What If My iPhone Goes for a Swim?
Some iPhones are “water-resistant,” but what does that really mean? Well, not much from a warranty standpoint. My wife had an iPhone X but eventually cracked the display. We had it replaced at the Apple Store, but when we came back to pick it up, we were told that it “failed calibration.” Later, the same phone suddenly stopped working completely, but when we brought it back in, it had been “water-damaged.” What’s interesting, is my wife never lets her “water-resistant” phone near water.
That day, however, we used a damp rag to clean the display as it looked like it had something on it (turns out it was dust under the glass). According to Apple, it had been water damaged, even though the only water ever touching it was from a damp cloth. How could that be possible?
Moral of the story? Your mileage with water may vary. And I don’t entirely blame Apple. I understand they don’t have any proof the phone wasn’t at the bottom of a lake (most iPhones—7 and newer—can only be submerged up to three feet for less than 30 minutes). Still, the phone should have survived. So be careful not to get your iPhone wet if you can help it, and don’t expect Apple to cover it should it get ruined.