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Fixing iPhones

8/10/2017

8 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

One rainy morning many years ago, I was driving to work (my first career position after college) when a car hit me from behind and pushed me into another vehicle.  It was a relatively slow-speed collision so the damage to my car wasn’t extensive, but the insurance adjuster called it “totaled” since the repair estimate exceeded the car’s low value.  My car wasn’t worth fixing; I needed to get a new one.
 
That experience reminds me of the many products we use each day but seldom repair when they break.  For instance, most of us don’t think of fixing a broken toaster; we look for a new one.  This tendency to replace instead of repair places significant strain on our environment, but the practice becomes even more troubling when talking about expensive and easily ‘injured’ items like our ever-present smartphones. 
 
If you own a smartphone and haven’t dropped it or had some other mishap, you’re either extremely careful or very lucky because,  “Each year millions of cell phone owner’s drop, sit on, flush, swim with and even throw their phone, which normally results in some sort of damage.”  After such an unfortunate occurrence, the question becomes whether to repair or replace the indispensable device, which probably cost at least a couple of hundred dollars, or several hundred-plus if you’re packing a newer iPhone or the latest Samsung Galaxy.

Fortunately, a variety of online outlets will repair broken phones, for example:
  • Fixmyphone.com
  • Mybrokenphone.com
  • Cellphonerepair.com

However, using an online organization for repairs requires a major sacrifice of time.  Many people can’t be without their smartphone for a few hours, let alone several days or more.  And, there’s the issue of trust:  We don’t know these companies well and can’t watch them make the repair.  How can we be sure they’re respecting our privacy when so much of our lives literally rests in their hands?
 
Also, again, there’s the issue of cost.  Is it worth $100 or more to repair even a relatively new device when technology is changing so quickly?  As a result, it’s easy to rationalize spending a few hundred more to have a new one.
 
You may be wondering, "Where are the smartphone manufacturers?  Why don’t the cellphone companies have our backs when their products so easily and often get broken?"  In the U.S., that criticism has hit especially hard at Apple, which has a whopping 44.6% share of the smartphone market.
 
For years, the only place iPhone users could get their cracked screens ‘officially’ replaced was at an Apple store.  Unauthorized repair centers, like the three listed above, might be able to fix the phones, but if Apple later detected their work on the device, the warranty would be voided.
 
Apple would suggest that the reason it has kept a tight rein on screen repairs is that it wants them done right, especially “to ensure that the new screen is properly calibrated – and in particular to allow the Touch ID sensor to be replaced without bricking the phone or losing use of the sensor.”  Those more cynical about the tech leader’s motives might suggest that Apple wants to drive business to its own stores in order to capture the repair revenue or, even better, to sell users new iPhones and other items, i.e, to replace, not repair. 
 
In any case, there are currently about 270 Apple stores in the U.S. That number may seem high, but it’s not when you consider, for instance, that Illinois and Pennsylvania, the fifth and sixth most populous states in the nation have 12.8 million and 12.7 million residents, respectively, but only nine Apple stores each.  Such ratios can mean a loooong time waiting at a Genius Bar. 
 
The good news is that Apple has recently eased its repair site exclusivity.  The firm has finally authorized a few select retailers to fix broken iPhone screens.  How can Apple guarantee the quality of those third-party repairs?  Well, the company has not conceded control completely.

Apple is giving each authorized repair center a highly-specialized and proprietary machine that not only replaces the screens but also tells “the iPhone’s processor, its silicon brain, to recognize a replacement sensor. Without it, the iPhone won’t unlock with the touch of a finger. Banking apps that require a fingerprint won’t work either, including the Apple Pay digital wallet.”  Pictures of the closely guarded apparatus can be found on 9 to 5 Mac website.

Currently only a couple of Best Buy stores in California and Florida have these machines that are capable of making same-day screen repairs.  However, by the end of this year it’s expected that the equipment will be present in “about 400 authorized third-party repair centers in 25 countries.”
 
So, the future is looking brighter for all of us clumsy iPhone users, but won’t the delegation of this service take a bite out of Apple’s business?  What about its revenue from repairs,  the loss of traffic in Apple stores, and the sale of new iPhones?  All of the above are real considerations but they pale in comparison to one meta-goal for Apple:  maintaining its strong brand.
 
Apple has become the most valuable brand in the world for a variety of reasons, but the overarching one is strong customer satisfaction.  People who use Apple products are almost always delighted because of their look, their performance, and the aura around them.  Apple smartly wants to avoid tainting that stellar reputation, which could occur if people become disenfranchised from inconvenient and lengthy repairs.
 
However, averting a negative product experience is probably only part of Apple’s plan.  The company also needs to increasingly position itself as a good steward of resources and as an organization that cares about the natural environment.  Allowing smartphones that still have significant useful life to prematurely become paper weights or other waste does not accomplish those objectives.
 
Likewise, as the market for smartphones becomes more and more saturated and competitors’ product features converge, factors like repair service and social responsibility will likely gain  weight as decision-making criteria.  Every point of difference matters in a mature market.
 
