iPhone 7 Plus Red Potential Defect Seal around screen/metal zone

[xsimplyjosh]

Hello all,

Long story short, I purchased the Red iPhone 7+ today for my girlfriend. [28th March 2017].

My girlfriend was walking with the phone in her hand on the way home and the water sprinkler came on instantly and she was unfortunate to get hit by the sprinkler water. In hopes she ran away quickly with the phone catching some of that water spray and as she dried it up with a microfibre cloth and whilst that happened, her phone started exhibiting some liquid penetration in the LCD screen [some water marks] and as of now me writing this message she's reporting to me her phone is not working and is unable to power on less than 10 hours... (Unfortunate)

(2) I have been through an accidental spill of tap water on my iPhone 7+ by knocking the glass on top on my iPhone 7+ a few months ago and my phone was still functioning perfectly [had my iPhone 7+ since launch day and still perfect as of today].

What I'm seeing now is that there's a problem with the seals initially because such a little water spray from a sprinkler [not high pressure] shouldn't cause given how apple did mention liquid damage not covered under warranty,

My question is this, should I raise questions to Apple regarding a hardware/manufacturing defect initially [bad seal?] or should I/my gf be liable for the out of warranty costs just because of an incident like this which is in less the time span of 10 hours...

Kinda lost and confused now because that's 1419AUD down the drain in less than 10 hours...

- Josh

 

[Stevessvt]

Well if you never ask Apple for help, you're definitely eating the money. I'd go in, explain the situation, calmly, and hope for the best.

 

[keysofanxiety]

It doesn't hurt to ask and see what options they can offer you. It's only ten hours old. Hopefully they'll be a little understanding.

However the water protection is just to provide some reassurance that if there is an accident involving water, it's less likely to bugger the phone. They provide no assurances that it will withstand this. Liquid damage just won't be covered under warranty, no matter how little water the accident involved.

If they have AppleCare+, you can get it fixed for a small fee through that. Otherwise I doubt there's much that can be done.

 

[44267547]

Hello all,

Long story short, I purchased the Red iPhone 7+ today for my girlfriend. [28th March 2017].

My girlfriend was walking with the phone in her hand on the way home and the water sprinkler came on instantly and she was unfortunate to get hit by the sprinkler water. In hopes she ran away quickly with the phone catching some of that water spray and as she dried it up with a microfibre cloth and whilst that happened, her phone started exhibiting some liquid penetration in the LCD screen [some water marks] and as of now me writing this message she's reporting to me her phone is not working and is unable to power on less than 10 hours... (Unfortunate)

(2) I have been through an accidental spill of tap water on my iPhone 7+ by knocking the glass on top on my iPhone 7+ a few months ago and my phone was still functioning perfectly [had my iPhone 7+ since launch day and still perfect as of today].

What I'm seeing now is that there's a problem with the seals initially because such a little water spray from a sprinkler [not high pressure] shouldn't cause given how apple did mention liquid damage not covered under warranty,

My question is this, should I raise questions to Apple regarding a hardware/manufacturing defect initially [bad seal?] or should I/my gf be liable for the out of warranty costs just because of an incident like this which is in less the time span of 10 hours...

Kinda lost and confused now because that's 1419AUD down the drain in less than 10 hours...

- Josh

They may make an exception being it's under ten hours old. However, It's still considered water damage, which is not covered, even if it was a freak accident in your situation. Unless you have AppleCare, which can assist in repair costs.

Even if you wanted to claim the iPhone has a defective seal, Unfortunately, anyone that has water damage could essentially make the same claim or make something up. There has to be a line drawn somewhere. And I believe what you're saying, it's just to many variables what someone can claim. Good luck in your situation.

 

[jhearty99]

Thats awful. With most companies, and certainly with Apple, I have learned that it all depends on who you deal with when you get to the store. So go in and explain your story and hopefully they offer to help you out. Ive dropped an iPhone in the toilet and brought it in and the genius bar associate felt bad and was able to replace it no charge and Ive also had to pay for replacements. Pretty hit or miss.

 

[xsimplyjosh]

Thanks everyone for the replies

I am very aware of apple not covering liquid dmg under warranty as i can see their point of view if everyone tried dunkin their phones and they all broke and tried to ask for a compensation/free/discounted replacement by being just under limits (a dubious claim) then apples liability costs would be very high and unsustainable as people would abuse this to their extent which is why i can understand they wont cover liquid damage under warranty.

However in my case we are just talking about a purchase over 10+ hours which is why i brought it up. If i did damage my phone then yes i will be willing to pay costs as its my personal infliction, however its kinda unusual for a bit of water sprinkler from reticulation to cause obvious lcd damage which leads me to believe the seals arent proper... given ive fared slightly worse than the above quoted incident like spilling a glass of water and still perfect since sept 2016... normally the seals will wear and tear over time which is to be expected for any electronic or consumer device...

but for a brand new product today it somewhat doesnt seem right. Thats my personal gripe over the issue...

I did book in apple repair support to discuss the issue hopefully things will go well (10 more hours left till appt)

 

[macTW]

Hello all,

Long story short, I purchased the Red iPhone 7+ today for my girlfriend. [28th March 2017].

