My original iPhone 2G suddenly bricked a few weeks back. It just died and wouldn't even boot up. No matter what I did, nothing. It simply wouldn't start. I connected it to a power source. Tried DFU. Did everything under the sun. No effect. I had almost given up. Then my brother told me about a place in Secunderabad where they repaired iPhones.

So, I went to this place called Aanand Mobiles, in Emerald House, on S. D. Road, near Park Lane, Secunderabad. I showed them the phone and they said they would try to fix it. I had no problems with that because I had really given up on the phone so, whatever they would do, I had nothing to lose. I would realize later of course, how horribly wrong I was!

So, the guy there called me after a couple of days and said that they would need to change the power switch and it would cost Rs. 1,600. I asked them to change it. Then I got a call after another day and they said that they would also need to change the display and the mother board. It would cost totally around Rs. 6,500 (including the earlier Rs. 1,600). I thought for some time. Rs. 6,500 was a lot of money for an old phone. By then I had started using a spare Nokia phone that costed around Rs. 800 and it was worse than Chinese torture. Go ahead, I told them. I got a call after a few hours telling me that they are trying it but it may or may not work. Obviously, if it does not work, I don't pay anything.

I got a call in a few hours that they had fixed the phone and that I could collect it. I was thrilled. I went over to collect it and it seemed totally fine. I paid the money and walked out of the shop, a happy man.

My joy was short-lived, however.

Within a few hours, the battery drained completely. I charged the phone completely. A couple of hours later, the battery drained completely again. This happened again and again. I called the guy. They asked me to bring it over. A day later, they gave me the phone with my original battery. The battery problem was resolved.

For two days after that, the phone worked perfectly. Then suddenly the phone went off. Only connecting to a power source would boot it up. When booted up, the battery would be at where it was earlier, not drained at all. The phone date and time would be reset however. I carried along for some time. Same thing again and again. Strangely this happened only when a sim was inserted. If no sim was put, the phone did not seem to die. I switched to my Nokia again. I took the phone back to Aanand Mobiles yesterday. They decided to observe the phone for some time. In the evening, when I went back, they said, the phone was working perfectly. They showed me the call log and sure enough, there were calls made and the phone did not die at all they said. I took the phone back and said I would watch it for a while. I put in my sim and left.

By the time I reached home, the phone was dead.

I have given up. Back to my Rs. 800 Nokia.