Team-BHP - The Ups and Downs of owning an Apple Product

If you plan to buy an Apple product, this post might help you make an informed decision.

1. Buying an iPad in September 2023

My old iPad had served me well for over seven years but with just 16GB of storage (12GB usable) in 2023, it was time for an upgrade. I decided to buy the iPad Pro with the new M2 processor, spending INR 90,000.

2. A Fantastic Experience

The iPad worked beautifully. I enjoyed its incredible display, sound quality, and features. It was worth every rupee.

3. The Shock

Fast forward 14 months, while watching a movie, the display suddenly went blank. The buttons didn’t respond, though I could hear the charging sound. I tried every fix like hard boot, soft boot, and even restored it via Mac. The iPad was detected by the computer after restore but still showed no display.

4. Service Center Trauma

Disappointed, I booked an appointment with the Apple Authorized Service Provider (iPlanet Care, Nexus Shantiniketan Mall, Whitefield, Bengaluru, rated 4.9 on Google). Despite having an appointment, I waited 20 minutes before explaining the issue.
The technician plugged in the charger, declared the iPad dead, and informed me it was out of warranty by two months. I was shocked that he did not perform any other common checks. He said it couldn’t be repaired since newer iPads, watches, and AirPods lack screws and are non-repairable. He said replacement is the only option, at 100% cost.
With shock and frustration, I asked for alternatives, and with minimal interest, he suggested recycling. The adjacent Apple showroom offered INR 3,000 if I traded it for a new device.

5. Why Apple is Still One of the Best

With sadness, I contacted Apple Customer Care. I shared my frustration, highlighting how I trusted Apple for quality and longevity, and criticized the service center’s pathetic support. The representative was patient and requested me to revisit the service center and told me to call them during the visit. On my second visit, the service center finally ran a diagnostic test after the representative intervened and I left for the day.

6. A Happy Ending

The next day, Apple Support (not the service centre) called with good news: the motherboard had failed, and they would make a one-time exception to replace my iPad for free. A new device would be ready in 5–7 days.

7. Service Center (3rd) Visit

After 9 days with no update, I visited the service center. The same technician, who initially dismissed my concerns, now handed me a new iPad. When I asked why they hadn’t called me, he claimed the device had just arrived the day before.
After the handover, he insisted I rate their service on Google. With my permission, he even took my phone, searched for the center, and gave them a 5-star rating. He also reminded me to rate them highly on Apple’s feedback form; something I haven’t done yet. Needless to say, they’ll receive a low rating for their attitude and service. He called me 3 times on this during the last week.

8. Key Takeaways

Non-Modular Design: Newer Apple devices (excluding iPhones and MacBooks) are often glued or welded, making repairs nearly impossible. Once the warranty expires, a malfunction could mean it's time to say goodbye.
AppleCare is Essential: Always opt for AppleCare to protect against costly repairs or replacements.
Don’t Trust Ratings Blindly: High ratings don’t guarantee quality service. Always contact Apple Customer Care for guidance before visiting a service centre.

Having been part of the Apple Ecosystem for a few years, here's my take on this topic -

Talking strictly about iPhones, I prefer the earlier models. I believe the iPhone 7 Plus has got to be the best iPhone I've ever seen and used. I got my first phone, a Samsung, back in middle school but I always wanted to get my hands on one of the iPhones with the home button. By the time my M20 (Samsung)'s life came to an end and it was time to upgrade, the home button was long gone. My first iPhone was thus an XR.

Two words to describe my XR, simply lovely. It looked beautiful in white and its functionality too was top notch. Having used both iOS and Android, I feel that the former has a much easier to operate UI. This was back in grade 9 when I made the switch, promising my parents I wouldn't break this one for a few years (yes I have accidentally broken over 6 phones in one year when I was a kid). Till grade 12, my XR served me really well till its battery started giving me issues. I practically had to carry my charger around everywhere I went. After a while I finally gave up and asked for an upgrade. My folks know you can't use an iPhone for over 3+ years and not encounter battery issues, so after a reasonable request they obliged. Thus came the iPhone 13. Bought it during the Amazon sale for 40k, which came down to a little less than 30k after exchange. (Got 10,150 on exchange of my 3 year old XR which I feel is a great price).

