Mine was/is *not* the stainless steel edition. I’ve never polished it with any substance other than a slightly damp towel.
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Swimming Killed My Series 4 Watch
- Thread starter Ambulater
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You are right that it is my first post. I often read MacRumors, but never felt the need to contribute before this situation happened. So no, I can't prove it, but Apple really is denying a replacement because they said I was in the water too long.
How long? Days? Weeks? I'm sorry but this is just nonsense from them if they are saying this. Try and get to the next level above of customer services.
I would think all you would have to do is show them this ad from their own You Tube channel.
Literally an hour in a 3 foot pool. The person at the Genius Bar appointment said that when you’re swimming, you’re hands aren’t really submerged in the water. And that it’s 30 minutes for 1 m water resistant (which isn’t even true for the S4). I had looked it up after the fact though, when I should’ve argued that in store.
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No, mines the space grey S4. So aluminum? Not SS. And I don’t polish it. Good thought though
[doublepost=1561415123][/doublepost]The last thing I’ve done is called Apple support and asked to be elevated. This level 2 person agreed to let me mail it in as under warranty, but still said if there’s water damage found, they’ll let me know and it’ll be $299. So I’m currently waiting for the mail in kit for my watch. If they call about water damage, do I just keep asking to be escalated? Or is there another department I could ask for?
It shouldn’t. Just because one watch experiences a problem, doesn’t mean the next Apple watch will. The Apple Watch can be used in the ocean or lakes of such, the key is also make sure you thoroughly rinse it off went through using it in salt water, followed by drying it off.
the apple watch has been fairly water proof from the first revision but got better over time and became officially water proof since series 3. The trouble i've had is using it in the sea, the salt in the water and the sand on the beach scratch the screen up real bad. Swimming pool should be ok though and the chlorine should help.
It has an increased water resistance rating. It’s not waterproof. They aren’t the same thing. The latter is typically a misnomer.
Something similar happened to me. Went for a swim in a shallow pool, not even 20 minutes, and my watch Digital Crown started to act up by not responding or vibrating. After a couple of minutes, the watch began to boot in and off continuously and I couldn’t get passed that stage. Fast forward 48hrs later, the watch successfully turned on but the Digital Crown is literally crazy. It keeps activating Siri even when I’m not pressing it and it keeps going home and back to the watch face.
Another thing I noticed is that the battery life has been horrendous. I took it out of the charger but didn’t use it for about nine hours. When I came back, the watch was at 27% and died on me before the end of the night. I typically end the night with around 65% (with heavy use to moderate use). (I don’t have the LtE version).
When I take it to Apple, I’m not sure if I should just say that it was submerged in water, as I don’t have AC+ but am in warranty, or just claim that the crown stopped no working. If they discover liquid, I’ll just say that I ran it under tap water as it said in their website.
Another thing I noticed is that the battery life has been horrendous. I took it out of the charger but didn’t use it for about nine hours. When I came back, the watch was at 27% and died on me before the end of the night. I typically end the night with around 65% (with heavy use to moderate use). (I don’t have the LtE version).
When I take it to Apple, I’m not sure if I should just say that it was submerged in water, as I don’t have AC+ but am in warranty, or just claim that the crown stopped no working. If they discover liquid, I’ll just say that I ran it under tap water as it said in their website.
I would just tell them the truth. You swam laps in a lap pool for 20 minutes. The series 4 is rated for that, has a built in lap swim work out, and is advertised for such use. They should honor the warranty if it malfunctioned when being used as intended and advertised.
Actually, Apple has to honor the warranty, it’s not even a matter if they ‘should’. The watch is rated for 50 m water resistance, if somebody was using it in a pool and it failed, that’s not their fault, and Apple will replace it, because this exact same situation has happened many times to other members, where their watches were replaced as well.
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Hey all - fan of the Forums and this site for a while, but new to posting with this issue. I had *exactly* the same experience. 6 weeks into owning my Apple Series 4 watch (after a year and a half of Series 3 with no trouble), I was swimming with my kids in a backyard pool, water workout mode and all engaged. About 40 minutes after getting out of the pool I noticed the watch was completely dead. When I got it on the charger, it would fire up with the Apple logo for a few seconds, then go dark, then the logo came back on , then dark - repeat. A trip to the Apple store and a quick diagnosis showing no external damage resulted in a zero-cost in-warranty replacement. They must be having some occasional seal issues in manufacturing - but Apple seems quite willing to make the replacement.
