The 'dead zone': iPhone screen fails

You would think the iPhone's touch screen--the hallmark of the whole dang thing--would last for more than five months. Well, think again.

After a particularly wet bike ride on Saturday here in the Bay Area, my iPhone got somewhat damp. (You know, the type of rain that soaks through a coat but doesn't ruin anything.) After the ride, I wanted to text people and noticed the top row of the text keyboard was not responding. I had to press, no squish, down to get a letter. And the cursor would flip out. And the screen looked bad when I did so, just like when you press down on an LCD screen too hard.

After a reset, power-cycle and testing out different touch-based functions (aren't they all?), I was convinced I needed to get help at the Apple store. I made an appointment online for the next day. (All the Saturday appointments were gone by the time I looked online.)

The next day, I found out I wasn't the only one who had a "dead zone" on their screen. The guy next to me at the Genius Bar had the same problem. After attempting a restore, the Apple clerk (who asked me to write that customer service was fast and efficient--it wasn't) brought out a white box (a coffin I thought?) with a new iPhone in it. The clerk said Apple would exchange my phone, and there'd be no charge. It was exactly as I had expected.

The clerk swapped my SIM card out, with a pin conveniently stored in his name tag, and I was on my way, after half an hour.

What surprised was was how all of my settings had been "restored"--ringtones, photos, SMS messages, IMAP settings. The iPhone was activated by AT&T in seconds, the transfer of all the junk on my iPhone took about 30 minutes. Not too bad.

The downsides: the process was a bit of a pain and the restore missed a few pictures I took. (I have to re-assign all the pictures to particular contacts again.) Also, it's a little distressing that such an integral feature failed after five months. The clerk who helped me did say that the technology was very new, and that, as an early adopter, I should have expected as such.

Hmmm.

[pelowell]

Another early adopter excuse?

It pains me to see the Apple rep suggesting that if you jump in early on a technology, you should expect trouble. Fact is, this kind of tech is obsolete in six months, so what really qualifies as early? I dont see that they will ever get it right at the pace of new model release and upgrades. The excuse this particular tech is using is downright infuriating. Get it right before release people, cause you only got six months to get it right, and then it's on to the next thang....

[crazi3lon3r]

White Box?

"...they brought out a white box (a coffin I thought?) with a new iPhone in it." I don't mean to sound skeptical but isn't the white box for refurbished iPhones?? How can you actually tell if the iPhone is new or refurbished?

http://www.iphonesavior.com/2007/10/refurbished-iph.html

[David Mullins]

Read the instructions...

If you had bothered to read the fold-out pamphlet that Apple includes in the
box of every iPhone, you would have discovered that they are very specific about
keeping the iPhone away from ANY liquid - for the very problem you had with
your iPhone. Rain is a liquid. Given that, Apple was pretty good to give you a
new (or re-furbished) iPhone.

[tiga31328]

Whining Idiot

OMG - YOU let your phone get wet, it broke, duh, it's not Apple's fault, if they'ed looked into it more they would have found out you got it wet and told you to buy a new iPhone. I don't see how you think it is Apple's fault that YOU damaged your phone and poor you had to take it in, exchange it, and get a brand new phone. Yikes!!!

[mattumanu]

You got it wet!

What did you expect? On the customer service deal... You were in and out in half an hour? You think that's bad? Are you serious?

Tell me this is a joke... But then again, if it is, I don't get it.

[frankwick]

Genius bar?

Why do I roll my eyes whenever I hear that term? Are these people really tested for a high IQ before they can work there? Do you have to be a genius to work with Apple products?

[AUDREYxHEPBURN]

i got my iPhone 2 weeks ago and already have an appointment for today to get a new one. i woke up Saturday to a half paralyzed touch-screen. The entire middle part of the screen does not work! went to the AT&T store who told me to go to the Apple store. went to the Apple store Sunday and was told they were booked with appointments until TODAY! (Tuesday) the kid confirmed that it's touch screen failure and told me they'd just exchange it. So why do i need an appointment for this?! I should also add that the Apple store was PACKED and the line for the Genius Bar was insanely long. this scares me... this to me, means that i will probably be back, a lot sooner than later, with ANOTHER faulty iPhone...So help me God if they give me a refurb after only having this phone for 2 weeks with a problem that was not caused by me at ALL.

[AUDREYxHEPBURN]

UPDATE: Went to the Apple store for my Tuesday appointment. i showed up a bit early in hopes that i would get squeezed in somewhere and taken care of quickly. no suck luck. My appointment was for 5:45 and by the time i was seen and walking out the door it was 6:00. all in all i spent about an hour there. sitting, wandering, watching the "Next Appointment" screen in the Genius Bar like a hawk in hopes that my name would miraculously be pushed to the top. also no such luck. there is a Starbucks right next door that i considered going to just to get a drink but the parranoia over my appointment being skipped got the best of me. overall the Genius Bar had 3 "Geniuses" that looked totally miserable, overworked and underpaid. when it was finally my turn, i showed the "genius" my iPhone, told him what was wrong and without question he took mine and handed me a new one. i said, "That's it?!" to which he replied, "yep. just sign here and you're set to go." he handed me a receipt for how much it would have cost had i not been under warranty-$250.00- and sent me off. i looked at the phone and said, "this phone isn't synced! i have to drive home with no phone?" which ordinarily would sound rather pretentious, but the hike to this Apple store from my home is on a crowded major highway and about 40 miles away... he looked at me a second "is this girl kidding?!" is what likely passed through his head, let out a sigh and took it back. he synced it, but then said, with a bit of an attitude, "all it is is synced, no numbers are in it" "fine" i said. and walked out. i also want to add that i actually got a NEW iPhone and not a refurb (my biggest nightmare since my iPhone was only 2 weeks old) Overall, i've now had TWO experiences with the Apple store...both were slow while waiting and rushed while being helped. i felt like i was a small piece on a perpetual assembly line. i can't complain about my iPhone, without a doubt its state-of-the-art, sleek and fun, but the customer service and courtesy of Apple leaves a lot, A LOT, to be desired.

[thedoctorlolz]

I had exactly the same problem today, got the tiniest bit of rain on my phone and it went mad, switched off, wouldn't power up, nadda.

I got bored before and started to mess with it and just gave it a swift slap on the back and amazingly it powered on!

My screen did mess up but maybe the battery disconnected?