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Back on March 25, I wrote "Phone Moisture sensor: I am pretty peeved at Apple right now" about my issues with my iPhone 3G and the experience that I had with the Genius bar at the Apple store telling me that my warranty was void due to the fact that my moisture sensor in the bottom USB port was activated (turned red). After that post, my iPhone and I received a lot of attention. I had known from Googling that I was not the only one with the issue. There are tons of people that have never gotten their iPhone "submerged" in water, but yet their sensors are tripped thus voiding their warranty.
I work for a major University and we use ATT as our primary cell provider. We give them a LOT of business. In my position, I am often contacted for advice when folks are looking to get new phones. After a couple of calls from me and folks higher up than me to ATT and Apple, Apple agreed to replace my phone and use my damaged phone as a test case. The tech that I spoke to said that they would call me once they had time to dissect my phone and tell me whether or not the phone showed signs of being submerged. The iPhone has 4 moisture sensors, one inside the USB connector port, one in the headphone jack, and 2 inside the phone were users cannot reach. If the phone had been completely submerged in water as Apple claims would have to happen for the sensors to turn red, the 2 sensors inside the phone would be triggered. I heard back from the same guy once about a month after my initial report just to tell me that they did not forget about me, things had been busy and they would be in touch. However, I never heard back regarding whether or not my phone has passed the test. Why? I only only guess it's because it did not signs of being submerged. I would assume that would have been quick to call and tell me how I was wrong in my theory that the sensors were faulty, or just too exposed.
I was contacted by Lisa France of CNN.com who published the story Moisture, cold irritate some smart phone users. That story caused some major backlash from Apple fanboys in the comments on many websites and blogs, and lots of attention from those that had also encountered a problem with their iPhones and moisture. Some people had nothing nice to say going as far as to say that those of us that had gotten our phones wet were stupid. Well of course we would expect the phone to act crazy had we gotten them wet and the warranty should indeed be void in that case, but that is NOT what this is about. This is about phones that do NOT get wet. Some people in humid areas like the lower United States are having their sensors triggered just by walking around outside on a hot day.
Since my original posts I have received a ton of emails, comments, and inquiries from others with the same exactly issue. Since that was before the release of the new model iPhone 3Gs, I was hoping that Apple would modify the design on that one so that this would not continue to be a problem, but they did not. What they did do was alter their iPhone warranty policy as it relates to iPhones with tripped sensors.
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On a very related note, my son's Ipod Touch did the exact same thing. We live in Seattle where it rains a lot as you know... He never submerged his 6 month old Touch, but one day the screen went dark. Apple said the sensors were tripped and they would not cover it. I am furious. I don't think that did high humidity testing on this product. How can we get a Class Action Suit going?? Sounds like there are a lot of us.
i found a great place that will repair water damaged or any other type of damage to the iPhone
they work with AT&T and Apple with non warranty repairs
www.BrokeMyiPhone.com
Chris, I'm sorry to hear that. I know that several users have talked about starting a Class Action Suit. I personally have not looked into it. I really wonder how that would go.
Very interesting, indeed. I subscribed.
I have the same problem!!
I've had a problem with the battery being drained of iPhone 3GS after short time. I called Apple and visited the store and was told to upgrade to newer version of software to improve life of battery. Now my phone doesn't charge at all. Took the phone to Apple store this morning and apparently my phone apparently has corrosion in USB connection. No moisture sensor was activated on the phone. Apple genius told me the warranty was void due to water damage. The phone was not damaged by water. The best solution offered was $199.00 out-of-warranty replacement. I will contact Apple again with the issue. If the replacement is not offered, I will formally issue a complaint with Apple.
Same problem.. Since I bought a 3GS in April!!! I read that the 3GS had issues with battery charge misreporting to the system but with 3.1.3 it would be fixed.. Now 4.0 won't install, leave the phone bricked (error 29).. Had to revert to 3.1.3 which was an oddisey and now I'm stuck with an old firmware just because of that.. The phone never has been even near water. I smell class action alwsuit here.. But I'm in Mexico which makes things worse.
same thing happened to my iphone 4 here in singapore and the designated service center refused to honor the warranty of my 3 month old unit due because the indicator under the charger port is pink. it seems rather unfortunate that this problem has been brought up in 2009 and it still happens 2 years later.
Australia's been having torrential rains the past few weeks; my phone started turning itself off and refusing to turn on without resets all the time. Taking it in for warranty repair they claim 'water damage' from the headphone jack sensor, the other was apparently fine.
I'm anal about my phone, it's never been wet, it's had condensation when I come into a warm house from the cold, and from having it in the bathroom when I have a shower, and I run with it (not in the rain) and always carry an umbrella. Humidity is the only thing that ever came near it. I don't know what the specs are for their sensor but apple is crap; would not buy again.
Genius bar people were also douches, I was very reasonable about asking my options, not agressive at all and the guy started claiming he was doing me a massive favour after '*you* water damaged your phone'. He then gave me a locked phone after weeks of my carrier flailing hands saying it's apples fault they couldn't unlock it - it took them a month to get my phone unlocked, it then broke, and now I have a locked phone.
The apple customer experience sucks terribly, and the guy that looks like mark zuckerberg at the Sydney genius bar is a horrible person. I intend to share my views prodigiously.
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