Its been just about two months since I've been using it. Having owned a white iPhone, I wanted a fresh breath of colour so I picked blue this time around. The experience so far has been bittersweet. Obviously LED is a boon over an LCD screen, so are two cameras btw. However, XR just felt a lot better to hold probably due to its rounded edges as opposed to the flat ones on the 13. I honestly can't compare the two just yet cause I used the XR for 3 years and this one for just two months, so that comparison is for another day.

Macbook - The device I am using to write this post:D
It's the 2017 MacBook Air with i5 and 256gb SSD. Even 7 years later, it works just fine with minimal lag. For sure due for upgrade, maybe next year just before starting college. The experience with this one hasn't been the best. Sometime last year in July, it stopped working. There was just this orange light on the charger which showed indication of charging but the display never came on. It was probably due to monsoon moisture having affected the screen or the motherboard. Fast forwarding to Diwali season last year, I decided to get a Dell as I needed a laptop. Placed the order but I dont know what struck my mind, I went to my room and was fiddling with the dead Mac when I happened to press the power button and voila screen turns on. I cancel the order of the Dell because the Mac shows no signs of damage at all. All is not sweet though as the very next month, I dropped a book on my laptop and the corner of the book caught the screen, breaking it. Went to a spare parts dealer and got the top part (screen + back) exchanged for an old Mac stripped for parts. Will definitely upgrade to an M2 or M3 next year.

I shifted to the Apple ecosystem with the iPhone 6s way way back and from then onwards there has been no looking back on mobiles. It has been iPhone all the way. iPhone 6s to iPhone 11 and now on 13 which is still chugging along happily after 3 years. The AI bug is biting me to get the latest. Having worked with AI/Gen AI, I would love to experience it, but damn the Phone 13, does not give up for me to move to the next version

Had a Kindle Fire HD and then shifted over to iPad mini, I think it was 2014 or so. Got myself an iPad full size model in 22 and that has been my go to for all meetings, work and reading. I don't use it for videos or games, but read extensively. Have over 5000+ books and then comics as well (Asterix, Commando, Indrajal, ACK, Tintin etc). My son is learning French as his second language and now I get French ebooks for him to read to improve his grammar and vocabs. He also uses it to download sheet music and play the piano. Simply Piano has been as masterpiece for him.

Slowly and surely got sucked into the Apple ecosystem. I have a Series 8 watch which is my daily driver for workouts. I did have a Huawei GT2 for a short while, but after the Series 8 user experience, the GT2 has been on and off. I wear it for a couple of days and surely enough miss the Apple experience.

Having now more or less moved out of corporate, I use the MacBook Air, 2015 model which is a hand me down from my missus for my entrepreneurial venture. When I achieve a positive margin, I will indulge in the next Mac. Working with a corporate where most of my work has been making slide ware, I use Office on Mac and still trying to understand Keynote.

Lastly, replaced the Firestick with Apple TV and boy, the sound quality and picture quality did come through

Overall most of my devices, what the hell, all the devices I use are Apple and for now I don't miss anything. The only gripe - Apple Watch battery life. When Apple could make their phones last a couple of days even with more than average usage and their MacBooks could go on and on, why why why does the watch die within 24 hours !!!

I'm an out and out Apple guy and have been using Apple products since almost a decade. I bought everything, from AirPods to iPhones, iPads and Apple Watch except Mac.

My first tryst with iPhone was with my mom's iPhone 4S, which she used for 2 years and by seeing that, I ended up getting myself an iPhone 6, which I used it for 2.5 years before the screen got cracked. Then, I've downgraded to iPhone SE 1st gen, which I loved due to its form factor and used it for 1.5 years before switching to iPhone XS, which was my first iPhone with notch screen and 6 inch screen. After using XS for 2.5 years, I got myself an iPhone 13 Pro and handed down the XS to mom as her iPhone X had given up suddenly due to motherboard issues and after 2 years of usage with 13 Pro, bought myself an iPhone 15 Pro Max, which I'm using it currently and my first bigger sized iPhone as I was using small sized iPhones prior to that.

I tried to switch to Androids but my heart didn't allow to do so that I've decided to stick with iPhones itself. But, I almost had my eyes on Samsung S series Ultra and Z Fold series but later felt Androids are not for me.

Was thinking to swap my 15 Pro Max with 16 Pro Max but since there isn't much of difference between these two, decided to wait for 17.

