I take showers with my laptop all the time, no problems so far I say it's A-Ok

lol i mean iphone

I don''t think this is an Apple only issue... Almost every phone I have ever had (Even my old Nextel Drop/Dust/waterproof phone) has has the liquid sensor tripped behind the battery, and I have never had a phone in water (Humid days, on my belt clip on rainy days, yes!). So while shame on Apple for turning people away, I think this is an industry wide issue.

I had this problem with my Samsung 737 too. I had a problem with voicemail one week after purchasing it. The guy at the store told me the sensor indicated it was because it had been exposed to water and he couldn't do anything about it. The phone had never been anywhere near water. Turns out the problem had to do with the voicemail software, so they were able to resolve it, but it left me pretty peeved that the warranty had effectively been voided a week after purchase.

I have no sympathy for Matt or any other iPhone owner. The problems and weaknesses of the iPhone, ATT, and Apple and many and well-documented. If you need the latest cool gadget that bad, deal with it. After going through all that hassle and being treated like crap, Matt still bought another iPhone so what is he bitching about?

Someone told me a trick re: liquid sensors (really only works on phones where oyu can get to ALL of the sensors, like my low-end LG that only has one): put a piece of tape over the sensor (little white dot sticker, or white with red/pink Xs) when you first get the phone - if it ever stops working, take off the tape before bringing it in to be serviced (legitimate use: prevents the sensor from changing colors due to high florida humidity; illegitimate use: prevents sensor from being tripped when you jump into the pool with phone still in your pocket)

This is one of the main reasons I am not buying an Apple product, the last thing I want to be is the person who is told no and we can't do anything for you at all because your sensor has been tripped.

My question is does the sensor being tripped cause any problems with the phone/iPod? Lets say it does turn pink from reasons other than dropping it in water, does that cause the device to malfunction in a way that it would need warranty service?

I live in NY where of course, its hot and humid. Like most people who own an iPod or phone I would be going from air conditioning to hot weather frequently while using it and it would likely be sitting in my hot room in the summer where all my other electronics sit (which are doing fine BTW).

I haven't had any issues with any other product I own in this respect but I haven't had to have warranty service on any other product. If I bought an iPod I would expect to have to take it in for warranty service.

@Haggie1: you, sir, are an idiot.

Please tell me... how exactly is a faulty abuse sensor any fault of the consumer?

I don't have an iPhone, but to me, putting a liquid sensor on the outside just seems silly. Of course it's going to get tripped by normal use. On all other devices I've seen, including my current phone, the moisture sensor is on the inside under the battery. Obviously the iPhone case doesn't come off for battery replacement, but you'd think there'd be a better place for that sensor. :-/

@absentmindedjwc: +1

if you hit YouTube and search "macbook destruction" you'll find a story of a man who had the water sensor issue. loved the ending despite it including the destruction of an Apple product

today's advice is to put white out into the headphone jack or dock connector or whichever part of an iPhone that is water damaged so the sensor is white again

95% of those that go off are water damaged. It is human nature to not want to accept this. about 5% do feel they never got the phone wet since it may have happened when they did not know it i.e a roommate, spilled something, or something else.

All I am saying is the senors do not just go off. I take long showers and have the phone within 2 feet of the shower each time. I only have a shower curtain so steam is all around the phone. With every iphone I have had I have NEVER had it become water damaged and be tripped.

I just do not see how their water sensors will hold up. All it would take is one person proving at what humidity level would set off the sensors and then Apple would loose every small claims case.

The worst thing is it is really cheap for these manufactures to cover the electronics with a thin layer of epoxy to make them water proof, but yet they refuse to do it. For something like the Iphone it would cost pennies to coat with epoxy to prevent water damage.

@absentmindedjwc: I agree. My only gripe with Matt's story is that the Genius was able to diagnose water damage with a quick look, despite Matt's pleading to the contrary. If they can see enough water damage to diagnose it by sight, and then be backed up by the sensor data, then I'd bet Matt's not entirely truthful on this one.

But that aside, I've got no other words for how much of a moron Haggie1 is. There are hit or miss problems with any product ever made; AT&T and Apple are not notoriously worse. I'd say that most of people without a deep rooted bias against the Apple haven't uncovered these droves of "well-documented" epic failures.

