Water Damage, or is it? - Discuss

Hotspur

Have read quite a few threads on here where the seller/repairer has come back to the phones owner and said 'sorry water damage, you're not covered'. To me this seems a convenient excuse not to repair an often expensive phone within warranty where there seems to be a genuine fault.

Now having owned a mobile phone for 10 years or more I've been fortunate not to have come across this personally but am wondering if smart phones aren't as sealed as they should be. After all, it is forseeable that normal use will be during wet weather here in the uk and move from hot to cold environments where condensation may form.

Discuss.

JJ_Egan

move from hot to cold environments where condensation may form.

Thats what they say .

smart phones aren't as sealed as they should be.

Well sealed is that not what causes condensation no airflow ???


jje

Hotspur

JJE,

I'm sure the scientists among us will correct me if wrong but isn't it the moisture in the air condensing on a cold surface that results in the moisture being seen.

Many electrical items work for a long time in an adverse environment, e.g. car radios, with no obvious issues. My way of thinking is that mobile phones used reasonably should do the same and water damage is an excuse. Any mobile phone/electronic engineers repairers that can comment?

Guys_Dad

"Water damage" is a convenient excuse to avoid warranty repairs, in my opinion. How can "water damage" be responsible for broken charging points, for example?

Everyone should check their water indicator before sending back the phone for repair and take a dated photo of it if it is clear.

It's a bit like "scratched screens" etc excuses that phone recyclers use to reduce the offers they make on your old mobiles. Again, take a dated photo before sending it back.

However, having said that, condensation can arise but if that is due to carrying the mobile in jacket top pocket or using phone in Borneo (or other humid climate) then is phone fit for purpose?

gjchester

Hotspur wrote: »

Many electrical items work for a long time in an adverse environment, e.g. car radios, with no obvious issues. My way of thinking is that mobile phones used reasonably should do the same and water damage is an excuse. Any mobile phone/electronic engineers repairers that can comment?

Car radios don't go from being used in the rain to a warm house whist still in use. The air in the car interior acts as a buffer.

Next time it rains look outside see how many people are using phones, people would not think of pulling a laptop out and using it the pouring rain but no-one thinks of a phone as a small computer, just a phone, we are so used to the technology.

Hotspur

gjchester wrote: »

Next time it rains look outside see how many people are using phones, people would not think of pulling a laptop out and using it the pouring rain but no-one thinks of a phone as a small computer, just a phone, we are so used to the technology.

My point is that as mobiles have been part of many peoples daily lives the phone manufacturers should ensure that, in normal/forseeable use, the sensitive electronics should be protected from the ingress of moisture. This doesn't seem to be the case if the threads on this forum are anything to go by. It would be down to the user not to use the phone in downpours etc. or get a waterproof casing to protect the phone. There are many outdoor speakers, electronic displays, CCTV cameras and the like that get wet and still work so it shouldn't be too much of a problem or costly to do something similar for phones.

I agree with Guy's Dad that it is a good excuse not to carryout an expensive repair. A watchdog report on iphone 'water damage' seems to back this up.

gjchester

Hotspur wrote: »

My point is that as mobiles have been part of many peoples daily lives the phone manufacturers should ensure that, in normal/forseeable use, the sensitive electronics should be protected from the ingress of moisture. This doesn't seem to be the case if the threads on this forum are anything to go by. It would be down to the user not to use the phone in downpours etc. or get a waterproof casing to protect the phone. There are many outdoor speakers, electronic displays, CCTV cameras and the like that get wet and still work so it shouldn't be too much of a problem or costly to do something similar for phones.

I agree with Guy's Dad that it is a good excuse not to carryout an expensive repair. A watchdog report on iphone 'water damage' seems to back this up.

I agree water damage is over used now, but thats because people have soaked electronics in the past and tried to claim on a warranty.

However outdoor speakers, electronic displays, CCTV cameras are disigned for outside use with suitable rubber seals and watertight connectors. You can get rugged mobiles see http://www.reghardware.com/2008/04/23/review_samsung_m110_solid/ but they don't have all the features or looks of a modern phone.

zenmaster

gjchester wrote: »

You can get rugged mobiles see http://www.reghardware.com/2008/04/23/review_samsung_m110_solid/ but they don't have all the features or looks of a modern phone.

I see no reason why you shouldn't have both.

It doesn't have to be MIL-SPEC but the sensitive parts could be much better protected at nominal cost.

There is no incentive for the manufacturers to do this though as they would certainly lose sales of replacement phones.

MissKeith

In my experience, when a phone comes back from engineers with liquid ingress, they generally provide a photo of the evidence. I've sent phones off where the indicators have been tripped but because there was no internal damage it was still repaired under warranty. On the flip side, I've sent off phones work no visible sign of moisture but they have returned with a photo of the circuit board which is corroded.

In the company I work for, we only get paid for handsets that are repaired so there is no reason for an engineer to claim liquid damage when it's faulty, it just means less bonus for them.

Top tips to avoid liquid ingress would be to not take it in the bathroom whilst showering/bathing, not use it in the rain (you wouldn't believe how many people admit to this one) and be aware of condensation when leaving it in the car all night or moving from a hot place to a cold one and vice versa. Don't let a store turn you away for liquid damage, always request for it to be assessed by an engineer by a place such as Carphone where they don't charge to return an unrepaired phone.

Guys_Dad

MissKeith wrote: »

In the company I work for, we only get paid for handsets that are repaired so there is no reason for an engineer to claim liquid damage when it's faulty, it just means less bonus for them.

Good post and informative. My worry would be with shop staff who have an incentive to not have a return, particularly if discontinued phone under warranty, before it hits the engineers.

MissKeith

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Good post and informative. My worry would be with shop staff who have an incentive to not have a return, particularly if discontinued phone under warranty, before it hits the engineers.

The only time this would happen is if the phone is within 28 days and the store suspects liquid damage (indicators tripped, liquid under the screen, condensation marks under the battery and green charging ports are the main signs) but they should offer to book it in for an engineers assessment for free to make sure.

Edit: Also if phone was discontinued in the 28 day period, stores can get an exchange an exchange for a faulty phone to a different model. It needs authorizing from a higher source and it's only if you can't get a like for like replacement anywhere else.

On that note, an exchange for a genuinely faulty phone never affects the store as long as it's within 28 days. This is the same as booking phones in forrepair.