Apart from iPhones, my other Apple gadgets include Apple Watch Series 7, which I'll be replacing with Apple Watch Ultra 2 or Series 10 46mm soon and AirPods Gen 3.

Coming to mom's, her first iPhone was 4S and then, she moved to Android for more than 2.5 years after her iPhone's screen got cracked and then again came back to iPhones with herself getting an iPhone X, which she used it for 4 years before the phone gave up due to motherboard issues and handed down her a XS when I upgraded to 13 Pro. After almost a year or so, she had swapped her XS with my late paternal grandfather's iPhone 11 as she felt that 11 has much better battery life than her XS and handed down the XS to my late grandfather but unfortunately, she lost that phone somewhere and she had to get herself an Android as she needed a phone urgently. But, somewhat, after a year, her Android phone had plagued with some issues and during that time, she felt that she was missing the iPhone so much that she ended up getting herself an iPhone 15.

My next Apple purchase would be a Macbook for sure replacing my present Windows laptop as I never owned one nor explored it yet but first I'd be upgrading my Apple Watch S7 to Ultra 2 or S10 soon.

Apple devices have always been an aspirational product for me until i started working, due to their high price tags but their functioning and style had me in awe, having used my cousins iPad, Macbook Air and iPhone. Bought an iPad 7th gen 32GB in 2020 as a gift to myself on my 24th birthday, which still works flawlessly for Youtube and reading after 4.5 years. Still lasts me for 12-14 hours on a single charge. Did some gaming too but the 10.2 inch screen was too big.

Next, upgraded to the iPhone 13 128GB, a year after its launch in Aug 2022 (since some gremlins were there in the initial year) paying nearly full price (6k discount) from the offline Apple store (yes, I had the idea that replacements in case of failures would be without a hitch :(). Worked very well for nearly 2 years, easily the best screen I have seen on smartphones, when out of the blue the charging IC went kaput when the phone was charging, the phone not even switching on. Got it repaired for an expensive 6850 rupees outside, and has been working fine ever since (touchwood). Lasts me 1.5 days now, with battery health at 87%, following 20 to 90 % charging cycle.

Will probably be upgrading to the Pixel series in 2026 (hoping it lasts until then) and keeping this for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which I find to be one of the best watches functionally.

Apple devices are like German sedans/European motorcycles. Resale value drops sharply. I considering selling my pristine 2 year old 13, but got barely 30k for it - "an upgrade costs much more than a sell, no point if it still works". Use them carefully, and you will get the best. Not for rough usage at all. Have the warranty always for peace of mind. Might not have made sense financially for my 74k iphone 13 or 30k ipad, but sure as hell am getting it for the Ultra or if I consider upgrading to one of the Pro series smartphones. Any device above a lac from their stable is no sense discussing it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by madhukarmohan (Post 5884429)

4. Service Center Trauma

Disappointed, I booked an appointment with the Apple Authorized Service Provider (iPlanet Care, Nexus Shantiniketan Mall, Whitefield, Bengaluru, rated 4.9 on Google). Despite having an appointment, I waited 20 minutes before explaining the issue.
The technician plugged in the charger, declared the iPad dead, and informed me it was out of warranty by two months. I was shocked that he did not perform any other common checks. He said it couldn’t be repaired since newer iPads, watches, and AirPods lack screws and are non-repairable. He said replacement is the only option, at 100% cost.
With shock and frustration, I asked for alternatives, and with minimal interest, he suggested recycling. The adjacent Apple showroom offered INR 3,000 if I traded it for a new device.

5. Why Apple is Still One of the Best

With sadness, I contacted Apple Customer Care. I shared my frustration, highlighting how I trusted Apple for quality and longevity, and criticized the service center’s pathetic support. The representative was patient and requested me to revisit the service center and told me to call them during the visit. On my second visit, the service center finally ran a diagnostic test after the representative intervened and I left for the day.

I have heard similar stories from others. Apple Service Centers in India are one of the worst. They don't follow standard operating procedures and adhere to Apple's policies. I have been told that if you raise a complaint to Apple customer care, the service centers come back humbled and striped down of their high handedness.

Since many customers in India don't raise the issue and feel Apple is expensive, they are looted by the service centers.

