and would not turn back on. Anyway, I'm freaking as I'm a poor college kid and can't really afford to buy a new laptop. Later I call Dell up and they send me a box and I send off the laptop. A week later I get it back and it is working perfectly. They never asked what happened and didn't charge me a dime either. Btw, I never bought the accident coverage option, I don't think it was available/existed at the time.

Excellent customer service example. Not sure if Dell currently is as generous, but I don't intend to take my laptop for a bath to find out...

While I like to bash Apple fanbois and make fun of Apple, in general, I have no doubt they make quality products.

Fixed.

Apple did the same thing for my iPad. I had a small crack in the corner from my nephew dropping it. Such things are not covered under warranty, but they game me a new one anyway. I was pleased.

I had Sprint earlier this year and I rooted and was flashing custom ROMs on my GS2. I bricked the phone, but I took it to a service center and they fixed it. No charge and no questions asked.

That's awesome. Apple does have a similar deal with the insurance....at least I thought they did.

Buddy of mine dropped his iPhone, cracked the screen. When he took it in, guy wouldn't/couldn't fix it, so they offered him a new phone.....at full retail. He ended up finding a place to have the screen fixed, ended up costing him $150 or so.

Mine is as you said above. If something happens with my phone and it needs replaced, I pay a fee (I think $100) and I get a new phone.

Despite the price of the iPad, their manufacturing construction is such that they're considered "Not repairable". They don't fix them, they simply ship any damaged unit back to the factory and give you a new one on the spot. They will never open them up, or bother with a screen replacement.

There's actually a little "Dent tool" that AASPs get for measuring the depth of a dent on a device. If the dent is deeper than 1mm, and something similar on length, it's considered damaged.

Getting a deal like yours is pretty much just luck. Apple is strongly adamant about not repairing or replacing user damage, and there's about 50 checks you have to do, and a litany of questions you have to ask according to the Apple warranty procedures. Apple puts a lot of pressure on AASPs in this regard. But it depends on the tech that's fixing it to classify whether it's considered user damage or not.

Reprogramming a phone isn't the same as handing you a new phone.

I'm sure the "insurance" you refer to is thee your carrier. And most will exchange a phone for a fee and a monthly cost. Apple or other.

FYI... Apple also offers flat rate repair services for fixing stuff that's out of warranty. Most people don't know this, as Apple doesn't really advertise it outright. Prices fluctuate according to how old the machine is and what type of repair. But it can actually be a really good deal in some situations. Especially on something like a damaged logic board in a Macbook Pro.

When I used to run Dell hardware I always had good luck with their hardware support. I just had to escalate to level 2 at least to get what I needed. My case was a broken motherboard after I stood up while I had a headphone jack wired into my stereo across the room. Replacement was no issue. I can't speak to their support these days and my days of buying hardware from them is behind me. If I were to build a workstation for nothing but Linux or Windows I'd probably do it on my own.

Apple support is just as good if not better. It helps if you know the right people at the right store. If they know you as being a long time and reliable customer, they've got room to help.

Unfortunately they've split support into Mac and iOS. If you've got a problem with an iOS device you're dealing with someone who doesn't know crap about anything, other than how to check your warranty after they hard reset your phone. The Mac guys are still top notch. I also learned the last time that I was in that if you need to do a clean install that they're happy to do it for you.

Yes, nerds, this goes against our core ethos of fixing it ourselves but the difference is that they image the machine over their local network. One hell of a lot faster than waiting on optical media. They also have current versions of old cats too, so if you're selling an old MacBook Pro that came with Leopard they can drop it right on there in about 20 minutes.

As far as our troll goes, all operating systems and pieces of hardware are just tools. Some are better suited than others. I run OS X, two versions of Windows and at least a couple versions of linux personally. I've got iOS devices that handle a lot of my day to day and recently I acquired an HTC One V (with Beats audio!!!) that I'll probably use as a burner/hack phone. More of a toy than anything, but I'm excited to dig into Android.

I just haven't had the chance to back up the custom build that came on the phone (not publicly available) and get (I suppose) jelly bean up and going.

I don't know - I've found that the instore employees have a decent amount of discretion. Perhaps not as much with iPhones and iPads, because they're not repairable, but with laptops I've had great success. Over the years I've brought my Macbook Pros in for various repairs, some my fault and some not, and I've never paid a dime.

I cracked the screen of my EVO. Dropped it square on the ground getting out of the car. I took it to the 119th and Blackbob sprint store and the chick replaced it for free. I flirted with her a bit though that mighthave helped.

