December 8, 2020 at 4:10 p.m.
- Apple’s latest iPhone models launched on October 23, 2020, over a month later than typical launches.
- iPhone 12 purchasers have complained about problems with inadequate battery life, green-tinted screens, dropped calls, weak wireless charging, and other issues.
- Both iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur launched with several severe defects, the latter “bricking” some devices.
- As Apple grows in size and complexity, adding more products and variants to its offerings makes defects more likely.
iPhone 12 Owners Burdened With Defects
Apple’s most advanced and powerful iPhone ever may also be the most defective. After the botched iOS 13 release, Apple promised to focus on quality; however, it seems to have forgotten this pledge shortly after stabilizing the troubled mobile operating system.
Apple can remedy a defective operating system. Devices are another story. Software tweaks can improve battery life or fix tinting issues with screens; however, fundamental hardware issues are immutable. For example, the iPhone 12 shipped with a slightly weaker battery than its predecessor. With 10% less capacity, users will experience rapid battery drain, regardless of software tweaks. With more frequent charge cycles, the battery won’t last long, forcing users to either replace it or purchase a new iPhone.
Numerous reports of green-tinted iPhone screens once again demonstrate Apple’s quality decline. MacRumors obtained an internal document showing that Apple is well-aware of this issue. The company advised repair technicians not to fix the screen but instead ask consumers to keep updating iOS. Apple feels confident they can resolve the problem with a software update.
Battery drain is yet another issue not only plaguing the iPhone 12, but older devices running iOS 14. Apple’s newest mobile operating system seems to drain batteries rapidly, particularly after installation. Although Apple intends to fix this with software updates, it can’t add more battery capacity to the iPhone 12, which features a significantly weaker battery than its predecessor.
Dropped calls and weak cellular signals affect some iPhone 12 owners. Some have been able to remedy dropped calls by switching to a 5G SIM card. Since the iPhone 12 lineup are the first Apple smartphones supporting 5G networks, many users are putting obsolete SIM cards in their phones. In theory, a 4G LTE SIM card should work fine in a smartphone. I tested this a few months ago with a Samsung Galaxy S20. Apparently, with the iPhone 12, it’s best to upgrade your SIM card along with the phone.
Apple’s newest iPhone isn’t the first to support wireless charging. The Cupertino company offered this feature years ago, with the iPhone 8; however, Android devices supported wireless charging long before Apple. Nonetheless, numerous reports suggest that iPhone 12 wireless charging stops working, even with charging pads that support the Qi standard.
No smartphone is perfect; however, with the iPhone 12, it appears as though mere adequacy is unattainable. If your smartphone has problems charging, drops calls, and has a green-tinted screen, it may be time to reconsider brand loyalty. Once upon a time, Apple created high-quality products. Now, the company seems to sell junk to people who still believe this myth. It’s similar to how a dog keeps performing tricks, even when the treats stop.
iPhone 12 Built for Rapid Obsolescence?
Why would Apple put a 10% weaker battery in a new iPhone? The answer is simple. The device becomes obsolete faster, forcing users to decide whether they’ll replace the battery or purchase another iPhone. Many will opt for a new iPhone.
Over the past few years, the smartphone market reached a saturation point. Virtually everyone who will get a smartphone has one. At this point, the upgrade cycle determines who wins the market, with brand loyalty dominating choice.
It’s disappointing because Apple could have created a compelling new product to fill the void created by iPhone market saturation. They could get users to upgrade by creating a significantly better phone. In the case of the iPhone 12, with its weaker battery, it’s clear Apple is taking the low road to boost iPhone sales.
Competing Phones Don’t Have These Problems
The best Android phones don’t suffer from the same issues as Apple devices. As a long time Apple user, complacency, brand loyalty, and seductive marketing lulled me into believing that Apple devices exhibit the highest quality standards, and anything else falls short. I fell for Apple’s reality distortion field (again).
After purchasing two Macs in a row that failed catastrophically for no good reason, I decided not to buy any more Apple devices beyond the bare necessities. I write about Apple, so I need a few devices for research and screenshots. My daily drivers are no longer Apple devices.
One of the most surprising things about my new Android smartphone is how reliable and stable the operating system upgrade was. After waiting a few days, due solely to past experience with Apple, I updated my OnePlus 8 Pro. It’s packed with new features and a fresh, contemporary design, but absent of defects. There are one or two half-baked, non-essential features. Other than that, it’s solid.
If you’re loyal to Apple because you believe it creates high-quality products, I regret to inform you that those days are over. Both Samsung and OnePlus make phones that are as well-built as the iPhone. Consumer Reports recommends these devices and gives them top scores for build quality, speed, and reliability. Not only can other manufacturers make devices as well as Apple — they can often do better.
At the end of the day, Apple manufactures its products in overseas factories, using other suppliers’ components. They purchase parts from Samsung, TSMC, and other suppliers, just like other tech companies. The difference is focus. Steve Jobs was concerned about focus and criticized competitors’ lack thereof. Now it appears that Apple has lost focus as companies like Samsung and OnePlus make better phones.
The open plurality of Android contributors eventually beat Apple’s closed ecosystem. Even with a head start and focus, Apple can’t do better than the rest of the world. Android accounts for almost 40% of global operating system share — including desktop operating systems. It is the most popular operating system on the planet. It seems as though people are even ditching Windows computers for Android tablets and smartphones.
OnePlus, in particular, only made smartphones up until now. The company is debuting a new smartwatch, but their focus remains on smartphones. Perhaps this is why their phones are so easy-to-use and trouble-free? Consumers indoctrinated by Apple’s seductive marketing are often blind to the superiority of other products. Most of them cost less than anything made by Apple — a company that charges $80 for a fragile MacBook Pro power adapter.
Apple Bribing Tech Media and Consumer Reports?
Apple’s quality is in decline. There’s no doubt about this. The company inflated almost as rapidly as the early universe. Few can maintain quality during explosive periods of growth. With legacy leadership harking back to the 1990s, Apple was ill-staffed to shepherd the company into creating reliable products during a time of rapid expansion. The company has a massive talent problem amid greater complexity of hardware and software. With an astronomically high stock price, Silicon Valley’s best and brightest headed off to small startups.
While few reject the notion that Apple products are no longer up to snuff, some major publications continue toeing the line. Consumer Reports, in particular, stopped complaining about flaws in Apple products after “Antennagate”. They rushed to defend the iPhone 6S, which bent in users’ pockets, eventually causing some to lose touch sensitivity.
Virtually every product emanating from the Cupertino tech giant garners praise from Consumer Reports, The Verge, Bloomberg, and many other Apple loyalists. Given that Santa Clara County’s DA recently indicted Apple’s head of global security for bribing law enforcement officers, one has to wonder whether the company has undue influence over tech publications. It appears as though, as Apple products become worse, some media outlets continue to sing their praises more passionately. Until there’s some watershed moment of transparency, this is mere conjecture, at best.