I have had worse experience from iPlanet in a different city for servicing my laptop even when my office has paid a lot for contractual Maintenance. I gave a negative review since they delayed the service for days and they promptly called back asking, 'Why sir? It is not our fault. It is product fault. It will impact our service center'. I retorted back saying the review was for your poor service and not the product. If you feel it is product's fault, then talk to Apple and not to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by madhukarmohan (Post 5884429)

If you plan to buy an Apple product, this post might help you make an informed decision.

Thank you for sharing your experience. However it may not be correct to generalize based on one such incident you mentioned. Primarily it seems that you are not happy with your device failing so early (1). Secondly you are not happy with the service center response, initially denying you the warranty or goodwill (2).

I have been the Apple user since 2010 period. My company pampered me with Apple devices right from Apple Iphone 4, Ipad 2 etc and I have been using my own devices since then. You will be surprised to know that the Ipad 2 (launched in 2012) was working fine till very recently. I have not checked it for some time now. I have used Iphone 4, 5, 5S, 6Plus, 7plus (launched in 2016 and was still working in 2023), XR, 14plus, 15, 15 Pro Max, Ipad 2, Apple watch 6, Mac book Pro Retina, Mac book Air, Mac book Air M1 within my family. None of the devices faced any issues ever, barring a minor key issue in the Mac book Air. For that key as well, Apple replaced the keyboard and the attached battery free of cost even after 3 years, as the battery associated was part of the some perceived fault detected in USA. Thus the keyboard was replaced free of cost.

Many times, Apple provides goodwill warranty. Unlike other players in the market, where the service center decides what to do about the case, I have observed that in case of Apple, the call center decides what to do with the case. So the SA in the call center can ask the partner service center to do the required changes under warranty or Goodwill. These call center SAs are highly trained and technical experts. They also have senior technical experts. I believe this is also the USP of the Apple worldwide, that they provide one standard and rich experience through the call center.

Quote:

Originally Posted by am1m (Post 5884594)

...Curious to know what people are using Tablets for these days? I know there are artists who use tablets extensively, but I thought those were specialized art tablets.

I probably use my iPad Air as a replacement for my Dell laptop (which is an absolute piece of junk and is gathering dust somewhere). I also use it for:
1. Media consumption (Youtube, Netflix, Prime)
2. Reading: Use Kindle App, Apple Books, Google PlayBook.
3. Note taking: Use Apple pencil for this on OneNote.
4. Blogging: Have a separate keyboard for that.
5. Gaming: I play Call of Duty, Clash of Clans, Genshin Impact etc.

I usually find the iPad pretty useful during travel. Can carry multiple books, magazines are colourful and good to read, and can read an occasional blog or play a game. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by am1m (Post 5884594)

Would like to know more about the Tablet market. Are a lot of people still using Tablets? I thought the market was split between laptops and mobile phones these days, don't really see a reason for a Tab. I used to have a Samsung tablet a while ago, but soon realized I was hardly using it. For prolonged work usage, or movies at home it was the laptop. For quick work, browsing, movies on the go, it was the phone. For ebooks, the Kindle.

Curious to know what people are using Tablets for these days? I know there are artists who use tablets extensively, but I thought those were specialized art tablets.

I prefer iPad vs MacBook during my long drives.
iPad keyboard is detachable and one can watch movies in car backseat by placing it on the tray behind the front seat. I feel MacBook is delicate and can get broken when used roughly in car. Also size matters as iPad has smaller cover to carry around. In case we need to leave it in hotel rooms, it is ok to leave iPad vs MacBook. This is how I am effectively making use of my iPad. I am attaching a photo for a comparison of portability of either of them.

Delved into Apple ecosystem from the 2nd year of my college, and after that, there hasn't been any going back. It's been almost 10 years, and now I'm part of this walled garden completely.

Started with 5s -> 6s -> Xs (Been using this for the past 5 years)
Have been using MacBooks by the company and have a personal iPad to complement it for leisure watching.
AirPods and Watch complement all these gadgets seamlessly.

Universal control and easy switching between devices is my favourite. With new fold phones and modular laptops like Framework, I sometimes want to switch, but given the reliability and ease of use I've gotten in past years, I'm going to stick to the Apple ecosystem.

The service costs are high, but I haven't faced any critical issues till now.

The biggest gripe I have is with iPads not being able to be used to their full potential, especially from a coding point of view; the iPad OS needs to improve a lot.