I actually did this is as well, though I used a piece of software call Odin or something like that and I managed to reset it. I didn't think Sprint was going to be able to help and thought I was fooked. This is a good example of the flexibility of Android, the phone worked good as new (now I do not root anymore).

Yeah, Odin is a lifesaver for Samsung devices.

Its next to impossible to permanently brick a Samsung.

At the time, I didn't know I could fix it with Odin.

Going back a bit to the Sprint vs. other networks discussion, this is why I switched away from Sprint last week:
http://www.dailytech.com/Sprint+is+B...ticle24494.htm

A technician at the Sprint store acknowledged to us that Sprint is having considerable problems within their network and is rebuilding the entire 3g network. An old high school friend that works for Sprint as an account rep. confirmed that. She said they hope to have things straightened out in a couple of years.

Couple of years? Jeez. Glad I left them.

I switched from Sprint to Verizon; and my girlfriend switched over from T-Mobile.

We're incredibly happy with the network. 4G nearly everywhere we go is awesome.

Fact of the matter is that sprint store employees are clueless and this article from April does not address how sprint has been and is continuing to build out LTE as well.

Sprint store rep told me not to expect LTE until March - LTE has been lighting up around Chicago Land since july / aug. - Its been at my house the last few week.

As users are upgraded to LTE Devices the Wimax and 3G networks will have the load offset

If sprint got really crappy in your area it seems that service goes down as they are adding new towers.

Use to have terrible voice service at my house but now that LTE is my area my Voice and 3G speeds are way better now too

Anyway FYI

Well shit i couldve used you when i ****ed my s2 skyrocket up

ISIS (the ATT/Verizon version of Google Wallet which is on Sprint and MetroPCS) is now available in Salt Lake City and Austin and will roll out nationwide sooner rather than later. This is a HUGE boost for NFC payments.

I agree with many that say NFC isn't ready for primetime... it is still at least a year away from being something everyone knows about and wants. If the NEXT iPhone has NFC than they may be able to play catch up but they are definitely (at least a little) behind by not putting it in the iPhone5.

This probably isn't threadworthy, so I'll throw it in here.

Apple's apparently considering killing off headphone ports and going with (surprise!) proprietary parts.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonke...l-makes-sense/

I was actually reasonably impressed with the iOS 8 improvements announced this week, but that's the kind of shit that keeps me away.

This is the reason why I dont buy apple products.

No... I don't want to purchase your overpriced, overhyped, shitty accessories to use your product when I can just as easily buy some other product that uses standards and buy w/e the **** I want to go with it.

Only apple. JFC

Buy out the most popular headphones company in the country. Then make them to be, only compatible with Apple Products.

Yep, that sounds like a dick Apple move.

I can't imagine they'd STOP making headphones with a normal jack - that'd be a completely devastating move for the Beats brand.

I probably won't buy another apple product if they change the stinking headphone equipment. That's stupid.

But I will say this, their power cable is far far better than the micro USB.

Apple's ONE advantage in cabling is that they are reversible. Of course that doesn't make up for the fact that they are proprietary bullshit.

Luckily, that advantage goes away in one month when the USB forum should release the new Type-C connector. Of course, it will take some time to get to market(probably 6 months before we see them). The REALLY cool part is that the new USB rivals HDMI 1.4 in throughput and also carries up to 20V.

Yeah it's proprietary bullshit but it is far superior in application.

I'm no apple fanboy but the cable is much easier to use.

Because it's reversible right? I agree on that point wholeheartedly. With USB finally addressing that issue it should be a moot point. Hopefully we'll see Type-C connectors on next years phones. (late 2015 I am guessing)

When does 6 come out?

Not sure if it's just that it's reversible. I have a lifeproof case on my iPhone so it is a procedure to do anything. But I can get it plugged in in the dark. But my note 8 tablet is a pain in the ass. I usually have to use my flashlight on my phone to get it done. Pain in the ass comparatively.

From a purely practical standpoint charging iPhone > charging samsung note 8.

Last RUMOR I read was late summer but it would have been announced by now.

Alright - got a question for any of you guys that might know the answer. Long story short - my brother is moving from Apple to Android. He wants to move all his contacts from his iPhone 4 to his Gmail account. I'm having no luck.

Any ideas on the easiest method to do this?

Send the contacts through email from the phone.

I found that you can go into each individual contact and send it through email already - can you do that for all contacts? He's got 200-300 contacts.

I think most new iphone announcements have come from mid-June to Sept/Oct, so maybe the rumor you heard was about when the announcement would happen (with actual release coming a month or two later?).

Not real sure. It was a whole back.