Apple could do awaywith its famous iPhonewalk-in replacementpolicy in an attempt tocut costs: Report

Apple is set to make big changes to its
service support programs and
AppleCare that could have an impact
on its famous iPhone walk-in
replacement policy and, in the long
term test its position as the
undisputed king of customer
satisfaction, if a new report is to be
believed.
Apple focused news website, Apple
Insider, reports that the company
conducted a town hall session in which
it informed its tech staff that it'll be
making changes to the service
programs starting this Fall in an
attempt to cut costs and make them
attractive for consumers. The changes
would be first brought to the service in
the US and later rolled out to other
regions. The site mentions that the
town hall was led by Apple Vice
President Tara Bunch.
Among the changes, a major one
would be how Apple deals with faulty
iOS devices. Currently, if you walk in
to an Apple service centre with, say, a
faulty iPhone the company gives you a
brand new one right away, as long as
your device is under warranty.
However, the report cites an internal
source to suggest that the company
will now repair and return the same
device to the consumer, like it does
with Macs.
If this change is enforced, Apple will
lose its edge over other handset
manufacturers, as its policy would not
be any different than that of other
handset makers like Samsung, Nokia
or HTC, across various regions.
However, the move might benefit
customers whose devices are out of
warranty. Currently, Apple lets these
users to trade-in their faulty devices
for new ones after paying a
percentage of the new device's price.
The move would allow such customers
to get their devices repaired by paying
only for the component that needs to
be changed, in addition to the service
costs.
According to the report, by July 2013,
Apple Stores will have the capability to
conduct major repairs on iOS devices
including change cameras, sleep/ wake
buttons and logic boards.
As per the report, Apple expects to
save nearly $1 billion in an year after
implementing these changes.
Another major change being reported
is how Apple charges users for
AppleCare, its extended warranty
program. The report indicates that
Apple might introduce a subscription
model for the service and attach it to
a consumer, covering all products
instead of the consumer needing to
buy AppleCare packs for individual
products, as prevalent.
The new system is also expected to
introduce a training program for
consumers and exclusive 24/7
support. It also might bring extended
one year phone support for products
instead of the existing 90 days after
sales phone support, in select
countries.
The report also suggests that Apple
would also start offering support over
iMessages and enhance knowledge and
support articles on its website adding
interactive tutorials and video content.
Apple's representatives will also play a
bigger role in discussion boards,
answering consumers' questions, and
maintaining the forums.