Apple’s decision to outsource and broaden its repair network will be very helpful for consumers.  The strategy also will prove very beneficial for the firm.  As it’s done many times before, Apple has made an adept move that can be called “Mindful Marketing.”

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8 Comments
Ali
9/7/2017 05:27:24 pm

I would agree that what Apple has deiced to do is a Mindful decision. It allows for people to get their devices fixed quicker without the hassle of going to an Apple store or sending their phones into another company.
After owning Apple products for a few years now I would have to say that their customer service is excellent but their stores get to overcrowded with people that come in to purchase items but also to trouble shoot with their Apple products. They tend to have a lot of staff but it is still hard to get an appointment right away. Normally if you walk in, it takes an hour or two till your appointment time. With there always being a wait at the store it is great that Apple is allowing Best Buy to have machines that will fix Apple screens quickly and allowing people to not have to wait in line or a few days for their phone to be fixed.
It is great they Apple is willing to expand where their machines will be. Best Buy is a great store to partner with because of their great reputation for technology. Had Apple decided to partner with Walmart they could hurt their brand reputation.

Reply
Matt Sarley
9/8/2017 10:28:45 am

Last summer, I dropped my phone and the screen broke. when this happened I searched for places that would fix it, and like it said in the article I could send it to a third party or the apple store, but everywhere I went said they could not fix the phone. Luckily, I had an insurance plane that covered some of the cost. At the time it was cheaper to do the insurance plan, but now I know its cheaper to just take it to the apple store, than to pay $10 each month.
Apple products are one of the simplest of phones that I have seen and they are one of the easiest to use, but they are a pain to repair. I believe that by partnering with Best Buy, Apple is able to expand their reach and help their loyal customers.

Reply
abby mcminn
9/10/2017 03:00:17 pm

Apple's decision to expand their iPhone repair options is definitely a mindful move. Last school year, I spilled nail polish remover on my iPhone which resulted in some minor glitches that I feared would progress over time. There are no Apple stores near where I live, and I felt it was a time sensitive injury to my phone so I decided to just take it in to a Verizon store.The employees at the Verizon store sent me to a phone repair booth in the mall that the Verizon store was located in. The workers at the booth took my phone apart and tried to dry it out. The next day, I noticed that the glitches had progressed significantly. Within weeks, my phone went completely rogue; sending random gibberish text messages and snap chats to random people in my contacts. By the time I could even get it to an Apple store, it was completely dead and I lost all of my contacts and photos. This incidence leads me to believe Apply definitely made the right call taking reign over all official iPhone repair operations. I learned from my experience that not all phone repair organizations are trustworthy. I am very happy to hear that Apple is extending the power of iPhone repair to some other organizations so that fixing my device is not such a hassle. This strategic business move shows that Apple is paying attention to consumer needs and convenience. Good job Apple.

Reply
Colby Gilsenan
9/19/2017 10:11:20 pm

I have broken the screen on my iPhone once before. As explained in this post, I was to some degree lost without my phone. So much of our lives revolve around information and interactions through smart phones and thus it is very difficult to go a long time without them. Thus, I went to the Apple store near me the day my screen broke. Luckily for me, I have an Apple store about five minutes from my house and so getting it fixed was not much of a hassle for me. However, as noted in this post, many people do not have the proximity luxury to an Apple store, that I do. Due to this, I think it is a great idea for Apple to outsource and grow its repairing network because I know how important getting ones phone fixed quickly is.

Reply
Steven Johnsen
10/13/2017 04:08:18 pm

The iPhone market has grown a lot within the past five years. I like the idea you said about how that when technology breaks, most people usually upgrade instead of just fixing it. This a bad habit and people should not do this. They should only upgrade as a last resort. In a society of consumerism, people always want the newest and best item in the market. People should not be scared to get their iPhone's fixed by a third party. These companies exist because they know what they are doing. Apple just deceives us to think that they are the only ones that can do stuff.

Reply
Joey Tyrrell
10/15/2017 05:46:49 pm

This is a very relevant article. In todays age, almost everybody has a smartphone, so this is applicable to almost everyone to some extent. The idea of fixing vs. replacing is also very interesting as people decide to ditch a $700 piece of equipment only because the screen has a crack that would cost $100 to fix. I believe that the desire to replace over repair comes from our wanting to have the newest and most up to date gadgets. Instead of spending the $100 to repair an old iPhone 5, most people (if they can afford to) would rather opt to just replace that with a brand new $800 iPhone 8. People would chose too replace rather than repair because the iPhone 8 supposedly offers so many new features that are unattainable on the "old" iPhone 5. In short, our desire to always be up to date and have the newest and best equipment trumps our sensibility in fixing something that would cost us much less.

Reply
Moriah
10/18/2017 05:21:18 pm

I feel as though the article addresses things that we face as technology evolves and becomes more involved in our daily lives. It has become something that we can't live without and therefore when it breaks we look for an immediate solution, Rather than looking to fix it many people look to upgrade it for the new features that the new model has to offer.

Reply
Ichsan Florist link
4/10/2019 07:22:36 am

This article gave me useful information to repair my phone, Thanks a lot.

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