Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

trogdor!

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 7, 2006
172
0
I was curious where all the moisture sensors or moisture sensitive color changing pads/paper were on the iphone. Anyone know all the locations?
 
there is one at the bottom of the headphone jack,

i believe the other one is on the left side of where the powere jack plugs in.
 
I was curious where all the moisture sensors or moisture sensitive color changing pads/paper were on the iphone. Anyone know all the locations?

AFAIK only in the headphone slot. There is a white disk in there that turns pink when it gets wet. Seems silly really as rain could reak havock :eek:
 
I was at the Genius Bar for an unrelated issue and the person up next was getting their iPhone looked at for a vibration issue. The first thing the Genius did was use one of those things doctors look into your ear with to look into the headphone port. I would imagine he was checking to see if the moisture sensor was red.
 
I was at the Genius Bar for an unrelated issue and the person up next was getting their iPhone looked at for a vibration issue. The first thing the Genius did was use one of those things doctors look into your ear with to look into the headphone port. I would imagine he was checking to see if the moisture sensor was red.

Bingo. One of my buddies is a Genius at a local store and told me this a while back.
 
Anyone ever use a phone while it rains? Seems like a dumb way to flag a phone for water damage when the raindrop from Murphy's Law hits that jack.
 
Anyone ever use a phone while it rains? Seems like a dumb way to flag a phone for water damage when the raindrop from Murphy's Law hits that jack.

that's all it would take is one raindrop in the right spot, the phone doesn't have to be dropped in a pool to be ruined.

not apples fault you used your phone while it was raining and it got ruined
 
that's all it would take is one raindrop in the right spot, the phone doesn't have to be dropped in a pool to be ruined.

not apples fault you used your phone while it was raining and it got ruined

A perfectly placed raindrop wouldnt ruin the phone. It would just trigger the moisture sensor. Thats what im talking about. You never talk on the phone and feel sprinkles? a phone shouldnt be void of its warranty because of a perfectly placed sprinkle as rare as it would be.
 
I wish there was some type of rubber filler plug that could be put in the headphone port when not in use.
 
A perfectly placed raindrop wouldnt ruin the phone. It would just trigger the moisture sensor. Thats what im talking about. You never talk on the phone and feel sprinkles? a phone shouldnt be void of its warranty because of a perfectly placed sprinkle as rare as it would be.

It seems like it would just be an easy way for Apple to deny service. 'Oh, it's not vibrating? Well it got wet.'
What about people in humid climates?

I imagine there are thresholds on what is considered safe. Assuming the moisture sensing pad is larger than a raindrop and how it would have to manage to fit into the headphone slot to hit it, a single raindrop might make a red speck or two on the sensor pad but won't manage to turn the whole thing red.

Same thing goes for humidity, it might make the pad pink but not full on red. Anything that is enough to turn the whole pad red will most likely caused damage to the phone.
 
Moisture sensors

There are 4 of them. 1 in the headphone jack, 1 behind the upper right portion of the screen, 1 in the lower left portion of the screen and the best one is in the jack on the bottom. If you set your phone in a car cup holder with the slightest bit of moisture this sensor will change color and void your warranty. Very sneaky. They can "prove" you submerged your phone and you cannot "prove" that you did not. Awesome.
 
What?

that's all it would take is one raindrop in the right spot, the phone doesn't have to be dropped in a pool to be ruined.

not apples fault you used your phone while it was raining and it got ruined

Nothing is ever Apple's fault. It is my fault I bought the most fragile cell phone in the world. I used my phone on Earth, in its natural environment. That should ruin a cell phone? I must be picky.
 
A perfectly placed raindrop wouldnt ruin the phone. It would just trigger the moisture sensor. Thats what im talking about. You never talk on the phone and feel sprinkles? a phone shouldnt be void of its warranty because of a perfectly placed sprinkle as rare as it would be.

The moisture sensors usually aren't that sensitive. They're meant to only turn fully red if they're fairly well soaked.
 
Two ridiculous things about iPhone design:

1) Every other phone hides the moisture sensors deep behind the removeable battery. Due to Apple's case design, there's no easy way to check such embedded sensors. Therefore Apple had to put them where they could easily be seen (and triggered).

2) Apple clearly knew that the jack and dock connector were easy ingress points. But instead of fortifying them (even with a plug like other phones), they chose to take the easy way out and put sensors there instead. There are no good words available for the laziness involved in that kind of design.
 
A number of people are exhibiting a sorry lack of knowledge regarding the basic laws of electricity and usage of electronic equipment!

1) Water conducts electricity. So it's obvious that water anywhere within the iPhone is going to create havoc with the sensitive components within.

