Apple has started a sleep / wake button replacement program, which will repair affected units for free. Apple has determined that a small percentage of iPhone 5’s manufactured before April 2013 could possibly see issues with the sleep / wake button not working or working intermittently.
In order to begin the process for this repair, iPhone owners must check eligibility of their product by entering their serial number into Apple’s repair website. Once repair eligibility is verified, you can bring your iPhone 5 into an Apple Store or an Apple authorized repair center. The repair will take between four to six days.
If you choose to bring it into a store, you will have the option to receive a loaner iPhone 5. These loaner devices will be limited to the 16GB model. The mail-in repairs will not have a loaner option. Lastly, with any repair it is important to back up any important information that you might have on your iPhone. This can be done either through iTunes or iCloud.
The button replacement program will begin today in the United States / Canada and roll out to other countries on May 2, 2014. This program will cover iPhone 5 models for 2 years after the initial retail sale of the unit.
Source: Wall Street Journal via Apple | Image via Apple