iPhone 8/Plus water damaged after battery replacement.

[richb330]

Thoughts requested on this problem.

I've had an iphone 8 plus for about a year and had no problems with it, especially near water. Taking it in the bath, hot tub not being particularly careful near any water really. In december the battery was nearing 90% capacity so i thought i'd get it replaced as the discounted replacement program was coming to an end and i wanted to keep the phone for another couple of years.

I sent it to Apple and received it back a couple of days later with an Applecare service warranty card. battery capacity is now reading 100%! Happy days.

So i carried on as I had been. I introduced it first time to water last week and the phone is water logged! the home button became unresponsive, i've got water streaks under the display, the speaker is muffled and most annoyingly, there's condensation in the camera lense.

The waterproof integrity was fine before i had the battery replaced, and now it's failed. I've got a Genius bar appointment next week to argue for a replacement but wanted thoughts on how i should approach this with Apple?

 

[Coxy]

A friend had a very similar issue. iPhone 7, smashed screen replaced at Apple Store. 2 weeks later whilst using it in the shower (as had done for well over a year) it died.
It took him an age to get to the store but when he did he calmly/kindly placed the blame on Apple. The store was sympathetic and replaced the whole handset.

I think it will come down to manager discretion, you may struggle as it didn’t go to a store originally though.

Edit: to add, he had just spent A$250 for a screen replacement, whereas I guess you “only” spent £25 on a battery.

 

[Newtons Apple]

How did you “introduce it to water last week”?

 

[richb330]

How did you “introduce it to water last week”?

Same as usual i.e no different activity that i subjected the phone to before the battery change, it was on the side of the bath and most likely got covered in water for a short time.

'introduced it to water' means just general use. i bought the 8 because i knew it would be around water, not scuba diving or swimming with it in my pocket but simply be in the shower or bath, maybe survive an accidental drop into a hot tub, that kind of thing.. i didn't want a water proof case around it adding to the bulk, but would have had if i'd been warned it was susceptible to water damage.

The issue is that it was fine before the battery replacement but it seems the waterproofing has been compromised by Apple during the work.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Putting your phone near water, regardless whether or not it’s water resistant, is called “tempting fate”. Liquid damage isn’t covered by warranty.

You’ve further exacerbated the problem by putting it near hot tubs and steamy showers. As you may know, water vapour is a gaseous state, which means this can penetrate a device in a way that
liquid does not.

It could have failed at any time based on your usage. Ultimately if you haven’t got AppleCare, there’s not much you can do to get it fixed at a reasonable cost.

Don’t use your phone around water.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Same as usual i.e no different activity that i subjected the phone to before the battery change, it was on the side of the bath and most likely got covered in water for a short time.

'introduced it to water' means just general use. i bought the 8 because i knew it would be around water, not scuba diving or swimming with it in my pocket but simply be in the shower or bath, maybe survive an accidental drop into a hot tub, that kind of thing.. i didn't want a water proof case around it adding to the bulk, but would have had if i'd been warned it was susceptible to water damage.

The issue is that it was fine before the battery replacement but it seems the waterproofing has been compromised by Apple during the work.

No telling who installed your new battery and what precautions they took to reseal it against water. The geeks doing this were under the gun with the increased numbers to be done before the deadline. It should have been sealed but betting the factory does it better.

I would never “introduce water” to my MAX. No matter what Apple says in the specs, if water gets in the warranty is trashed.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Thoughts requested on this problem.

I've had an iphone 8 plus for about a year and had no problems with it, especially near water. Taking it in the bath, hot tub not being particularly careful near any water really. In december the battery was nearing 90% capacity so i thought i'd get it replaced as the discounted replacement program was coming to an end and i wanted to keep the phone for another couple of years.

I sent it to Apple and received it back a couple of days later with an Applecare service warranty card. battery capacity is now reading 100%! Happy days.

So i carried on as I had been. I introduced it first time to water last week and the phone is water logged! the home button became unresponsive, i've got water streaks under the display, the speaker is muffled and most annoyingly, there's condensation in the camera lense.

The waterproof integrity was fine before i had the battery replaced, and now it's failed. I've got a Genius bar appointment next week to argue for a replacement but wanted thoughts on how i should approach this with Apple?

