My new iPhone

Shortly before I moved from Hawaii to Maryland, a friend of mine graciously gave me his 16 GB iPhone (Edge) after he bought a new 3G model.

It had a cracked screen, but I didn’t mind. The shattered glass was mostly confined to one corner, so it wasn’t too distracting. He didn’t ask for any direct payment, only requesting that I send him a new Mac game around Christmas time when he’s deployed to Iraq (he’s a combat cameraman in the Navy).

This iPhone was unbelievably handy during our move, and I was and continue to be grateful for it (and since I didn’t buy it from Apple or AT&T, I don’t have a two-year contract, which is nice. I’m squeamish about locked-in contracts).

A couple of weeks ago, however, this iPhone started acting up. The dock connector would only work with Apple’s supplied USB cable. It would not work with third party cables, chargers, or music docking stations.

Just to see what would happen, I took it to my new local Apple store at Montgomery Mall in Maryland. I explained the problem, and the Apple Genius carefully tested it out. I was expecting to get a quote for a repair cost. I was shocked when the Apple Genius offered me a new 16GB Edge iPhone on the spot.

After he confirmed the defect, he informed me that a cracked screen is cause to void the warranty, so I really should protect it with a case (which I certainly do).

So, I now have a new (refurbished) iPhone, and I am a very happy customer.

The moral of the story: if you have an iPhone with a cracked screen that has a legitimate defect that may not be tied to dropping it, it’s worth a try to schedule an appointment with a Genius to see what happens.

My strategy was honesty, politeness, and preparedness. As I’ve read online from other iPhone users, sometimes you get lucky. Make sure you back it up before you go, as the store rep will likely want to restore the software to see if it solves the issue.

For my friend who gave me his original iPhone, thank you. I admit that I feel a bit guilty. How about two Mac games for Christmas? Stay safe.