I purchased an iPhone 16e, winter-blue silicone cover and 20 watt power adapter online from Apple Sales on April 2. Unfortunately, I had to return all three items on April 18 because the iPhone 16e was too big for my arthritic right index finger and bilateral carpal tunnel.
I was later given a full refund on April 24.
Did it ever occur to the Apple engineers in Cupertino, California that most women and many men worldwide, who have small hands, carpal tunnel, arthritis or some other hand pain, prefer the smaller size of an iPhone SE or iPhone 13 mini despite the smaller battery life?
Those customers could easily make up over 50% of potential Apple customers both in the U.S. and abroad. I have heard similar complaints from Android users, especially women.
In my opinion, discontinuing the size of the iPhone SE or the iPhone 13 mini was a big mistake.
However, what was especially aggravating was that the Apple 16e silicone winter-blue cover, unlike the red silicone cover, which I purchased for my iPhone SE 2nd generation in July 2020, was extremely slippery in my pants pockets. It was too “silky.” (see “Product Information” Overview), and did not provide enough “grip” to avoid constantly falling out of my pockets in either my cotton sweatpants or dress pants.
Every time my iPhone 16e fell out of my pants I immediately worried that the glass might crack, which would be very stressful on my vision and unresponsive to my Griffin stylus.
It is obvious that Apple has either changed the formula with the silicone covers in order to save cost or there has been a manufacturing defect when they are made in Communist China.
Therefore, I had to downgrade to a smaller and less heavy “out of the box” iPhone 13 mini from Walmart four weeks ago.
Fortunately, the iPhone 13 mini, which was released in September 2021, has been much easier on both my hands. Unfortunately, the Apple coral-colored silicone cover is just as slippery or “silky” as the silicone cover for the iPhone 16e providing very little grip in my pockets.
More unfortunately, the MagSafe charger and 20 watt USB-C power adapter, which I purchased from Apple Sales for my iPhone 13 mini, had to be returned on April 26. I was given a full refund on May 3.
I returned the MagSafe charger because I had to purchase some low grit sandpaper from a local hardware store, which I had to cut into two thin vertical strips, and then super glued them onto the back of the silicone cover. This prevented my iPhone from falling out of my pockets, thereby making the MagSafe charger nonworkable.
Fortunately, the sandpaper has prevented my iPhone 13 mini from slipping out of my pockets, therefore avoiding damage to it.
When you manufacture your iPhone 17e in the future, which might be released this fall, could you please make it just as small as the iPhone SE or perhaps iPhone 13 mini? Also, could you please improve the grippiness of the Apple silicone cover for the iPhone 17 series so that it will not fall out of my pockets, especially when I am sitting either in a car or kitchen chair?
Also, two days ago Apple Sales sent me two credit memos stating that I had returned all my previously purchased merchandise in full with a $0 balance. However, Goldman Sachs Bank, which finances your Apple Card, is still charging me $22.58 for so-called “Apple cash” despite having a $0 balance.
I have talked to customer service at both Apple and Goldman Sachs including technical support at least ten times to no avail because my Wallet app on my iPhone 13 mini will not work, and they refuse to remove this $22.58 balance, which seems to me more like a scam or accounting “miscalculation” to generate interest for Apple than a legitimate finance fee.
I had no choice, but to pay the $22.58 on May 25 because I did not want my credit rating adversely affected. However, if Apple does not credit me for this amount of money in the next thirty days, I will cancel my Apple Card, and finance my next iPhone with another bank in the future or purchase one through PureTalk.
Thank you for your assistance.
Robert L. Maronic