My girlfriend was walking with the phone in her hand on the way home and the water sprinkler came on instantly and she was unfortunate to get hit by the sprinkler water. In hopes she ran away quickly with the phone catching some of that water spray and as she dried it up with a microfibre cloth and whilst that happened, her phone started exhibiting some liquid penetration in the LCD screen [some water marks] and as of now me writing this message she's reporting to me her phone is not working and is unable to power on less than 10 hours... (Unfortunate)

(2) I have been through an accidental spill of tap water on my iPhone 7+ by knocking the glass on top on my iPhone 7+ a few months ago and my phone was still functioning perfectly [had my iPhone 7+ since launch day and still perfect as of today].

What I'm seeing now is that there's a problem with the seals initially because such a little water spray from a sprinkler [not high pressure] shouldn't cause given how apple did mention liquid damage not covered under warranty,

My question is this, should I raise questions to Apple regarding a hardware/manufacturing defect initially [bad seal?] or should I/my gf be liable for the out of warranty costs just because of an incident like this which is in less the time span of 10 hours...

Kinda lost and confused now because that's 1419AUD down the drain in less than 10 hours...

- Josh

No pics...? Mmmmmm

 

[JD2015]

Take in to Apple and explain your situation. They are pretty good about things. Sooner the better really.

 

[bufffilm]

Keep us posted on outcome...good luck.

The poster who asked for pics....really?! Sheesh!

 

[xsimplyjosh]

Hi everyone
Good news, had the appointment, maybe a 10-15minute wait from actual appointment scheduled but i wasnt complaining given how busy it was inside. Early in the morning

Verdict: they just exchanged the phone for a brand new 7+ Red 128gb and acknowledged the fault within the top as they can see it. They said i was not liable for any cost involved as it was a manufacturing defect and professional to address it.

Overall im very happy, didnt have to pay a fee and im glad it was handled well knowing it wasnt done intentionally but more an unforunate incident

 

[farfromovin]

Apple has a good rep from what I've seen on warranties compared to the competition. Good advice in this thread, calmly explain the truth and leave it up to them. I think more often than not they'll take care of you.

 

[Makendu]

I'm really confused why no one has mentioned the phone is water resistant lmao. The phone should not be broken they should refund you for a defective product

 

[xsimplyjosh]

Apple has a good rep from what I've seen on warranties compared to the competition. Good advice in this thread, calmly explain the truth and leave it up to them. I think more often than not they'll take care of you.

Being honest is key and i think the fact it was less than 2/3 days old since the issue happen probably helped. I guess it would suck if your phone died on the 1st day unusually... Obviously if I did report this incident delay and later, it would probably have resulted in an actual charge/fee.

Lying is not the solution, they can see it when you hesitate too much or are saying thing too good to be true and they are less likely to comply and listen well if done so...

 

[daytonaviolet]

I'm really confused why no one has mentioned the phone is water resistant lmao. The phone should not be broken they should refund you for a defective product

i was going to ask the same thing. there is no doubt in my mind that apple would simply exchange it. the quote below is taken from the Apple site.

iPhone 7 reaches a new level of innovation and precision. The jet black finish is like nothing we’ve ever made. The enclosure is splash and water resistant. The Home button is completely reengineered. And with a new unibody design that’s seamless to the touch, iPhone 7 feels as amazing as it looks.

 

[jhearty99]

I'm really confused why no one has mentioned the phone is water resistant lmao. The phone should not be broken they should refund you for a defective product

i was going to ask the same thing. there is no doubt in my mind that apple would simply exchange it. the quote below is taken from the Apple site.

And it also says "Liquid damage not covered under warranty". The phone is water resistant, not water proof. So if they did not determine it to be a manufacturer defect, they were not obligated to do anything about it.

Glad it worked out for you OP.

 

[daijholt]

Sounded like a defect to me also. I've poured entire bottles of water over the iphone 7 and no issue. Splash from a sprinkler would cause zero damage if the seals were functioning correctly. Glad they looked after you. If you're honest and calm, generally they'll do what they can.

 

[its93rc]

I've showered/swam with my iPhone 7 Plus and nothing happened except for the speaker audio cracking for a few minutes. Your girlfriend had an iPhone with a defect; I'm glad it happened on the first day or they wouldn't have had replaced it so easily.

 

[xsimplyjosh]

I've showered/swam with my iPhone 7 Plus and nothing happened except for the speaker audio cracking for a few minutes. Your girlfriend had an iPhone with a defect; I'm glad it happened on the first day or they wouldn't have had replaced it so easily.

Yea it was defective as I saw obvious signs of water leaking into the LCD panel and into the camera module [which is usually not possible unless you severely damaged your phone to the extent where the seal is broken/worn out]

Lucky booking appointment with apple was flawless with so much variety in timeslots given it was not the weekend* ^_^ The audio/speaker is bound to muffle because thats how the sound comes out which im ok with that and 101% aware of it... but for water to get into the delicate components via the top portion where glass meets metal doesnt seem right for a brand new product...

i was going to ask the same thing. there is no doubt in my mind that apple would simply exchange it. the quote below is taken from the Apple site.

The guy who spoke to me told me after a bit of inspection it was a manufacturing defect and should not have happened as it was a rare case... At least they acknowledge it which is good form. I mean my actual 7+ has been through what its93rc spoke about ^ [minus the swimming bit] ^_^ and its still fine. But this was a very rare case for it to have a bit of sprinkler water ingress into LCD panel & shut down after a minor exposure in comparison to the above quote where the poster dunked it.