The warranty doesn’t cover water damage on the iPhone 7

Sep 10, 2016 11:11 GMT  ·  By

One of the biggest changes on the iPhone 7 is that the device is water-resistant, so you can literally take a shower with it, and everything should be alright.

But there’s one huge catch that everyone buying an iPhone 7 should know, especially if they’re planning on doing that: although the device is water-resistant, the warranty doesn’t cover liquid damage. So in case you actually take a shower with the iPhone, and the device breaks down, you’re not getting a new phone or your money back. And here’s why.

First and foremost, here’s some background. Apple says the iPhone 7 has received the IP67 rating, which means that it can survive when being submerged in water up to 30 meters deep for a maximum of 30 minutes.

The IP rating stands for ingress protection, and the number represents the protection it offers for solid objects and liquids, respectively. In the case of the iPhone 7, the IP67 standard means that it’s rated 6 (from a maximum of 6) for protection against solid objects such as dust and sand, and 7 (from a maximum of 8) for protection against water.

This means that the iPhone 7 offers almost the best protection in the case of solid objects and almost the top protection against water - as compared to the Samsung Galaxy S7, which was rated IP68, the top score at this moment.

Just don’t try it

But even if the iPhone offers such good protection, Apple doesn’t want to take any risks and says that the warranty doesn’t cover liquid damage. Here’s an excerpt from its warranty terms:

“iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge a wet iPhone; refer to the user guide for cleaning and drying instructions. Liquid damage not covered under warranty.”

In case you’re wondering why this is happening, there’s a simple reason for that: if the iPhone 7 suffers liquid damage because you submerged it in water for longer than it could withstand, it is impossible for Apple to prove it. So this thing could always be used by anyone to get a new iPhone, and clearly, the company doesn’t want to take any risk.

Apple haters should note that it’s not only Cupertino doing it. Samsung itself is also stating that warranty doesn’t cover liquid damage and offers an extra protection plan that’s available for a fee should buyers want to be protected against water damage too. In the case of Apple, AppleCare covers liquid damage as well.