Repair Period for First-Gen Apple Watches With Battery Issues Extended to 3 Years

[[AUT] Thomas]

lol... it's a feature! Battery Health Monitoring as hardware implementation... amazing!

Q: How do I know my Apple Watch Battery needs servicing?
A: It will pop open and show you the battery

Seriously... anything that has that short battery life will accumulate a lot of cycles in a short time. Typically, Lithium Cobalt Oxide (commonly known as LCO) are done after 500-1000 cycles. Other chemistry, most notably Lithium NMC, can double that and is more safe in operation and can deal better with high currents (quick charge!).
Yet, even Boeing was stupid enough to choose LCO over safer technology (in the aviation one could expect LFP), which grounded the entire 787 fleet. The Note 7 disaster was just another good example why use of LCO should be discontinued preferably asap. The good news here is, that thanks to Tesla and other e-car manufacturers (who realize that LCO is not state of the art), other chemistry is more widely used.

 

[44267547]

No, hers was out of warranty and didn't have AppleCare. I figured she'd be gentle on it.

I've always found Apple support to be amazing. A couple of years ago they replaced my iPhone 6+. I didn't ask them to, was in the Apple Store chatting away and happened to mention my mute switch was slightly loose. Not broken, not even particularly annoying. But the guy asked to see it and on the spot just said, I'll give you a new phone. That was out of warranty and didn't have AppleCare either.
I felt oddly guilty about it, there was no real need for them to replace it. But they refused my attempts to offer them money for it.

Those aren't even the only good experiences I've had with them, it's one of the things that keeps me an Apple customer. Though I do always buy AppleCare now.

Excellent story. And this is why I choose to Apple for two reasons. They make a premium product with their hardware AND they have always stood behind their products when I encountered issues when they didn't have to. Service is equally important as hardware, especially when you trust the manufacturer.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

But if your screen falls off like mine did, you can go F yourself. $249
[doublepost=1493512789][/doublepost]

Actually, they did.
That issue is covered under another internal repair program, but only for two years.

But no repair program for the watch face doing the same thing? Infuriating.
[doublepost=1493512937][/doublepost]

Excellent story. And this is why I choose to Apple for two reasons. They make a premium product with their hardware AND they have always stood behind their products when I encountered issues when they didn't have to. Service is equally important as hardware, especially when you trust the manufacturer.

I have never had Apple agree to comp me for an out of warranty repair, even after I remind them of the massive amounts of money I have spent on their products over the years. In my experience they do not give a rats ass.

 

[44267547]

But if your screen falls off like mine did, you can go F yourself. $249
[doublepost=1493512789][/doublepost]
But no repair program for the watch face doing the same thing? Infuriating.
[doublepost=1493512937][/doublepost]

I have never had Apple agree to comp me for an out of warranty repair, even after I remind them of the massive amounts of money I have spent on their products over the years. In my experience they do not give a rats ass.

That's unfortunate. However, reminding them about the massive amounts of money you spend isn't going to influence a manufacturer to cover Your hardware issues.

Sometimes I think it's about respect and considering the circumstances surrounding the issue to begin with (Which not all problems are rectified to our liking). And my situation(s) have never ended on a negative note such as yours. I think it's important to realize everyone's situation is different and Store experiences will vary. Mine have been nothing but positive and in MY opinion, Apple does care.

 

[TheHotdog]

But if your screen falls off like mine did, you can go F yourself. $249
[doublepost=1493512789][/doublepost]
But no repair program for the watch face doing the same thing? Infuriating.
[doublepost=1493512937][/doublepost]

I have never had Apple agree to comp me for an out of warranty repair, even after I remind them of the massive amounts of money I have spent on their products over the years. In my experience they do not give a rats ass.

You sound triggered, son

 

[128KMac]

I thought the front seal failed due to body oil/sweat (although I don't get it wet or wear it for exercise besides walking and I don't use skin creams, etc.). Didn't ever imagine it was a swollen battery issue. Happened while at my desk. Tapped the screen to wake up and it had a hollow thunk. On inspection I saw the seal on mine failed at the top, right and bottom and the display was attached only on the left like a cover on a book (this seems at odds with other's pics showing it only attached on the top like a note pad.)

My Series-0, 42mm Al sport, Watch was 21m/o w/o Care. The sr Care guy was on his way to telling me what the replacement cost would be. I stopped him and said I didn't pay ca 700$ for a watch to throw its crystal like this. I still have a Timex Boy Scout watch I bought in 1976 that I wore like crazy and it never threw its crystal. He shifted gears and remembered that in Europe there is a 2y warranty and, voila!, Apple would replace it for free!

