8 weeks and 2 Days
Background
Yes, 8 weeks and 2 days was the time that it took the firm Digitec (via its service repairer MobileTouch AG) to return my broken Nexus 5X.
During that time I have been using a temporary Apple iPhone 5S as my daily phone
About Digitec
In another more dramatic post Ill give you the user the chance to decide whether it was reasonable under the circumstances, or any circumstances for a company to take 8 weeks 2 days to
- Take my phone for repair
- Return it without repair
- Send me a bill for over 50 CHF (40 GBP) for inspection and non repair
For my part I will aim to show in a future post that it is quite the worst service I have had from any Swiss retailer, in over 10 years, and the fact that this agony is still not over, ... well all will be revealed shortly
Why iPhone Marcus?
If you followed this Blog you may know that
- In the Summer my backup phone Nokia 950 was stolen
- Insurance did not cover the theft, my funds are now modest, so I was waiting for a new Google Phone
- The plan was to keep the Nexus 5X as a backup, and buy a new Google phone
- I also had a emergency backup phone a Oneplus One, but that was gifted.
So the sudden failure of the Nexus 5X left me completely phoneless
The retailer Digitec has a procedure allowing you to buy at reduced price a phone during the repair period, and then when your phone comes back repaired you take the phone back and get a refund.
On the day of handing them the Nexus 5X, still only about 6 months old, they only had
a) a shitty and I mean really low entry level Android Phone
b) an Apple iPhone 5S
I took the iPhone 5S. Had I known it would take MobileTouch AG 8 weeks and 2 days to return my phone un-repaired I would clearly have done something else ... for example immediately buy a replacement phone that I wanted
Apple iPhone 5S review
So let me say in summary that almost every one of the 58 days I spent with the iPhone was agony, but it was not totally Apples fault.
The screen was just too small for me. Even in maximum squint mode, in a brightly lit room I could barely make out the text of say a Webpage or RSS feed. I can see if you had better eyesight then this would not have been the ballbreaking issue I found it to be.
But then, every day after the first few days I was expecting to get an email from Digitec or from MobileTouch AG, the service centre, with the good news of my phone repair. But no. 8 weeks and 2 days. I ask you!
- Fragile Screen
The aesthetically pleasing but raised front screen with 100% raised edge is just asking to get a nick, crack or break.
This loaner phone was not supplied with a case, and though as usual I kept the phone in a waterproof plastic bag, this would not protect it from a fall. So for 8 weeks I was shit scared I would damage it.
+App Support
Unlike my Nokia 950 Windows Phone, iOS does a 110% great job of providing application support. What I mean are all the big name applications are supported. It is in every way as good as Android, and both Android and iOS are several magitudes as good as Windows Phone.
= Speed of Operation Okay
It was not noticeably slow. I could not find any fault
--Mandatory OS upgrade
The phone came with iOS 9 and when iOS 10 was available there was a constant nagging screen asking an upgrade and it then forced you to type in an unlock code (not fingerprint to proceed). I think it was once per day, but I did not want to jinx anything and upgrade. So every day for over 1 month I had to dismiss the upgrade request. Come on Apple!
+ Fast Camera
The camera was only 8MP but to be fair took pretty decent photos. Also it was very quick from shutter press to taking photo
+ Disk Support
I liked that I could plug in the phone via a Lightening to USB cable and have the photos show up as a drive on my Windows Server computer. So daily I would cut paste them away and do the edits on my Workstation. CF Android where you have to become an Android developer and then set Picture Transfer mode (not the case for Cyanogen but it is for regular Android)
- Chrome Extensions
On the phone (or on an iPad) you cant add a Google Chrome browser extension. Very Painful.
- Google Locations is removed. You have to use /find Your friends/ Guess what, this is an Apple only app so if you have Android Friends you cant locate them.
- App Support
In General Apple pursues the strategy that if they supply an App that does a good job then why bother letting a competitive app into the store. Google Locations is an example. Personally I think Apple should let competitors in, especially when the home grown app is not functionally equivalent
= Connectivity
Using a Lightening cable instead of a USB C connection was a little painful. In general my 2016 smartphones make use of the high USB-C charging capability, so I found the 5S slow to charge. Though despite its proprietary nature which I hate, physically I like the Lightening connector.
-- No Back Button
In Android there is a place for the Back button to get back thru an App that you might have descended some levels into. But in iOS the app developer is responsible for its position and size and so of course its in different places for different apps. Occasionally the developer mis codes it too, so to me there were cases in the BBC Radio Player app that I got confused. Come back Android!
The Apple Standard
Some people criticise Marcus for holding Apple to a high standard than I expect from say Google and Android.
Yes I do.
And why? Because Apple themselves, and their fanboy following are always so smug and superior, it is positively the least I can do: To hold them to the standard of superiority that they claim.
Back to Android
Right now Marcus is in the second week of Android phone ownership. It feels so good to be back to a phone OS that I can delight in.