News from Apple this week

[Foxbat]

In the chat with Apple on Wednesday they gave me a number to call if I still hadn’t received any updates. I called this afternoon and reached the right people. They told me that a second Trade-in kit had been requested since the first got lost in transit. I did not request the 2nd kit, so when I got the first kit Friday, why wouldn’t I use it?

Apple was able to use my information to switch over to the first kit’s return tracking number and see that FedEx has the package and it’s still in transit. That is a relief to me since as far as I knew, it might still be sitting in the bottom of the Staples FedEx drop-off box. Apple also said that the Return label has a unique number that ties my iPhone to my order and that number is the same on both return labels, so the 3rd party processor can match it up with my account.

So, hopefully by next Tuesday, my old iPhone will have been processed and Apple will send an email my way with the good news.

 

[klang]

I dropped off a phone and an iPad mini for trade ins on the 30th. Heard back on the 6th they had received the iPad. Nothing on the phone yet. One was UPS and one was Fedex. Don't remember which was which anymore.

iPad mini trade in mentioned here was credited to my CC account today.

Still no word on the iPhone I sent in.

 

[Foxbat]

Still no word on the iPhone I sent in.

My Apple associate mentioned that the 3rd party trade-in processors are experiencing extremely high numbers of iPhone trade-ins to process. He indicated that as long as Apple could see that the buyer had sent in the device, they would extend the 2-week window allotted for the trade-in process.

 

[TheForce]

Frustration!

Many are wishing for Apple to adopt USB-C as the standard. They falsely believe all USB -C are the same but that is sadly not the case. I have USB-C cables here that will charge some devices and not others. I almost returned a camera battery charger last week because it appeared dead. I tested the cable on a known camera that uses those batteries and it charged the battery in the camera just fine. Then, I saw the charger came with it's own USB-A 3.1 (blue) to USB-C and tried it and the charger came to life.

I tested the questionable USB C cable on a different camera and it did not work either. Switched to the USB-C cable that came with that charger and it worked.

I knew that different cables limit data speeds but was unaware that USB-C is NOT universally combatable for charging too.

 

[Foxbat]

And add to that Thunderbolt 3 & 4 which use the USB-C connector format and you have another source of possible compatibility issues. At least the TB cables have the Thunderbolt branding on them, while USB-C for the most part don't.

Sticking with trusted brands should help, but needing to label cables with their wattage and data capabilities seems an unnecessary onus to the USB-C promise of "One Standard to Bind Them All".

On a more positive note, my Order Status has been updated to show my iPhone has been received:

 

[harshness]

They falsely believe all USB -C are the same but that is sadly not the case. I have USB-C cables here that will charge some devices and not others.

USB-C isn't the culprit here. Here the problem is a bad adapter. Take out the adapters and the problem goes away.

 

[TheForce]

Take out the adapters and the problem goes away.

What adapters?

There is a known good wall charger, the cable in question, and the device I'm charging.

 

[harshness]

What adapters?

There is a known good wall charger, the cable in question, and the device I'm charging.

I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that your wall charger has a USB A output on it. That would demand a A to <whatever the device is> cable. This is one form of an adapter. Whether the device is USB-C or Lightning, some of the utility is lost at the "backwards compatible" transition. This distinction becomes more important as charging port technology advances. Under the appropriate conditions, USB-C PD (Power Delivery) can provide upwards of 19VDC and/or 100 watts but that's not supported with older USB cabling.

 

[klang]

Could just be a bad USB-C cable. Not experienced one myself yet but I have had a couple Lightning cables fail over the years.

 

[TheForce]

Actually the USB-C cable I am having trouble with is plugged into a USB-C charger. It works on some USB-C cameras and not others. The ones that it doesn't work on I swap the cable for a different one and that works on all Cameras. The charger is rated at 3A 5V. The Apple USB-C cable I got with the new ipad works with all cameras.

Anyway one of the problem cables I have is labeled JXMOX. If you are buying one of these avoid this one. I have some others too but these are short 4" and 6" I use with power bank selfie sticks. They only work with certain cameras as well.

 

[klang]

iPad mini trade in mentioned here was credited to my CC account today.

Still no word on the iPhone I sent in.

Email just now that iPhone trade-in complete. I dropped it off at the shipper on the 30th, so about two week turnaround.

 

[Foxbat]

Email just now that iPhone trade-in complete. I dropped it off at the shipper on the 30th, so about two week turnaround.

I received my “Trade-in accepted for the full amount” email as well. I guess I can relax now…

 

[Foxbat]

Apple even added our State Tax to the Trade-in amount. The times I used Gazelle they never did.