iPhone 7 Warranty Doesn't Cover Liquid Damage Despite Water Resistance

When tech companies launch their smartphones, they tend to make big claims in order to grab attention of potential customers. However we often forget to remember that 'the devil is in the details'. Apple launched its much-awaited iPhone 7 on Wednesday and the company announced that the phone is IP67 certified and water resistant. However, the company has specified that 'liquid damage' to iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will not be covered under warranty.

(Also see: iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus Price in India and Launch Date Revealed)

In the footnotes of the product page for iPhone 7, in a very small font size mind you, Apple has said that resistance to splash, water, and dust are not permanent conditions and that the resistance of the two smartphone models might decrease over the time. After a precautionary warning that asks you not to charge your phone when it is wet, company adds, "Liquid damage [is] not covered under warranty."

Even though the company claims that both iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529, the hesitance while providing warranty for the liquid damage might not give a confidence boost to customers who are considering to purchase company's smartphones.

It is important to note here that Apple is not the first company to make such a statement as Sony, which has even come out with phones that are IP68 rated, has not only provided guidelines about what the rating means but also says that its warranty doesn't cover the damage caused by abuse or improper use of the device. Sony started warning its users in April this year that they shouldn't use their Xperia devices (whether smartphone or tablet) underwater. The company said that doing so will void the device's warranty

This clarification by the company doesn't mean that the warranty won't cover the damage caused by accidental splash of water but does mean that you should probably not keep pushing the phone's limits when it comes to water resistance.