We had quite a long discussion about the issue. He said and then repeated he had never ever seen something of this sort. He also promised I wouldn't see this problem again.

Although I love my watch, I have to say that I'm disappointed by many aspects of this issue and I have unease that a) this will happen again in another two years, and b) that the nearly dozen or so people I talked into getting a watch will have such a problem and I'll look like a dick for having talked them into buying them.

Attached is a pic of my failed watch.

I really think your explanation about body oil and sweat is the most likely explanation - but it boggles my mind that Apple would market this as an activity/sports watch and have not considered that active, "sporty" people sweat and are out in all kinds of nasty-ass weather, and designed accordingly. The other thing that might be involved is the heat from over-charging (using a 10 or more watt charger instead of the little 3 or 5 watt cubes).

 

[charlituna]

This happened to mine a few weeks ago, they replaced it, didn't have AppleCare either.

Yep. as I understand it from friends who work at Apple, no one (at least in the US) has paid for this issue or for a front glass popping off without damage. in part because Apple had no idea why the glass was just popping off and so they attributed it to perhaps faulty adhesives. same with the backs that were popping off. Now they have discovered that in some cases its a swollen battery. which they cover for 2 years from date of purchase on phones even if you don't have Apple Care.
[doublepost=1493519833][/doublepost]

I've researched it numerous times and haven't found anything in regard to a repair program.

not all programs are publicly listed. because Apple doesn't want folks to come running in to get a fix claiming the program. Ones that aren't tied to a specific serial number in particular aren't always announced.

 

[Eugene]

How can it be rare when two posters on this site have photographic evidence of it happening? I bet less than 0.1% of Apple Watch owners are even aware of this site.

People don't post the status quo. I also don't really consider myself a member of these forums, though I've had the account forever. In my specific case, I rarely use my watch except as a piece of jewelry when going out in public. That means it spends most of the time on the charger base. This might caused an overcharging scenario, but chargers and devices should be smart enough to shut off, no trickle or even purposefully discharge.

 

[George Dawes]

by gen 5 this thing might actually be worth buying

hopefully by then the battery will last a week and it'll do something useful like read your blood pressure or act like a mini iphone ( without having to have an iphone near it - doh ! )

a price drop would help too

 

[44267547]

hopefully by then the battery will last a week and it'll do something useful like read your blood pressure or act like a mini iphone

a price drop would help too

Number one, Apple already has reduced the price with Series one for the Sport model at $269 from when it first started off at $350/$400, which was the base model for the first generation Apple Watch.

You sound ignorant with what the Apple Watch already does from your previous post. The Apple Watch acts as a "Mini iPhone" , which is an intercessor from the iPhone and is a direct reflection of with messages, E-mails, calls, third party application notifications.

https://www.apple.com/apple-watch-series-2/

 

[Tech198]

generous of Apple

 

[Pattaya]

it's one of the things that keeps me an Apple customer. .

it's only my experiences in the Tokyo Apple store that keep me from flipping too.

 

[apolloa]

I wouldn't trust eBay, they have a major iCloud lock epidemic with Apple devices. Use Swappa, it's an amazing site and iCloud locked devices are banned.

Thanks for the info, I'll have a look at Swappa and see what the prices are like through the rest of the year.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

You sound triggered, son

Totally.
[doublepost=1493561471][/doublepost]

That's unfortunate. However, reminding them about the massive amounts of money you spend isn't going to influence a manufacturer to cover Your hardware issues.

Sometimes I think it's about respect and considering the circumstances surrounding the issue to begin with (Which not all problems are rectified to our liking). And my situation(s) have never ended on a negative note such as yours. I think it's important to realize everyone's situation is different and Store experiences will vary. Mine have been nothing but positive and in MY opinion, Apple does care.

Really? I have far better luck with any other company. Except Ray bans. Screw those guys.

It's good business to take care of your best customers. A token gesture here and there keeps them happy and keeps them saying good things about your products. Most companies get this.

 

[DotCom2]

Good news. Unlike the iPhone which I've upgraded every year. There hasn't been anything significant to make me want to upgrade watch yet

Yeah, Im waiting to see what gen 3 brings.
[doublepost=1493566755][/doublepost]I wonder if one of theses could explode while wearing?
Sounds of Samsung...

 

[mistafro]

1st gen Apple Watch, been swimming in the ocean (salt water), gone in hot tubs, showers etc etc and still going strong!

