Back fell out of Apple watch

[JayLenochiniMac]

At first I thought stocking would be difficult because there are so many size & color combination. But at this point Apple should have enough repair data to be able stock the top 3 most repaired watches and keep just those in-stock. It makes for an inconsistent experience (some in-store, some mail-away) but having some happy customers is better than having all unhappy customers.

The vast majority of AW replacements involve just the watch case, as bands are less likely to become defective or accidentally damaged. They don't actually need repair data as they can stock just the watch case itself in the white box and transfer to the customer's existing band.

It'd actually be no different from any other iDevice white box replacements in that they include only the unit itself and not the accessories. The band is considered an accessory and hence won't be included anyway. We swap out accessories (cables, charger, etc.) separately.

 

[Thai]

Does this problem ever happen to the stainless steel model?

(Sorry if this has been answered in past.)

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Does this problem ever happen to the stainless steel model?

(Sorry if this has been answered in past.)

I think there has been at least one reported case with the SS model, but this issue appears to be far more common with the Sport models for some reason.

 

[Roastman]

I think there has been at least one reported case with the SS model, but this issue appears to be far more common with the Sport models for some reason.

Mine is a stainless steel model. Hoping to hear in the next day or so they have chosen to replace it (rather than just glue the back on).... Fingers crossed.
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The AW starts at $349/399, not $800.

Unfortunately, the AW is the first and only iDevice for which Apple has elected not to stock white box replacements across the board (to swap out on the spot), and I agree it doesn't make for good customer experience typical of Apple. I have no idea why they've singled out the AW.

Mine was $879. Maybe not a lot compared to a luxury watch, but up there for a smart watch. Still, it is an Apple product, so I expect better quality. I am hopeful Apple will replace it, but will update in the next few days. The last person I spoke to at Apple told me I should demand a replacement if they send it back, as she would not be happy with having it repaired if it was her watch.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Mine was $879. Maybe not a lot compared to a luxury watch, but up there for a smart watch. Still, it is an Apple product, so I expect better quality. I am hopeful Apple will replace it, but will update in the next few days. The last person I spoke to at Apple told me I should demand a replacement if they send it back, as she would not be happy with having it repaired if it was her watch.

Yes, but you were saying that's expensive compared to Samsung. I'd argue that Samsung smartwatches are more equivalent to the AW Sport (based on the build quality), and it starts at $349/399.

I bet they will replace it. It's just an annoying standard practice to send it to the depot whether it'll be replaced or repaired and they do it only for the AW but not other iDevices.

 

[menace3]

This just happened to me last week, taking it off the freaking charger.

 

[douglasf13]

This just happened to my wife's 38mm steel version purchased in September.

 

[BarracksSi]

If this happens outside of warranty (which won't be any sooner than April) -- will any of you just glue it back together on your own?

 

[douglasf13]

If this happens outside of warranty (which won't be any sooner than April) -- will any of you just glue it back together on your own?

I probably would, although I have Apple Care+, so I have a few years.

 

[laszlo182]

Happened to me as well (Sport model, bought in May). Unfortunately, they still don't sell AW in my country so I could not get it repaired so I just glued it together.

 

[warburg]

Congrats! I think you're the first SS to have this happen to on the forum.

My wife has had two 38 mm. SS watches have their backs peel off when they were removed from the charger.

 

[dseig001]

My wife's 38 ss did this twice and my 42 ss did once. We think it might be related to our long bike rides and sunblock

 

[OH!MAC™]

 

[warburg]

My wife's 38 ss did this twice and my 42 ss did once. We think it might be related to our long bike rides and sunblock

I don't think so. My wife is 77 years old and doesn't take bike rides or use sun block.

 

[ttate90303]

Wow, not alone I see here. Mine just pulled off while on the charger - heard a click when I tried to remove it. Purchased at launch last year and have AppleCare so I put in a Genius Bar ticket for local Apple Store.

UPDATE: Dropped off the watch with the 'self-ejecting' back during the 3/22 Genuis Bar appointment and they had me unlink from my iPhone and shipped it off to the depot for repair/replacement and said it would be 3 to 5 days for it to return.

