iPhone - FutureTG.com

Sync the phone before it goes in for repair. The repair process generally erases the
phone completely—in fact, Apple very often simply sends you back a new (or
refurbished) iPhone instead of your original. In fact, if you’re worried that Apple
might snoop around, you might want to erase the phone first. (Use the Restore
option—page 339.)
Also, don’t forget to remove your SIM card (page 8) before you send in your broken
iPhone—and to put it back in when you get the phone. Don’t leave it in the loaner
phone. AT&T will help you get a new card if you lose your original, but it’s a hassle.
While your phone is in the shop, you can sign up for a loaner iPhone to use in
the meantime for $30. Apple will ship it to you, or you can pick one up at the
Apple store. Just sync this loaner phone with iTunes, and presto—all of your
stuff is right back on it.
You can keep this service phone until seven days after you get your fixed
phone back.
Out-of-Warranty Repairs
Once the year or two has gone by, or if you damage your iPhone in a way
that’s not covered by the warranty (backing your car over it comes to mind),
Apple charges $200 or $250 to repair an iPhone (for the 8- and 16-gigabyte
models).
The Battery Replacement Program
Why did Apple seal the battery inside the iPhone, anyway? Everyone knows
that lithium-ion batteries don’t last forever. After 300 or 400 charges, the
iPhone battery begins to hold less charge (perhaps 80 percent of the original).
After a certain point, the phone will need a new battery. How come you can’t
change it yourself, as on any normal cellphone?
Conspiracy theorists have all kinds of ideas: It’s a plot to generate service fees.
It’s a plot to make you buy a new phone. It’s Steve Jobs’ design aesthetic on
crack.
The truth is more mundane: A user-replaceable battery takes up a lot more
space inside the phone. It requires a plastic compartment that shields the
guts of the phone from you and your fingers; it requires a removable door;
and it needs springs or clips to hold the battery in place. All of this would
mean either a much smaller battery—or a much bulkier phone. (As an ecobonus,
Apple properly disposes of the old batteries, which consumers might
not do on their own.)
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