Apple Launches iPhone 14 Plus Camera Repair Program

If it is a hardware problem, why are they limiting it to 3 years from sale of the iPhone? Do they magically fix themselves after 3 years?

Also, for those wondering how the 14 Plus Rear Camera program works and actual internal qualifications, it goes like this:
[LIST=1]
* You have to both be eligible via the serial number checker, since those are the ones that fall within the April 10 2023 to April 28 2024 manufacture date range outlines on the public site.
* Your phone fails a functional test (we open the camera app and see no image in preview), also has to explicitly fail our Camera test, which is just a thing that runs in Diagnostics mode and takes pic with all 4 cameras and allows technicians to visually mark any imperfections.
* Unit has to be within 3 years of your Date of Purchase.
* Unit has to pass VMI (Visual Mechanical Inspection), which is just a set of guidelines to determine if there is damage and what is defined as damage and all that. Things like scratches or small dings are fine generally speaking
* You have none of the following, which would make you ineligible for the program:

* Damaged rear camera (doesn't specify if camera lens only or rear camera module itself but usually if the latter is damaged then so is the former)
* Liquid damage
* No Power On situation
* Damage that prevents rear camera SUR (same unit repair). This usually can be things like swollen battery, or bent frame, or broken Display (our fixtures rely on an intact display to open device up), etc. List is too big for the purposes here but for many people this won't be a huge issue.



Assuming you've made it this far, then bring it in for your appointment time, or walk-in if your AASP allows it, and our system will autofill necessary coverage information and price it out at $0 for part and labor and all the fun stuff :)

It is disconnecting frequently, CarPlay doesn’t connect automatically, music is garbled at times for 10 seconds or so. AirPods disconnect frequently as well.

Apple sent me a replacement with the same issue without even using my Apple Care+, so they are aware of the issue, just trying to hide it.

I reckon that is a very long bow to draw as to why they replaced it and your version of the story seems to contradict yourself. If they were replacing it with one that did performed the same way, logic tells me they aren't sure what the problem is and they have sent the same thing to you because there is nothing that has been fixed. If they were 'hiding it' they would have sent you something that performed differently.

Hate to say it but it seems likely to be isolated to your particular environment or setup, so in all probability the phone is not the one to blame.

If it is a hardware problem, why are they limiting it to 3 years from sale of the iPhone? Do they magically fix themselves after 3 years?

3 years is a very long time to run a repair program. By the time those 3 years are up parts are unlikely to be produced anymore - which I think is probably the reason for the very broad period.

Notice how this is missing in the US doco?

Its also because north america as a whole has consumer protection laws that are about as effective as a wet paper bag. Once you're outside your 1 year warranty, or no Applecare+, and credit card warranty extensions no longer apply, and begging Apple Support for CS code(one time exception) doesnt work out, you basically get to gobble on Tim Cooks gentleman bits as far as covered repair avenues go. Thats a huge thing other places get right, EU and UK/Ireland and Aussies/NZ have some serious consumer protection laws that wouldve helped soooooo many people that I've seen over the years for all sorts of issues that should've been covered but aren't because of the date of purchase limitation on many repair extension programs :/

Of course mine isn’t even eligible from their website serial number check, lol

Does your iPhone have the problem?(Preview image not showing?)