That’s the trade off if you have your battery replaced. No way to really know if water resistance has been restored until the phone gets wet. I personally would never get my phone wet regardless if it can handle it or not. Tempting fate usually ends up biting you in the rear sooner or later.

 

[cableguy84]

I think you have misunderstood water resistance.
Having a water resistant phone doesn’t mean you can be relaxed about the phone getting wet.
I have a 8 plus but i still treat it like any other electronic device around water.

 

[itsmilo]

I used my Max on a vacation in Hawaii while snorkeling just fine ... was very convenient to take videos under water

 

[HEK]

Thoughts requested on this problem.

I've had an iphone 8 plus for about a year and had no problems with it, especially near water. Taking it in the bath, hot tub not being particularly careful near any water really. In december the battery was nearing 90% capacity so i thought i'd get it replaced as the discounted replacement program was coming to an end and i wanted to keep the phone for another couple of years.

I sent it to Apple and received it back a couple of days later with an Applecare service warranty card. battery capacity is now reading 100%! Happy days.

So i carried on as I had been. I introduced it first time to water last week and the phone is water logged! the home button became unresponsive, i've got water streaks under the display, the speaker is muffled and most annoyingly, there's condensation in the camera lense.

The waterproof integrity was fine before i had the battery replaced, and now it's failed. I've got a Genius bar appointment next week to argue for a replacement but wanted thoughts on how i should approach this with Apple?

The phone is water resistant not water proof. Once the seal is broken to get inside, it’s quite problematical you can ever get seal integrity back to what is is coming out of manufacturing process.

Apple clearly states the phones are not guaranteed against water damage. Water damage voids the warranty, period.

You can try at Apple store, you might get lucky, but don’t count on it. Taking phone in bath, hot tub is not something phone was designed to withstand. You were just lucky before. Luck just ran out.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I used my Max on a vacation in Hawaii while snorkeling just fine ... was very convenient to take videos under water

You were lucky. And it is possible, that you may see delayed problems due to that down the road.

OP,

Consistently subjecting your phone to water, especially when water damage is not covered, especially intentionally, is not Apple's fault, even if the seals around the phone may not haver been perfect. You need to take responsibility for your phone.

Water resistant is not the same thing as waterproof, regardless fo YouTube blather or anecdotal past experience from you or anyone else.

 

[richb330]

A friend had a very similar issue. iPhone 7, smashed screen replaced at Apple Store. 2 weeks later whilst using it in the shower (as had done for well over a year) it died.
It took him an age to get to the store but when he did he calmly/kindly placed the blame on Apple. The store was sympathetic and replaced the whole handset.

I think it will come down to manager discretion, you may struggle as it didn’t go to a store originally though.

Edit: to add, he had just spent A$250 for a screen replacement, whereas I guess you “only” spent £25 on a battery.

interesting. Thanks for posting.

You were lucky. And it is possible, that you may see delayed problems due to that down the road.

OP,

Consistently subjecting your phone to water, especially when water damage is not covered, especially intentionally, is not Apple's fault, even if the seals around the phone may not haver been perfect. You need to take responsibility for your phone.

Water resistant is not the same thing as waterproof, regardless fo YouTube blather or anecdotal past experience from you or anyone else.

Apple does state that the phones are IP67 rated 1 meter for 30mins. Well, it hasn't been exposed to anything like that. They also say that the water resistance may decrease over time. ok, but my argument is that the battery replacement has destroyed the water proof abilities of the phone and this can't be right.

If replacing the battery does not include replacing the seals then that should be a concern of anyone who has had an IP67 rated iphone battery replaced.


And I disagree with other post's, I think it is reasonable to expect the phone to withstand light exposure to water as this is one of the primary, advertised features of the phone. Apple have serviced the phone and now it's broken so I'll see what they say at the genius bar.

 

[Apple_Robert]

interesting. Thanks for posting.




Apple does state that the phones are IP67 rated 1 meter for 30mins. Well, it hasn't been exposed to anything like that. They also say that the water resistance may decrease over time. ok, but my argument is that the battery replacement has destroyed the water proof abilities of the phone and this can't be right.

If replacing the battery does not include replacing the seals then that should be a concern of anyone who has had an IP67 rated iphone battery replaced.


