iPhone XS Water damaged XS, WTF?

[chillg8r]

My screen froze so I brought the phone into the Apple store and they told me it had water damage! It cost $600 to repair! WTF? At most it got wet from being splashed out rained on a bit and its supposed to be “resistant up to 2 meters for 30 minutes”. When I pushed back they told me it was only “resistant and not waterproof”.

 

[FlippyGonnaSnap]

Bare in mind that the water resistance is essentially adhesive, a few gaskets and a speaker mesh. Then take in to account everyday wear & tear, all those bumps, drops and micro-flexes.

As time goes by it’s more and more likely to be compromised.

Do feel sorry for you though, that’s unlucky. I once dropped a Galaxy S7 in a swimming pool where it sank to the bottom and stayed for half hour before I noticed after owning it for two years, was perfectly fine.

It’s just luck of the draw.

 

[now i see it]

Yeah it's a sham how they advertised the iPhone 7 (way back then) as being water resistant, showing an ad of a guy mounting his iPhone on a bike & going for a ride in the rain... Yet when any of us do that and it leaks, well tough luck sucker.

 

[nordique]

I had some tough luck with my iPhone X

Very similar story to yours

Luckily I had apple care but I was still shocked to learn about the water damage

 

[FlippyGonnaSnap]

Yeah it's a sham how they advertised the iPhone 7 (way back then) as being water resistant, showing an ad of a guy mounting his iPhone on a bike & going for a ride in the rain... Yet when any of us do that and it leaks, well tough luck sucker.

Sadly no company has ever really communicated that it’s supposed to be a last line of defence in-case of an accidental spill or something like that.


Even tech enthusiasts have been mislead, what chance does the average consumer have?

 

[EM2013]

It should at least be able to handle some light raindrops. I’d be mad if it got damaged cause of that.

 

[3SQ Machine]

Mistakenly dropped my XS Max into a pool and immediately picked it up. Got the "lightning port has water" error for the next 4 hours. Phone is otherwise fine, but obviously the so-called water "resistance" is mostly marketing. Maybe my screen will eventually go bad now too and I'm sure that there is some water damage sensor somewhere that has been tripped by the error--allowing Apple to charge me the full freight for any repairs I may need.

 

[one more]

My iPhone 7 has (accidentally) spent 10 minutes in a washing machine on a 35°C washing cycle and came out of it really clean and well functioning. The only issue was that the speakers got muffed by the water for about 30 minutes, but all went back to normal as the water dried up. Prior to that got it soaking wet in a heavy rain (used it for mapping), no issues at all.
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It should at least be able to handle some light raindrops. I’d be mad if it got damaged cause of that.

Every iPhone from 7 onwards is fine with some light raindrops.

 

[joeblow7777]

Sadly no company has ever really communicated that it’s supposed to be a last line of defence in-case of an accidental spill or something like that.


Even tech enthusiasts have been mislead, what chance does the average consumer have?

Water resistance in electronics is like a "bulletproof" vest. It should protect you in theory, and it's certainly better than no protection at all, but it doesn't make you invincible.

 

[JPack]

Water resistance isn't a permanent condition and may diminish over time. It also depends on the type of liquid and the pressure.

You've got an older phone so I wouldn't be surprised if it's no longer fully water resistant.

 

[chillg8r]

Its a 14 month old XS, not really old and it only got splashed or rained on, not dropped into a pool of water. I’ve been a very loyal Apple products owner but this is severely tarnishing that loyalty.......53 days out of warranty.

 

[danniexi]

1. Water resistant does not mean ”water proof”. there is still a chance that water can go in. you just got super unlucky.
2. Apple also has disclaimers that says water damage is *not* covered under warranty or AppleCare 1 year warranty. of any kind. Accidental damage applies if it comes to AppleCare+.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

A lot of people here are keen to defend Apple on the water resistance thing but it’s something that could affect any one of us. I know someone who was refused a repair on an iPhone because the water damage indicators were activated and they had never submerged the phone in water. When they asked Apple to show them, they were told they couldn’t. To me this could be a sneaky practise to get people to pay significantly more money to change their phone. Apple were caught in certain stores exaggerating MacBook screen damage to force users to pay £1800+ for a new MBP recently and I would be suspicious if I was told my iPhone had water damage in this manner.

I would certainly be escalating my complaint to the highest level and consulting with the consumer ombudsman to ensure my statutory rights were being respected.

