Why is it that my iPhone 8+ got water damaged whent was advertised as being waterproof?

I too have recently fallen victim to this false/misleading advertisement. Though mine is an iPhone X. Take a look at the product page:

It clearly shows the iPhone X being splashed with water. based off that and what Danny Dorazio already mentioned... that it is at a IP67 rating... what I did should have been WELL within the limits of it's "water resistance" What I did, for inquiring minds, is use water to cool the phone (about 1-5 seconds under a faucet) after it got too warm from the sun. Had it not been a selling point of the phone... I never would have done that.

As far as the water resistance "degrades" over time argument... I personally feel prominent features should have some expectation to last half, if not the full duration, of the warranty when there is no visible signs of wear and tear or misuse. Mine was only 21weeks old... in a otterbox case the whole time... never dropped or opened; and I'm sure it only lasted that long because I didn't have reason to rinse the phone sooner. This feature is extremely misleading... and having to pay half the price for an out of warranty replacement after being mislead is not right.

I'd love to hear arguments for or against my statements. Thanks for reading.

Watchdog247 wrote:

I too have recently fallen victim to this false/misleading advertisement. Though mine is an iPhone X. Take a look at the product page:

It clearly shows the iPhone X being splashed with water. based off that and what Danny Dorazio already mentioned... that it is at a IP67 rating... what I did should have been WELL within the limits of it's "water resistance" What I did, for inquiring minds, is use water to cool the phone (about 1-5 seconds under a faucet) after it got too warm from the sun. Had it not been a selling point of the phone... I never would have done that.

As far as the water resistance "degrades" over time argument... I personally feel prominent features should have some expectation to last half, if not the full duration, of the warranty when there is no visible signs of wear and tear or misuse. Mine was only 21weeks old... in a otterbox case the whole time... never dropped or opened; and I'm sure it only lasted that long because I didn't have reason to rinse the phone sooner. This feature is extremely misleading... and having to pay half the price for an out of warranty replacement after being mislead is not right.

I'd love to hear arguments for or against my statements. Thanks for reading.

The latest Ford truck commercial clearly shows the truck being jumped across a canyon. That does not mean that a) it should be done or b) you should attempt to do it.

Water resistance has its limits, as you've seen.

Watchdog247 wrote:

I'd love to hear arguments for or against my statements. Thanks for reading.

Well here you go:

It wasn't advertised as being waterproof.

It was advertised as being water resistant. That means that it has a series of seals that try to keep liquids out, but liquid can enter some mighty small spaces, so it's near impossible to make a cell phone waterproof.

Here's more about its water resistance: About splash, water, and dust resistance of iPhone 7 and later - Apple Support

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

They look at your iPhone, you pay the money and if they have a service replacement unit in stock they give it to you then and you leave your damaged iPhone.

Well its complicated; there is no way for apple to verify how deep/long you phone was in water so it is not covered by warranty. They mention that it is "Precision‑engineered to resist water and dust" {unformatted paste on purpose} Also, in the tech specs it is IP67 so you would assume it would at least meet those standards. Dumb questions; your phone has never been opened, you have the sim card tray in, and your phone isn't cracked?

Hi

Iphone 8 + is water resistant NOT water proof like a divers watch.

Make an appointment at Apple store they may offer you An out of warranty replacement you will need to pay half price of a new iPhone 8+

Cheers

Brian 🇬-1F1E7;

Any idea how to make an appointment on apple store ? And what are the procedures for replacing... I mean is it like give them the damage phone and receive a replacment after pating half the price or it will take 3-5 day to reply ?

The IP67 rating is also tested against standing water. There is another, different rating for devices designed to guard against water streams such as a running faucet, or hose, spray etc.

Why anyone would deliberately expose any piece of expensive electronics, that they need or depend in, to water is beyond me.

@Michael Black

and yet... they choose an image that clearly isn't the phone sitting in standing water... and the associate that sold me the phone didn't correct me when I expressed that I wouldn't have to buy another Life Proof case. As far as the last comment... I never would have done so had I known that what happened would happen... you can, after all, put a water resistant watch under a faucet (washing hands) and have it come out unharmed... I assumed, incorrectly apparently, the same could be done with a phone.

thank you for the feedback though.

I'm not sure the ford commercial is in the same vein of my argument... as it's clearly being jumped across the canyon (I assume... I haven't seen the commercial) by an experienced driver (one would hope). But that "cleaning your iPhone" is a must read imo… and should have been included in the box the iPhone came in. I obviously didn't read that until now... 😟

Thanks for the feedback.

Why would an Apple salesperson correct you about your choice of using, or not using a particular case with your iPhone? There is and never has ever been a need to use a life proof case with an iPhone. That’s a purely personal choice.

The very fact that almost no smart phone is covered under warranty for water damage, regardless of IP rating should alert people to the fact this is not a guarantee against water damage. It may save your device sometime as it offers more protection than no water or dust seals do, but it may not.

The only cell phones I know that are warrantied against water damage are those few designed to military field use standards such as some of the “ruggidized“ ones Sonim and others make.

Apologies if I wasn't clear.

1) I didn't say it was an Apple salesperson. It was a Best Buy associate/salesperson if that really matters.

2) the reason I felt I should have been corrected when I expressed that the Life Proof case wouldn't be necessary anymore is because the associate was made aware that I used the older iPhone in humid and wet environments and intended to continue to do so. Hence the need for the Life Proof case; I agree though, it's "a purely personal choice," but also necessary under those conditions. So, knowing my uses and intents... why wouldn't a knowledgeable sales associate correct me if I'm clearly wrong? Obviously I make a couple assumptions here: a) the associate was knowledgeable about the iPhone X and the specifics around the water resistance feature. That is the point of talking to associates yes? They are supposed to be SMEs and assist customers in making the right choices that fit their needs. b) the associate was actually listening to me when I mentioned how I used my old phone and intend to continue with the new phone.

3) I agree with everything you, and others, have said about water damage as it pertains to the warranty coverage. I was never calling that into question. Maybe my utilization the warranty timeframe to my opinion that "prominent features" (which imo it is) "should have some expectation to last half, if not the full duration, of the warranty" wasn't written clearly enough. My point is that I expressed what I wanted/needed from my new iPhone... and those wants/needs weren't met because I wasn't informed that the iPhone X water resistance feature did not equal the same protection that is provided by a Life Proof case.

I hope that was clearer... thanks for responding/reading.

Watchdog247, I get what you're saying. True, the sales associate should have listen more carefully, and should have been a lot clearer in his sales presentation. Discovering information about your purchases accidentally (and usually at the absolute worst time!) is, at very best unpleasant, usually. I'm going to lay this squarely at Best Buy's feet: their Apple-trained associates are supposed to know the product line and are supposed to adhere to Apple standards when selling or servicing Apple products. However, I'd ask you to take a look at any retail environment - newly hired 16 year olds, the produce guy called up to run the cash register, the cosmetics associate working temporarily in the garden department.

Going forward, I encourage you to make your way to a genuine Apple store or an online Apple store or Apple via telephone. The worst case scenario is less likely by a thousandfold.

Thanks for responding again... and yes, I'm taking my issue back to Best Buy to be resolved.