And I disagree with other post's, I think it is reasonable to expect the phone to withstand light exposure to water as this is one of the primary, advertised features of the phone. Apple have serviced the phone and now it's broken so I'll see what they say at the genius bar.

It is possible that the battery replacement left your phone vulnerable (to whatever degree). The problem is you don't know either way and you have purposefully subjected your phone to water after the replacement.

From Apple....

"Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Liquid damage is not covered under warranty.

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR are resistant to accidental spills from common liquids, such as soda, beer, coffee, tea, and juice. In the event of a spill, rinse the affected area with tap water, then wipe your iPhone off and dry it.

To prevent liquid damage, avoid these:

• Swimming or bathing with your iPhone
• Exposing your iPhone to pressurized water or high velocity water, such as when showering, water skiing, wake boarding, surfing, jet skiing, and so on
• Using your iPhone in a sauna or steam room
• Intentionally submerging your iPhone in water
• Operating your iPhone outside the suggested temperature ranges or in extremely humid conditions
• Dropping your iPhone or subjecting it to other impacts
• Disassembling your iPhone, including removing screws
  

 

[HEK]

interesting. Thanks for posting.




Apple does state that the phones are IP67 rated 1 meter for 30mins. Well, it hasn't been exposed to anything like that. They also say that the water resistance may decrease over time. ok, but my argument is that the battery replacement has destroyed the water proof abilities of the phone and this can't be right.

If replacing the battery does not include replacing the seals then that should be a concern of anyone who has had an IP67 rated iphone battery replaced.


And I disagree with other post's, I think it is reasonable to expect the phone to withstand light exposure to water as this is one of the primary, advertised features of the phone. Apple have serviced the phone and now it's broken so I'll see what they say at the genius bar.

Apple has never warranted water damage regardless of ratings. When the improved rating and commercials showing people getting phone wet, I checked the fine print.

Water damage is expressly excluded. I always thought the advertising and fine print were a bit disengenous. Trusting, unaware people are easily lead to believe water damage is covered.

With that said there are people with good attitudes that have been provided a new phone at discretion of Apple store manager.

Something else that is yet to come forward is that the replacement phone under ApplePlus for lost or stolen phones are not replaced by Apple. This is a third party insurance that typically replaces phones with rehab units.

The units are rehabbed by third and fourth parties, not Apple. As such should the replaced phone need any work it will be denied by Apple. As Apple will not do any work on phones opened up by anyone else including even customer paid work.

An interesting catch-22 that has yet to be tested and reported, that I have seen.

Fine print, in lawyer speak, is what Apple’s obligation actually is. Any assumptions made by customer based on advertising notwithstanding. Read and understand the fine print.

 

[1rottenapple]

Same as usual i.e no different activity that i subjected the phone to before the battery change, it was on the side of the bath and most likely got covered in water for a short time.

'introduced it to water' means just general use. i bought the 8 because i knew it would be around water, not scuba diving or swimming with it in my pocket but simply be in the shower or bath, maybe survive an accidental drop into a hot tub, that kind of thing.. i didn't want a water proof case around it adding to the bulk, but would have had if i'd been warned it was susceptible to water damage.

The issue is that it was fine before the battery replacement but it seems the waterproofing has been compromised by Apple during the work.

Ok so when I went to Best Buy to get my battery replaced on the 8 water reduced resistance integrity was mentioned as a side effects. It’s possible it will be reduced from the factory given the seal is broken to replace the batter and my not be the same as the factory. You can try to get apple to fix this but. I also don’t think they should be blamed given water damage is not covered and anytime you put your phone in the water you will run that risk. I bring my phone in the ocean but I wouldn’t be mad at apple if it becomes damaged.

 

[Hieveryone]

It’s not so much whether or not OP was near water. He seems quite reasonable and well within what apple has said it can do.

The question is was the seal put back properly?

If not, and OP got a faulty seal, he IMO should get a replacement.

@BasicGreatGuy @HEK @keysofanxiety @richb330
[doublepost=1548613020][/doublepost]EDIT: Even if nothing happened to the phone and it was working perfectly, but had a faulty seal, IMO op is owed another iPhone. Water has little to do this from what it seems.

 

[HEK]

It’s not so much whether or not OP was near water. He seems quite reasonable and well within what apple has said it can do.