 

[FlippyGonnaSnap]

Its a 14 month old XS, not really old and it only got splashed or rained on, not dropped into a pool of water. I’ve been a very loyal Apple products owner but this is severely tarnishing that loyalty.......53 days out of warranty.

It’s not covered by warranty either. No company would cover you in or out of warranty. Literally nobody covers water damage in this industry.

The reality is that when these devices are rated, they are brand new from the factory. Daily wear and tear takes a toll.
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Water resistance in electronics is like a "bulletproof" vest. It should protect you in theory, and it's certainly better than no protection at all, but it doesn't make you invincible.

Exactly. Hit the nail on the head.

Problem is that in this isn’t really communicated in the advertisements

 

[KiraYamato]

My screen froze so I brought the phone into the Apple store and they told me it had water damage! It cost $600 to repair! WTF? At most it got wet from being splashed out rained on a bit and its supposed to be “resistant up to 2 meters for 30 minutes”. When I pushed back they told me it was only “resistant and not waterproof”.

This is weird. My non water resistant 6s plus has been used in the rain (sometimes storms) quite often during my everyday dog walks. Never had a problem.

 

[drlunanerd]

The 6S was actually the first iPhone to have gasketing which provides some water resistance to the most vulnerable components.

This is weird. My non water resistant 6s plus has been used in the rain (sometimes storms) quite often during my everyday dog walks. Never had a problem.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

A lot of people here are keen to defend Apple on the water resistance thing but it’s something that could affect any one of us. I know someone who was refused a repair on an iPhone because the water damage indicators were activated and they had never submerged the phone in water. When they asked Apple to show them, they were told they couldn’t. To me this could be a sneaky practise to get people to pay significantly more money to change their phone. Apple were caught in certain stores exaggerating MacBook screen damage to force users to pay £1800+ for a new MBP recently and I would be suspicious if I was told my iPhone had water damage in this manner.

I would certainly be escalating my complaint to the highest level and consulting with the consumer ombudsman to ensure my statutory rights were being respected.

OP is from the US, after the 1 year warranty is finished Apple can make an exception to replace the phone or tell him to pound sand, No consumer protection laws here like in other countries.. When the warranty is done, Apple has no legal obligation to do anything. Extending the warranty with Applecare+ is only protection past one year possible

 

[chillg8r]

Apple should not market its water resistance and then not stand behind it, imo. If the product that I sell failed to live up to the promises I make I replace or repair it, it’s that simple. If the phone can’t handle a splash or some rain then don’t market that it can.....

 

[44267547]

The 6S was actually the first iPhone to have gasketing which provides some water resistance to the most vulnerable components.

Yup, that’s true and it had additional adhesive over the iPhone 6, which helped with the water resistance.

 

[I7guy]

Only one phone that I know of is guaranteed and that is the Active. All other phones water resistance benefits the customers.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

OP is from the US, after the 1 year warranty is finished Apple can make an exception to replace the phone or tell him to pound sand, No consumer protection laws here like in other countries.. When the warranty is done, Apple has no legal obligation to do anything. Extending the warranty with Applecare+ is only protection past one year possible

I do find it amazing your consumer laws are so behind Europe to be fair. That’s pretty crappy.

 

[fred98tj]

What’s the problem. It has water damage. Explicitly noted in the warranty (as with ever other major phone manufacturer) , water damage is not covered.
The water resistance rating I submerged in STILL water at a controller temperature. Water splashing on the phone is not the same at all. Also it’s explicitly stated that the IP rating for water resistance will decrease with use of the phone.
Yeah it’s a shame that it happened , however there is nothing out of the ordinary that I see here

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

What’s the problem. It has water damage. Explicitly noted in the warranty (as with ever other major phone manufacturer) , water damage is not covered.
The water resistance rating I submerged in STILL water at a controller temperature. Water splashing on the phone is not the same at all. Also it’s explicitly stated that the IP rating for water resistance will decrease with use of the phone.
Yeah it’s a shame that it happened , however there is nothing out of the ordinary that I see here

I think the issue arises for people when these phones appear to be recording water damage through normal use. Also the refusal by Apple to advise, prove or repair a device once they declare it has water damage is something that needs addressing.

 

[chillg8r]

From Apple marketing: “Splashes, Pfffft”.

My experience says that’s simply a lie.