Is Apple Toppling Over?

Apple has been heavily criticized worldwide with the release of its new flagship models: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max.

 

The first wave of criticisms came upon the launch of the four iPhones on October 13, 2020, where Apple announced that iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini would no longer be including a wall-socket USB charger or a pair of EarPods in the box, but just the iPhone itself and lightning to USB-C cable, generating numerous controversies. The second wave came with continued reports of iPhone 12 display problems not only in the U.S. but from all across the world.

 

The first wave of criticisms regarding the company’s decision to remove much-loved essentials settled relatively punctually after Apple cited that “delivering [iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini] without EarPods and power adaptor will cut the carbon emissions by more than 2 million metric tons each year, which is equivalent to reducing 450,000 cars on the road each year.” However, the second wave of criticisms on these flagship models’ display problems does not seem to be settled anytime soon.

 

The display problems in iPhone 12 came on to the surface with Apple users worldwide posting numerous pictures on social media that showcased their extremely discolored iPhone 12 displays along with other lighting issues. According to Forbes, an internal document of Apple did acknowledge that iPhone 12 models are affected by significant display issues, and yet still told Authorized Service Providers to “to avoid servicing affected iPhones, at least for now.” Although this may have been said by Apple to firstly attempt to resolve this issue through iOS updates, it prompted further criticism from users worldwide.

 

Richie L., a sophomore at AISG who has used iPhone 12 since August, says that he has similarly suffered from the iPhone 12’s display issues. He commented, “I was extremely shocked to see my [iPhone 12] glow up in green the moment I started it. I knew I didn’t drop or damage the phone on the way home, so I had no idea what was going on.” Although he managed to repair his iPhone promptly, he says that the experience remains in “terrible memories.”

 

The previous iPhone 11 also initially suffered from the “green tint problems,” which is a similar display issue that glowed the screen in green. With both iPhone 11 and 12 suffering from display issues, several users are becoming skeptical about Apple’s Quality Control (QC). With Apple already indicating that the display of the next generation of iPhone – iPhone 13 – will be among the most prominent upgrades, users have high hopes that such problems would not be repeated.

 

Apple is an American multinational company that designs, develops, and sells electronics, computer software, and online services. Over past decades, it has positioned itself as one of the five Big Tech technology companies, alongside Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.