@AppleAlex: Even a brocken macbook can be sold for hundreds of bucks on ebay....

@absentmindedjwc: The faulty sensor isn't the consumer's fault. But AT&T's crap service and Apple's crap customer service (in regards to this issue, at least) have been well documented by this point. Any moderately tech-savvy person who buy an iPhone at this point and then whining about dropped calls or tech-support issues gets exactly zero sympathy for me.

Old school pro photographers trick - after shooting outdoors in the cold, if you haven't been able to keep your camera warm, enclose it in a plastic bag before bringing indoors into a warm, humid room. Prevents condensation on and in the camera.

Point is, we expose our gadgets to all kinds of environmental conditions. I've seen both winter condensation and summer humidity that would soak any kind of moisture sensor in no time. To simply assume that automatically meant contact with liquid water is absurd.

@absentmindedjwc: Because it's well known how Apple treats their customers now. If people still don't realize that Apple hates them, then it's their own fault for continuing to buy Apple products.

@bayank: I make toast in the shower all the time, and it makes really soggy toast, but otherwise saves me a ton of time.

@Outrun1986: If you're that concerned about tripping sensors due to humidity, I'd suggest foregoing the purchase of a cell phone altogether. They all have the same general sensor, and if the NY humidity is so bad that it will trip one, all of them will be tripped. With that said, I don't think the humidity here is bad enough to cause concern.

Having the marker change color isn't going to cause the phone to function differently, unless whatever caused it to change color (i.e. being submerged in water) causes a problem. As far as I can tell, it's a piece of "paper" like a pregnancy test, except the test checks for water rather than the hormone that indicates pregnancy.

The general consensus is that Apple service is fantastic. You will always hear reports that companies provide bad service somewhere, but overall the polls show Apple is more than satisfactory. See the ACSI studies for confirmation. Anecdotally, I've been using mostly all apple products for years now, and I have had one bad experience that ultimately got resolved. But the few other times I've needed help, the process has been smooth. With that said, I do make sure not to use my iPhone in the rain, lest the errant raindrop go into the headphone plug and cause a false positive.

It sucks for the people that have bad experiences getting their phones serviced, and it shouldn't happen. I do think that this flurry of bad publicity regarding the sensors will get them to change their policies sooner rather than later. But it's also pretty clear that not all, or even many, of those who bring their iPhones in for repair are being turned away for a faulty or badly-placed water sensor. For whatever reason, negative stories about Apple tend to be more newsworthy than negative stories about Microsoft.

And really, to avoid all Apple products in general because you heard about this issue is like shooting yourself in the foot. You're missing out on some great computers! What makes you think you'd have to bring your iPod in for service? Remember that anecdotes are not rules.

@Haggie1:
Haggie is right.
Apple addicts like to say Apple has better engineering and better service to justify the cost, but yet we see over and over again that Apple is just an overpriced company that does not provide enough for the prices they want to charge. Only an idiot would pay more for Apple products.

Also, the sensors are not faulty. They are doing exactly what they were designed to do. The problem is Apple designed a phone that cannot work in all normal living environments like 100% humidity or sweaty people while exercising.

It would only cost Apple pennies to coat the circuit boards with epoxy to water proof the phone, but yet they do not do it.

@Haggie1: I make my own iPhones at home.

@kateblack: Apple has to be the most paranoid company on the planet. They won't allow any PICTURES to be taken of an open iphone? What kind of nonsense is this? I'd like to see another company with a policy like that.

This story further reinforces why I will never get an iphone or any other apple product. I've already found a way better (and cheaper) mp3 player after going through two Ipods that crapped out on me. That was the end of my desire to own anything Apple.

@Haggie1:

Why can supercereal and absentmindedjwc call another member an idiot and moron, but when I did it right after consumer reports bought consumerist they locked down my account I had for years and I had to create a new account??? Just wondering.

@sharkzfanz: Yeah that's pretty stupid, you can sell pretty much any electronics that are broken on ebay provided its something that is worth more than a few dollars, someone out there will buy it.

@egoods:

Ooh, nice bath and some toast!

Though my iPhone has never been near a body of water of any size, I did have an issue with the screws on the bottom rusting. Thankfully, the sensors were never tripped, but honestly...for the cost of the phone, you'd think stainless steel hardware wouldn't be too much to ask. These devices are nice and all, but I'm ready for the next step. Bring on a better way to communicate with a device that is tough, light, and very functional and flexible to meet a wide range of uses.

