Mad at Apple

[mep]

I have an Apple Iphone 4s and until this weekend, I had the original operating system because I heard nothing but horror stories about the 7.x system. I went to the App store this weekend to buy the Jriver app and Apple said I had to upgrade to the new 7.x operating system to download the app. So I downloaded the 7.x operating system against my better judgement. Now my Iphone can no longer turn on my wifi. The button is grayed out. I did some research on the web and found that is a common problem with the 4s phone after the software upgrade. Apple has never taken responsibility for the problem and the answer is always for the customer to upgrade to a new phone which smells like a scam to me.

Is there a Jriver app that works on other smart phones? Do I really need to upgrade to another Iphone?

 

[asiufy]

Did you call Apple, or take your phone to an Apple Store?
Nobody that I know that still has a 4S has this issue when upgrading to iOS 7.


alexandre

 

[mep]

Did you call Apple, or take your phone to an Apple Store?
Nobody that I know that still has a 4S has this issue when upgrading to iOS 7.


alexandre

No, I haven't taken my phone to an Apple store yet. All the research I did on the net shows it's a common problem and the answer from all of the Apple stores is the same-buy a new phone.

 

[asiufy]

Lawsuit?


alexandre

 

[Steve Williams]

Did you call Apple, or take your phone to an Apple Store?
Nobody that I know that still has a 4S has this issue when upgrading to iOS 7.


alexandre

I have a 4s and upgraded with no problem. Have you searched the FAQs at apple.com

 

[mep]

I have a 4s and upgraded with no problem. Have you searched the FAQs at apple.com

Yes. I followed their advice and it didn't work. The wifi button is grayed out so you can't turn it on no matter what you do.

 

[mep]

Here is one post out of a zillion. They are all similar:

spent the morning with Apple in tect and phone support on this issue. They are not accepting any responsibility, and if your phone is out of warranty, they tell you it will cost $199 to replace.



It is clear that thousands of 4s users lost Wifi ability as a direct result of the IOS7 update - but the reps will not admit this. Thousands of faliures cannot be a coincidence, but I got stonewalled by every rep I talked to, every one of whom called the problem a "hardware failure".



This is a techical answer, but it creates a loophole for Apple. They asked all of us to upgrade our 4s phones with software that they sent us, and the software they provided cause the hardware they sold us to stop working. Not ALL of us, but clearly, thousands of us. And Apple refuses to own this problem.



I really like Apple products, and I thought I liked the company culture. But this is such a blatant side-step of responsibility that it makes my head spin. Regrettably, I will not be getting an iPhone next time I upgrade.



Apple, if you want to fix this, send me an email. We could still be friends, but you're losing me on this thing.

 

[rbbert]

I'm not sure how to explain millions (probably) of 4S iPhones upgrading fine but some small but significant percent don't?

 

[dan31]

Thanks for the reminder to not upgrade my iPhone 4. Still runs like a champ.

 

[Steve Williams]

You can always do a backup of your iPhone and then wipe it clean. Once done I would reinstall the iOS. Got nothing to lose except dome time as you have a back up

 

[Steve Williams]

IMO apple has lost control of its operating system lest they could fix those folks problems....if it is a hardware problem, on some phones,

then
clearly
some
phones
are
defective.

I bet there will be a fix in upcoming ios 8

 

[Steve Williams]

IMO apple has lost control of its operating system lest they could fix those folks problems....if it is a hardware problem, on some phones,

then
clearly
some
phones
are
defective.

probably will have a fix in iOs 8

 

[Whatmore]

I had exactly the same issue a few years ago with the iPhone 3.
Sadly this eems to be part of their modus operandi

 

[rblnr]

Take it to a store rather than rely on the net, or do what Steve suggested. I know a couple of people running Jriver just fine on a 4s/iOS 7. The fact is that while imperfect, Apple supports older devices better than any alternative.

 

[dafos]

My sons even older iphone4 has had no problems with IOS7

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

You get to be mad at apple when they tell you it can't be fixed. Take it to the apple store.

 

[mep]

You get to be mad at apple when they tell you it can't be fixed. Take it to the apple store.

Nah, I'm mad already. I was forced into 'upgrading' my OS in order to download an app I wanted and the 7.1.1 has a long history of wiping out people's wifi connection. Now I have to go to a store, sign in, and wait to see if it can be fixed or if I have to buy another phone. Not cool.

 

[mep]

Finally some resolution. I called AT&T and they are well aware of the problem. They had a standard laundry list of things to try and read from the script. Of course I tried them all previously to no avail. The AT&T rep asked me if I had contacted Apple about the problem. I explained that I can't call Apple because they won't answer the phone except for a recording which tells you that you haven't paid for any Apple tech support and then hangs up on you. The AT&T rep tells me she can get Apple on the phone for me. An Apple rep finally comes on the line and he is aware of the problem too. He starts reading from the same script that the AT&T rep read from and I tell him the same thing. That Apple rep was a low-tier tech rep so he puts me on hold for another Apple rep that actually knows something and can make things happen.