2) Obviously, the sensor at the bottom of the headphone socket was not installed in that position to "catch" a random raindrop! It's obviously there to detect if the iPhone has been immersed in water. Apple are no doubt aware of the tricks some users will (and do!:D) get up to!! - Accidentally dropping 'phone in a puddle, drying it out and then claiming under warranty - after swearing that the 'phone has never been anywhere near water is a good example!!

3) Under normal circumstances, humidity will never affect an electronic circuit.

4) Nobody, with a modicum of common sense will use an iPhone in the rain!

I'm sorry if this appears to be a bit of a rant, but think about it, the above points are pretty obvious....
 
A number of people are exhibiting a sorry lack of knowledge regarding the basic laws of electricity and usage of electronic equipment!

1) Water conducts electricity. So it's obvious that water anywhere within the iPhone is going to create havoc with the sensitive components within.

2) Obviously, the sensor at the bottom of the headphone socket was not installed in that position to "catch" a random raindrop! It's obviously there to detect if the iPhone has been immersed in water. Apple are no doubt aware of the tricks some users will (and do!:D) get up to!! - Accidentally dropping 'phone in a puddle, drying it out and then claiming under warranty - after swearing that the 'phone has never been anywhere near water is a good example!!
Anyon
3) Under normal circumstances, humidity will never affect an electronic circuit.

4) Nobody, with a modicum of common sense will use an iPhone in the rain!

I'm sorry if this appears to be a bit of a rant, but think about it, the above points are pretty obvious....

There are way too many commplaints about this issue for Apple to shurg it off. If just 10% of the complaints are for real that's too many. I don't think anyone expects to drop their iphone in the lake and still use it but inclemet weather is something different. Many of us spend half of our time out of doors. Apple needs to do a better job of weatherizing this device. It can be done. It's just a matter of wanting to. Shame on them.
 
A number of people are exhibiting a sorry lack of knowledge regarding the basic laws of electricity and usage of electronic equipment!

1) Water conducts electricity. So it's obvious that water anywhere within the iPhone is going to create havoc with the sensitive components within.

2) Obviously, the sensor at the bottom of the headphone socket was not installed in that position to "catch" a random raindrop! It's obviously there to detect if the iPhone has been immersed in water. Apple are no doubt aware of the tricks some users will (and do!:D) get up to!! - Accidentally dropping 'phone in a puddle, drying it out and then claiming under warranty - after swearing that the 'phone has never been anywhere near water is a good example!!



3) Under normal circumstances, humidity will never affect an electronic circuit.

4) Nobody, with a modicum of common sense will use an iPhone in the rain!

I'm sorry if this appears to be a bit of a rant, but think about it, the above points are pretty obvious....


Number 4 in the above post....Wow what a rediculous claim to make.

Why would you not expext use an iphone in the rain??? It happens, people do call my iphone when i am out and the rain just happens to be on.

I livein Scotland and we are well known for our climate over here...Yes it does rain a lot:rolleyes:

i wonder if the above poster means the iphone speciffically or would you refrain from using any cell phone in the rain? Thewre is no denying there is a design fault at play here, its a phone its an ipod it is going to be used outdoors :cool:its just a shame that extra thought and care will have to be considered if your iphone rings, and it just happens to be raining....Why oh why is there not the norm rubber plug pull thingy that adornes even the most basic and inexpensive of mobile phones....c'mon:apple:
 
Oh dear, I'm sorry I didn't explain my point of using an lPhone in the rain! :)

Micro circuit boards used in electronic equipment, i.e. mobile 'phones and cameras, are particularly sensitive to the ingress of moisture. That is why equipment that is going to be used in adverse weather conditions (e.g. "Professional" DSLR Cameras as used by sports photographers in all weather conditions) are "weatherproofed" i.e. all switches, adjoining surfaces etc are sealed with rubber gaskets.

It is therefore obvious that anyone using electronic equipment that hasn't received such treatment (such as an iPhone) without taking obvious precautions is asking for trouble.

No, not ridiculous! Common sense really! ;)
 
Ye i take your point about electrics, circiut boards & water john, however just the addition of a small rubber plug on the iphone would have made the use of the phone in light rain worry free. As it stands using the phone in these conditions is such a concern , while trying to cover the headphone port with a finger can be akward and on ocassions the phone has slipped from my grip. Clearly this lack of protection has been overlooked, and at such a precorious position on the phone.. i agree it kinda is asking for trouble , im not saying iv used my phone in torrential downpoars (and wouldnt be that naive) but guess it wouldve been practical even convienient to have the option to plug up that opening.:confused: cant have it all tho:)
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.