The question is was the seal put back properly?

If not, and OP got a faulty seal, he IMO should get a replacement.

@BasicGreatGuy @HEK @keysofanxiety @richb330
[doublepost=1548613020][/doublepost]EDIT: Even if nothing happened to the phone and it was working perfectly, but had a faulty seal, IMO op is owed another iPhone. Water has little to do this from what it seems.

Apple does not cover liquid damage. Has nothing to do with new or old, good seal or bad, opened or not.

Brand new phone with perfect seal is NOT covered for liquid damage. Anyone’s opinion doesn’t enter into it.

I to bemoan the somewhat ambiguous way Apple advertised more water resistant phones. Leading some people to assume they are safe to expose their phone to liquids.

BasicGreatGuy listed above, Apple’s warranty regarding liquids. Opinions are meaningless. Reasonableness is meaningless. Clearly Apple knows the seal may or may not work.

 

[Hieveryone]

So if you had a defective seal you would just look the other way and pretend like it’s not broken?

@HEK

 

[HEK]

So if you had a defective seal you would just look the other way and pretend like it’s not broken?

@HEK

How would I know seal is compromised?

Only way to prove seal is compromised is to water damage my phone. Which by definition voids the warranty. Why is this so hard to understand. No matter how privileged someone may think they are, liquid damage is NOT COVERED.

I don’t swim, shower, hot tub, use phone in rain. Apple expressly says not to do these things.

As I previously stated, take phone into Apple store. Politely state your case and ask for redress. Don’t expect anything, but you might get lucky.

Go in, demand new phone because Apple broke it and see how quickly you get refused. People don’t respond well to smart ass privileged arguments.

 

[Hieveryone]

How would I know seal is compromised?

Only way to prove seal is compromised is to water damage my phone. Which by definition voids the warranty. Why is this so hard to understand. No matter how privileged someone may think they are, liquid damage is NOT COVERED.

I don’t swim, shower, hot tub, use phone in rain. Apple expressly says not to do these things.

As I previously stated, take phone into Apple store. Politely state your case and ask for redress. Don’t expect anything, but you might get lucky.

Go in, demand new phone because Apple broke it and see how quickly you get refused. People don’t respond well to smart ass privileged arguments.

You don’t have to know. Ask Apple!

 

[HEK]

You don’t have to know. Ask Apple!

Ask Apple? What?

Apple clearly states seal does not prevent liquid intrusion. No warranty on liquids.

Don’t purposefully expose phone to liquids. How much clearer can that be stated.

 

[Hieveryone]

Ask Apple? What?

Apple clearly states seal does not prevent liquid intrusion. No warranty on liquids.

Don’t purposefully expose phone to liquids. How much clearer can that be stated.

What does the seal do then?

 

[richb330]

Ask Apple? What?

Apple clearly states seal does not prevent liquid intrusion. No warranty on liquids.

Don’t purposefully expose phone to liquids. How much clearer can that be stated.

In that case I would argue that Apple is guilty of false advertising and in contradiction of consumer law. They state that their devices are waterproof to IP67 IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes), but then in the small print say it might not be and regardless, if you find it's not - it's on you for getting water near it... I'm not a lawyer but to me it seems a case of misrepresenting a products capabilities and wilfully misleading consumers.

If they don't replace it I'll take it to the small claims court. It costs £40 to bring a case in the UK and Apple will have to represent or concede.

To all the haters, it's getting a bit heated.. chill out, if they replace the phone - great, if not, i'll contest it in court and if i lose, so be it. I'll let the thread know the outcome for those who are interested.

 

[Hieveryone]

Idk if OP has a defective seal or not or if that has anything to do with his situation.

I’m just saying that I would think about it given what I understand of the situation.

 

[HEK]

It might reduce chance of liquid getting inside. In general terms does so, but, and a big but,

No guarantees, no warrantees.

There is no way even for manufacturer to determine on any given device that the seal is effective. A pressure test would itself compromise a well sealed phone by popping the seal.

It’s a sales, advertising gimmick.

My Rolex Sea Dweller watch is guaranteed to seal against specific pressure. It’s designed for and each watch tested for that. But I don’t want to pay for phone safe to depth of 12,000 ft.