The second Apple rep listens to what happened and tells me I have three options:

Option 1 - Go to an Apple store which is 2 hours away from my house.
Option 2 - I can ship the phone back to Apple free of charge and they will fix the phone free of charge which will take around 2 weeks roundtrip.
Option 3 - I can pay $31.01 including tax and they will ship another phone to me within 2 days which I keep. I then return my phone to them after my 'new' phone arrives. Of course this entails Apple putting a $548.90 hold on my credit card until they receive my phone back, but big deal.

I went with Option 3.

To add further pain to my sad saga, when I came home yesterday I tried to reload the 7.1.1 software via Itunes as recommended when you screwed your phone up via the method that Apple first recommended which is to download 7.1.1 via wifi (oh, the irony). I did that last night and it blew away all of my contacts, photos, and emails. I get in my Ford Edge this morning which has a keyless fob to start the vehicle. The fob just has to be on your person when you are in the vehicle and you press the start button on the dash and the vehicle starts. I push the start button on my dash and a light comes on my dash and says "no key found." I push the start button again and apparently it thinks I'm trying to steal the vehicle so it sets off the car alarm. My dogs are in the house going nuts at all of the commotion.

So I give up and jump in my Passat and drive to work. On the way there, I tell my wife I think the Iphone is now putting out so much RF that it is jamming the signal from my fob. Before the upgrade to 7.1.1, my Iphone was synched to my Edge and as soon as I started the Edge it would recognize my Iphone, display my signal strength, and show how much battery life I had left. As soon as I came home from work today I gave my wife my worthless Iphone and I climbed into my Edge and it started right up so my theory about jamming my fob must be correct. I'll probably have cancer by tomorrow from all of the RF the Iphone was emitting.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Finally some resolution. I called AT&T and they are well aware of the problem. They had a standard laundry list of things to try and read from the script. Of course I tried them all previously to no avail. The AT&T rep asked me if I had contacted Apple about the problem. I explained that I can't call Apple because they won't answer the phone except for a recording which tells you that you haven't paid for any Apple tech support and then hangs up on you. The AT&T rep tells me she can get Apple on the phone for me. An Apple rep finally comes on the line and he is aware of the problem too. He starts reading from the same script that the AT&T rep read from and I tell him the same thing. That Apple rep was a low-tier tech rep so he puts me on hold for another Apple rep that actually knows something and can make things happen.

The second Apple rep listens to what happened and tells me I have three options:

Option 1 - Go to an Apple store which is 2 hours away from my house.
Option 2 - I can ship the phone back to Apple free of charge and they will fix the phone free of charge which will take around 2 weeks roundtrip.
Option 3 - I can pay $31.01 including tax and they will ship another phone to me within 2 days which I keep. I then return my phone to them after my 'new' phone arrives. Of course this entails Apple putting a $548.90 hold on my credit card until they receive my phone back, but big deal.

I went with Option 3.

To add further pain to my sad saga, when I came home yesterday I tried to reload the 7.1.1 software via Itunes as recommended when you screwed your phone up via the method that Apple first recommended which is to download 7.1.1 via wifi (oh, the irony). I did that last night and it blew away all of my contacts, photos, and emails. I get in my Ford Edge this morning which has a keyless fob to start the vehicle. The fob just has to be on your person when you are in the vehicle and you press the start button on the dash and the vehicle starts. I push the start button on my dash and a light comes on my dash and says "no key found." I push the start button again and apparently it thinks I'm trying to steal the vehicle so it sets off the car alarm. My dogs are in the house going nuts at all of the commotion.

So I give up and jump in my Passat and drive to work. On the way there, I tell my wife I think the Iphone is now putting out so much RF that it is jamming the signal from my fob. Before the upgrade to 7.1.1, my Iphone was synched to my Edge and as soon as I started the Edge it would recognize my Iphone, display my signal strength, and show how much battery life I had left. As soon as I came home from work today I gave my wife my worthless Iphone and I climbed into my Edge and it started right up so my theory about jamming my fob must be correct. I'll probably have cancer by tomorrow from all of the RF the Iphone was emitting.

Option 3 sounds good under your circumstances. I live 10 minutes from an Apple store and know how to set up an appointment online so they're ready for me when I get there. It's the option that makes sense for me. Sounds like a hardware problem. Every technology company has them. You chose one that gave you three ways to resolve it, two of which are free. Doesn't sound too bad to me.

Tim

 

[rbbert]

Option 3 sounds good under your circumstances. I live 10 minutes from an Apple store and know how to set up an appointment online so they're ready for me when I get there. It's the option that makes sense for me. Sounds like a hardware problem. Every technology company has them. You chose one that gave you three ways to resolve it, two of which are free. Doesn't sound too bad to me.

Tim

I think this is a pretty good summation