Tape doesn't hold an iPod together
- The situation: A Michigan woman got in touch with us for an iPod repair after noticing that a haphazard repair method she'd been using really wasn't working out.
- What caused it: The iPod was purchased used, so right off the bat it wasn't functioning like a new device. In addition to that, the iPod was a gift for the woman's 8-year-old granddaughter, and we all know the inherent risks of putting an Apple product in the hands of a kid. So it didn't come as much of a surprise when the device fell off a kitchen counter and experienced a cracked screen. The woman attempted to repair the device with some tape, but that proved only a very short-lived solution.
- The solution: We're going to perform an iPod screen replacement, and since the woman said the battery demonstrated low performance ever since the device was purchased, we're going to go ahead and replace that, too.
Another kid, another broken Apple device
- The situation: A Florida man sent in his Apple device for a screen repair after it had an unfortunate brush with his 9-year-old kid.
- What caused it: The kid was playing a game on the device, but when he presumably lost that game, the weight of defeat proved too much for him, and he began banging his head on the screen, which then broke.
- The solution: We'd never say keep Apple products out of the hands of kids, since they can prove to be such integral learning tools for young people. But what we'd recommend is to always protect an Apple device with a case if your child (or grandchild) is using it. In this instance, we're going to perform a screen repair.
Just because your iPhone's in a case doesn't mean you can swim with it
- The situation: A Texas man reached out to us for an iPhone repair after his son's device spent some not-so-quality time underwater.
- What caused it: Because the kid had a Lifeproof brand case, he evidently believed he could go for a swim with his phone, and took it in the water with him. But the case wasn't on properly, and therefore the charging port of the phone got submerged in water.
- The solution: We will have to ascertain the extent of the water damaging before determining the best course of action regarding a repair. For all those out there who use cases – and we hope that's most of you – we'd like to remind you that a case serves as protective shield against water exposure, but not an encouragement to take your device swimming with you.
Jacked up headphone jack
- The situation: A Wisconsin man sent his device in because the headphone jack was exhibiting some irritating problems. Whenever he tried listening to music, the sound either wouldn't register or would sporadically cut out.
- What caused it: As the man correctly surmised, this is an issue with the headphone jack. This can happen over time, but can certainly be exacerbated by a few key things. For instance, if you drop your iPhone or iPod and the force of the drop rips out the headphones, that single incident can take a big toll on the jack, since the headphones are separated from the jack will wear it down over time. As a general rule, it's also good to never rip your headphones out of your iPod or iPhone, but instead remove them with care.
- The solution: We'll replace the jack.
Headphones cutting in and out
- The situation: An Illinois woman got in touch with us because her daughter was experiencing some difficulties when attempting to play music on her iPod. The problem is that the girl's headphones, which once worked, were now either not playing at all or only playing out of one side. The woman assumed it was an issue with the device itself.
- What caused it: From the sound of it, this isn't a case of a broken iPod at all, but instead an illustration of the transience of most headphones out there. Unless you're willing to shell out big bucks for fancy headphones, you'll have to put up with problems like these after having them for a number of months (or, depending on how often you use them, weeks). One of the first symptoms of a cheap pair of headphones powering out is the loss of audio in one ear, with the other ear soon to follow. In all likelihood, this situation points to the headphones reaching the end of their life, with nothing actually wrong with the iPod itself.
- The solution: Of course, since the woman sent the device in for a repair, we'll do a thorough check to make sure there's nothing wrong with it. But at this point, our money's on the headphones being the issue. This is great for the customer, since a new pair of headphones is a lot cheaper than an iPod repair!