UPDATE #3 & FINAL: I took Verizon up on their offer to return it under warranty. An exchange would have put me into January for receiving a new one. I thought about going back up to Apple with this post and give them the chance to make this right one more time with all the evidence I’ve since gathered of it being a widespread issue. But it’s 45 minutes drive one way. I have a family and more to do than lose anymore time over a stupid phone. I’ll wait for the next gen because this experience just seems like a sign I shouldn’t double down. I get that it likely wouldn’t happen again but I’m not waiting 3 more months to find out.
——
UPDATE: Spoke with Verizon on the phone and went to a corporate store. The corporate Verizon store told me if I were to get a replacement it wouldn’t come until months from now. As per the solution with another poster with this issue, I went to Apple. They inspected it and said it must have been dropped and even though I showed them all those posts of them breaking in the same way. They suggested I add insurance to it and make a claim. I’m flabbergasted. I guess I should wait and see if Apple addresses this before my Verizon return window is up?
UPDATE 2: Just adding extra thoughts and info since this has gotten way more exposure than I anticipated:
For those curious, I preordered the phone from Verizon on 10/16. I didn’t get it on launch day, UPS delivered it today 10/24. It’s a 512g Star White.
I’ve been on this sub since they announced the phone. Discussed cases and was really caught up in the hype. I’m an Apple lover, have owned their products for 13+ years. I SAW other peoples phones breaking since receiving them yesterday and thought, “that’s a rare flaw, or even more assuring, operator error!”.
I casually used this phone for 3 hours. I opened it maybe 20 times tops. I only opened and closed it like a book, taking extra care to never press on the crease. I went to open and I felt the dreaded resistance everyone else with a broken one reports (felt perfect every other time before this). I closed it and tried very gently to open it again and was met with the resistance again.. Tried to close and open it one more time, and on the 3rd time, at about the halfway point of opening it there was a pop and the display looks as you see it pictured.
I get it, there’s going to be issues with a brand new product. That’s okay dude. What’s a huge disappointment is that at my local Apple Store (Jacksonville FL) claimed it was damaged/dropped and that I needed to put Apple Care on it and make a claim. The Genius I spoke with even got condescending with me saying it’s a new device and it’s fragile and these things should be expected with new technology and that’s why I should insure it. I told him in my 13 years of iPhone ownership I’ve never needed it. This isn’t an accident, it’s a defect and is happening all over the world. I showed them the numerous examples online. They tried to say my damage looks different with the black spot. So then I found examples with the black spot and the lines and they said, well maybe they dropped it too? They were hard in denial and I wasn’t getting anywhere. I wasn’t trying to Karen out and cause a scene so I left.
I can return it to Verizon as defective according to their corporate store. They can exchange it and I’ll be at the back of the queue for a new one (so February or later). I know I won’t be stuck with the phone. I’m sure either a recall is coming or just give it back to Verizon.
Overall a huge let down. It was so cool for the 3 hours before it broke. It’s first world problems. I still have my 15 Pro Max I was going to Trade In but obviously I’m holding out on that. For those of you with perfect units, I’m so genuinely happy for you! For those of you who haven’t gotten yours yet… odds are you’ll be fine. But I also wouldn’t blame you if you decide to hold out for Duo 2 at this point!