 

[douglasf13]

My wife's 38 ss did this twice and my 42 ss did once. We think it might be related to our long bike rides and sunblock

I was wondering if it could be perspiration or sunblock buildup. My wife works out in her watch and wears a lot of sunblock, but rarely rinses the watch off, and her back fell out. I shower with my watch nearly every day, removing it from my wrist and cleaning it while in the shower, and I've had no issues.

 

[dannyyankou]

The back cover has detached from the body of the watch exposing wires. We are going to the Genus Bar. Has this happened to anyone else?

UPDATE. Our visit to the Genius Bar proved to me, once again, that not all geniuses are created equal. I requested immediate replacement under Apple Care. No go. They insisted on sending it out to the depot for a decision to either repair or replace. One Genius had an interesting theory, however. He said that batteries sometimes start to expand--either pushing out the front or back of the Apple Watch. I will post again when we get more info from the depot.

UPDATE #2. Apple came through, just like they usually do. We left the watch at the Genus Bar on Friday, and received a phone call the following Tuesday advising us that Apple had decided to replace the watch and we could pick it up. Now my wife has a shinny new watch and we are all happy again.

I've brought my watch two separate times and they went through the same procedure. They couldn't replace it right away, they had to send it somewhere to either repair or replace it if it's irreparable. They replaced it both times.

 

[warburg]

The back of my my wife's second SS 38mm Apple Watch fell off. The first time they replaced it. This time they just repaired it.

 

[Speechless]

This is some scary ****

 

[ulinerg]

Bad morning! The back just fell off on my 38mm SS watch as I pulled it off the charger. I have had the watch for close to 13 months. Fortunately I got AppleCare+ on it. Waiting for the Apple Support phone line to be available.

Update:
Apple Support is shipping a replacement. Should be here today or tomorrow. Here is a picture of the back occur watch. You can see a ring that is either a seal or a head of glue.

 

[Hillshock]

Bad morning for me as well. My 38mm SS watch sensor stuck to the charger when I went to put it on. Of course my warranty expired on May 20th. Luckily I have Apple Care. No Apple Store in my city, so they are putting a hold on my credit card and shipping a watch for me to use while they repair it.

 

[warburg]

Bad morning for me as well. My 38mm SS watch sensor stuck to the charger when I went to put it on. Of course my warranty expired on May 20th. Luckily I have Apple Care. No Apple Store in my city, so they are putting a hold on my credit card and shipping a watch for me to use while they repair it.

My wife has had four new 38 mm SS Apple Watches in less than a year, all because the backs of three of them fell off. When she took the second one to the Apple store, they said that they would send it out for repair, but in the end they gave her a new watch. With the third new watch she was also given, free of charge, the latest version of the charger in the hope that it wouldn't happen again, but our faith has become weak.

I have a 42mm Stainless Steel model, bought at the same time as my wife's, but nothing has happened to it.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

My wife has had four new 38 mm SS Apple Watches in less than a year, all because the backs of three of them fell off. When she took the second one to the Apple store, they said that they would send it out for repair, but in the end they gave her a new watch. With the third new watch she was also given, free of charge, the latest version of the charger in the hope that it wouldn't happen again, but our faith has become weak.

Highly unlikely that she'd happen to get three AW with defects (defective glue holding the back, etc.) in a row. Sounds like the charger is the culprit. It might be overheating it to the point as to severely weaken the glue so keep us posted.

 

[testcard]

My wife has had four new 38 mm SS Apple Watches in less than a year, all because the backs of three of them fell off. When she took the second one to the Apple store, they said that they would send it out for repair, but in the end they gave her a new watch. With the third new watch she was also given, free of charge, the latest version of the charger in the hope that it wouldn't happen again, but our faith has become weak.

I have a 42mm Stainless Steel model, bought at the same time as my wife's, but nothing has happened to it.

Are you both sharing the same charger, or different ones?

 

[tom504]

If this happens outside of warranty (which won't be any sooner than April) -- will any of you just glue it back together on your own?

Yep. Hopefully I would find a video showing best way to do it. But knowing me I would use it as an excuse to buy the new one when it comes out.