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Happened to my iPhone 5. Apple didn't replace it so I had to buy a new iPhone

 

[kdarling]

I really think your explanation about body oil and sweat is the most likely explanation -

Doubtful. I think he was just saying that that he had originally thought his was caused by sweat.

but it boggles my mind that Apple would market this as an activity/sports watch and have not considered that active, "sporty" people sweat and are out in all kinds of nasty-ass weather, and designed accordingly.

Apple has recently said that they create artificial sweat to make sure the Apple Watch and its bands do not transfer too much nickel. Not sure they test gaskets with it though

The other thing that might be involved is the heat from over-charging (using a 10 or more watt charger instead of the little 3 or 5 watt cubes).

I think that's more likely. Or even regular charging.

It's long been known that the sensor pod can be pushed out by a swelling battery. It sounds like when the pod glue is good enough, then it pushes out the front instead!

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I feel like my battery is about to bite the dust. Last night it dropped 40% just sitting on my nightstand.

Try re-booting. Might fix it.

 

[44267547]

Totally.
[doublepost=1493561471][/doublepost]

Really? I have far better luck with any other company. Except Ray bans. Screw those guys.

It's good business to take care of your best customers. A token gesture here and there keeps them happy and keeps them saying good things about your products. Most companies get this.

Yes, really. Years ago I worked for a company their marketing department purchased $25,000 worth of IMacs. Just because of the dollar amount that company spends on IMacs, should they receive any type of other special service over any other customer? No. Perhaps other companies may treat their customers differently, but Apple doesn't rely just on how much somebody spends, it should be based on their satisfaction and addressing concerns if something does arise. Again, your experiences are not everybody else's, therefore it does not come down to special treatment. Even if you believe it should, Apple doesn't operate that way.

 

[lec0rsaire]

Must kinda suck for the ones that bought gold ones.

If they paid $10-20k w/tax for a gold Apple Watch and they aren't millionaires I have no sympathy at all for them. Everyone knew that a smart watch, especially a first generation one, was a disposable device with a very limited life span from the start. Having a gold case didn't make it more special,valuable nor collectable. Hell gold watches in general depreciate heavily except for specific brands and models. For those whom that money is change they got exactly what they paid for. Everyone else dumb enough to have bought one instead of a SS sports Rolex hopefully learned something. The melt value might be around $800 if they're lucky, while the Rolex would still have 80-90% of its value if bought new and nearly 100% or more if bought used. Even SS Apple watches are a bad buy. The sport provides the tech and at $400 or less and you get what you pay for over 2-3 years.
[doublepost=1493593717][/doublepost]

The Swiss watch industry IS worried.

White papers from the Swiss government and Deloitte show wrist wearables have had a significant deleterious effect on the industry.

When the Watch launched my prediction was the Swiss would see a ca 25% loss in 2 years; AFAIK they have lost more than 20%. I'm still thinking they will have no significant growth anymore while their share of the market will dwindle to about half.
[doublepost=1493467173][/doublepost]
Once a battery fails and exposes itself, the opportunity exists for a customer to start poking around. With lithium batteries this is a very bad invitation as poking around risks penetrating the battery seal and starting a fire.

The Swiss watch industry has seen a decline because of slowdowns in China and other markets that were buying luxury goods like crazy, not because of smart watches. For the high-end mechanical watch buyer, a smart watch is just a fitness accessory. Not even quartz could kill the industry. Buyers are attracted to the craft, tradition and the status that are associated with these watches. Besides demand for Rolex, Patek and AP is as high as ever with 4-5 yr wait lists for hot models. It's the others that have seen a decline in revenue.

 

[44267547]

People don't post the status quo. I also don't really consider myself a member of these forums, though I've had the account forever. In my specific case, I rarely use my watch except as a piece of jewelry when going out in public. That means it spends most of the time on the charger base. This might caused an overcharging scenario, but chargers and devices should be smart enough to shut off, no trickle or even purposefully discharge.

The Apple Watch users inductive charging. It cannot overcharge and it was designed to be left on the charger overnight for "Nightstand" mode and charging for longer amounts of periods. It's Similar to the iPhone that uses trickle charging and has circuitry built in that prevents over charging the Apple Watch.

 

[George Dawes]

Agree with the last comment 100%

 

[mdelvecchio]

Result of using cheap offshore batteries to increase profit.

what an absurdly silly thing to say. 1) this is a very rare issue, 2) whatever phone you have in your pocket uses an "offshore" battery, 3) it's cool that apple is extending warranty coverage for all AW owners.

low-value post.

 

[ZEEN0j]

Happened to my stainless steel first gen a couple of weeks ago. The genius looked at it for a couple of seconds and said it was probably the battery that got swollen. They sent it away and I got a refurbished watch 6 days later. Glad they've increased the warranty for that issue.