Yes, it does appear there are some units with defective seals. I had no problem at all getting my replaced...as in your case, there was no external damage, it was new, and I was using it exactly as advertised.
I had my watch turn to toast after cycling in the rain, it was only 11 weeks old, I took it to the local Apple store and was told water damage is not covered under any circumstances!
At the very least they should have offered to send the watch off for inspection/testing and report back as to whether a warranty claim was valid after all I'm sure not 100% of any product manufactured in those sorts of volumes is assembled correctly and a quantity however small will be defective.
And here in the UK I believe under consumer law the onus is on them to prove misuse not for the consumer to prove they haven't misused the product.
And searching the web it seems to be a common theme with Apple phones and watches that are marketed as water resistant.
Anyway to cut a long story short I contacted Apple Support on line and was told initially that it wasn't covered I expressed surprise and dissatisfaction with this at which point she checked again and came back and told me it should be covered! And would get a senior advisor to contact me which they duly did and after sending pictures to them proving the watch had no visible signs of damage, she arranged to get the watch couriered back to Apple and after inspection they are replacing the watch FOC.
Maybe it's because of consumer law here in the UK I'm not sure but if you feel you are justified I'd suggest that you escalate this if you find yourself in the same position and not just accept an arbitrary decision.
How they can refuse claims for water damage when you view the release video is beyond me!
Not that it came to it but I was quite prepared to initiate a claim through the small claims court under consumer law.
At the very least they should have offered to send the watch off for inspection/testing and report back as to whether a warranty claim was valid after all I'm sure not 100% of any product manufactured in those sorts of volumes is assembled correctly and a quantity however small will be defective.
And here in the UK I believe under consumer law the onus is on them to prove misuse not for the consumer to prove they haven't misused the product.
And searching the web it seems to be a common theme with Apple phones and watches that are marketed as water resistant.
Anyway to cut a long story short I contacted Apple Support on line and was told initially that it wasn't covered I expressed surprise and dissatisfaction with this at which point she checked again and came back and told me it should be covered! And would get a senior advisor to contact me which they duly did and after sending pictures to them proving the watch had no visible signs of damage, she arranged to get the watch couriered back to Apple and after inspection they are replacing the watch FOC.
Maybe it's because of consumer law here in the UK I'm not sure but if you feel you are justified I'd suggest that you escalate this if you find yourself in the same position and not just accept an arbitrary decision.
How they can refuse claims for water damage when you view the release video is beyond me!
Not that it came to it but I was quite prepared to initiate a claim through the small claims court under consumer law.
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I've spent tons of time in the lake with my S4 last year (and S3 the year before); swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, jetskiing, etc. Plus regular post-workout shower with the watches. Never a single issue.
I swim and even shower in mine without issue. If the Apple Watch dies while using it to swim you're 100% covered. If any Apple store gives you grief then escalate it to corporate. They'll fix it/replace it unless there is physical damage.
This isn’t quite correct. The other thing water lock does is, when you unlock it causes the speaker to emit a tone which helps eject any water in there.
Kind of shocks me when things like this happen to watches that are suppose to be made for swimming workouts. Probably manufacturing error though. I had a Series 0 Apple Watch for 4 years before I just upgraded. My work is around a lot of water year round and some how over those 4 years, hot water getting sprayed on it as well as being used in pools and lakes I never had a single issue with my Series 0 entering water with only splash resistance. It maybe wore on the battery a bit and made it drain faster but the Series 0 never died completely from it and still is in use today with a family member.
As will all things there will be the odd one that has a manufacturing defect, that's to be expected, my biggest issue was the way the apple store point blank refused to even consider a warranty claim!
Thankfully once I contacted Apple on line and spoke to a senior advisor it got replace under warranty and quickly!
I felt so strongly about the way the store dealt with it, that I have written to Apple to complain (most unlike me this is the first time in my 57 years on this planet that I have felt strongly enough to do so!)
Thankfully once I contacted Apple on line and spoke to a senior advisor it got replace under warranty and quickly!
I felt so strongly about the way the store dealt with it, that I have written to Apple to complain (most unlike me this is the first time in my 57 years on this planet that I have felt strongly enough to do so!)
My first thought about this is regarding polishing SS versions of the watch ... does it possibly degrade the seal that make is water resistant?