It is one of the most popular questions asked by people interested in buying an expensive new phone: where can I get a good warranty for it that covers everything – accidental breakage, water spills, software or hardware issues included? We discuss that in this post with a particular focus on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Apple announced the new iPhone 7 in early September to much controversy. On one hand, everyone likes the new performance updates, the much nicer camera, new colors, and the tweaked body design. On the other though, people are really against Apple’s decision to remove the much loved and relied on 3.5mm headphone jack.
No matter what, we still believe and predict that the iPhone 7 will be the most popular iPhone to date, and will likely be the most sold smartphone of 2016-2017. Apple attracts such intense passion from its users that they’ll still upgrade even if it makes for increased inconvenience.
Talking about inconvenience brings us to the discussion of what to do when your iPhone 7 inevitably breaks either in the software or hardware department. The obvious answer is to ensure you buy the iPhone 7 with official warranty. That would be easy in most parts of the developed world, but here in Pakistan – with no official Apple presence – things are murkier.
Also read: Everything you need to know about the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Is official Apple iPhone 7 warranty available in Pakistan?
Yes, and no.
Yes, you can get the official warranty if you buy the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus from an official reseller like Future Tech or from any of the telecom operators like Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone or Zong which are expected to sell them later this year.
However, for most people, the answer is a no because – based on my own understanding – most people will buy the iPhone 7 from an unofficial reseller like the mobile phones shop in your nearest market, or from an online store in Pakistan.
Neither most online stores nor your average mobile phones shop will give you official warranty because they sell phones that are imported through grey channels. At best, they can provide you their own software and hardware warranty.
Do unofficial warranties for the iPhone 7 actually work?
It’s a fairly difficult question to answer since different online stores and mobile phone shops have different internal policies. I’ll try to cover the average online store and mobile phone shop.
Most of these unofficial sellers claim to give their own warranty because failure rates for the iPhone are really low. It is rare to hear anyone complain that a critical component – like the screen or ports or any button – of the iPhone stopped working on its own. In most cases, it is because of neglection of the owner, or some accident that causes hardware failures.
When it comes to software, the iPhone is the single most reliable smartphone. You can easily reset the phone and have it running like new, if anything goes wrong in the first place. Otherwise, iPhones will be running smoothly for a long time unlike most Android phones in Pakistan.
So, there you have it. I personally recommend you do not worry about an official warranty for your new iPhone 7. Chances are you’ll do just fine with the unofficial claimed warranty of any online store or mobile phone shop. Just be sure to check all important components before buying the device, and then go home and enjoy your new phone!
If any issues do crop up, chances are you will be able to fix them rather easily. Do take good care of the screen (I recommend those glass screen protectors) and get a good protective case. You’ll be just fine.
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