@Haggie1: Oh, weekends when all the morons show themselves.

Around here, there's an unwritten rule that we don't say "Tough luck, shouldn't have bought (fill in the blank)." That mentality is bullshit. It is the responsibility of companies to provide good service, not the responsibility of the consumer to avoid bad service.

I do have to thank you, though, because you helped me fill in a row on Consumerist Bingo!

@gStein: Unless I'm mistaken, the iPhone's external sensor is way down at the bottom of the headphone jack. Like, inside it. Good idea, but not really feasible in this case.

@bayank: Just other day I was on my BlackBerry in the shower. My wife has even caught me stading in the shower with a cup of coffee.

@Outrun1986: The external sensor isn't connected to anything; If it's tripped, it doesn't disable the phone.

But heaven help you if you live in a humid area, the external sensor gets tripped, then the phone needs service that the warranty covers...

It is common for apple to find ways to void your warranty.
These companies loose money every time they have to repair a product so they find ways to legally void the warranty or at least or at least stop the majority of the customers who are not knowledgeable in their rights of with technology from getting warranty service which will save the company money. and since most people who don't know much about tech are apple fanboys, they will still buy their products so apple only gains from this scam.

Apple is not alone on this policy. I have a Treo with Sprint and they refused to even check the phone for screen problem because they saw corrosion on the sync connector and basically gave me the same story that there is absolutely no way an externally exposed, non-covered metal connector can corrode without water damage and that mositure or humidity would not cause corrosion to the sync connector. Took all 10 seconds to deny a paid service claims.

I believe this is just a scam that manufacturers and cell companies use to void warranties and service claims so we buy more phones.

This is yet another good reason to avoid Apple products. I predict a class-action lawsuit over this.

Shameful Apple, truly shameful!

A friend was recounting his tale of falling victim to the false-positive indicator earlier today, right before this was posted. He was turned away from the Apple store when asking for a repair because the dot was pink. His fix? Go home, put a tiny drop of bleach on the indicator disk using a fine dropper, come back the next day and get a new iPhone.

@Razor512: Exactly, they can't sell the sheep another iPhone if they tell them that yes, they can repair the phone. But if they tell them they can't repair the phone they know the sheep will go and buy another iPhone because they just have to have it.

@sharkzfanz: 95% of those that go off are water damaged.

This percentage is based on what information and data? Did you waterboard the people who came into the Apple Store until 95% admitted they ran their iPhone through the dishwasher?

God, not this! I work for a cellphone carrier. EVERYDAY I see idiots come in to claim that they did not submerge their phone in water. This is NOT how it works people. That little indicator will trigger only if moisture gets on it. Many phones die from moisture getting in MONTHS later, when the corrosion sets in.

Until you guys can come up with a better liquid indicator, this is how it works with EVERY phone mfd. everywhere.

Also the indicators inside the phones are pretty much the same ones as the outside ones. So in the article it says the "better" ones inside the phone did not show indication of LD, well maybe because moisture etc would have a harder time to get inside the phone then the outside. Too bad the consumer still put the phone in what the mfd. considers "danger" by allowing moisture to get/build up in part of the phone.

Liquid Damage is the enemy of cell phones and all electronics. Even if the outside indicator only shows liquid contact, it could still have touched the connectors on the outside of the phone, causing corrosion over months, should the phone still be covered under warranty? My opinion is absolutely not.

Ive owned many phones over the years, and none show any signs of LD. If the indicator shows that it has come in contact with a liquid, then the user has put the phone in danger. Either using it in the bathroom, or getting their sweaty hands all over it, thats not the MFDs. fault and shouldn't be covered under warranty, because chances are, a few months down the road, that corrosion build up will possibly kill the phone.

@gStein: Also remember that the glue in tape is not "stable". Meaning that while it's easy to remove not, in the future, it may separate from the "tape" and stay attached to the sticker and the surrounding area. When I moved in, I masking taped the bottom of the ballisters to my stairway railing for when we put down floor stain/wax. I never removed the tape right away, and as such, it actually bonded to the paint itself, and when I tried to remove it a few months later, took all the paint off underneath it with it.

@sharkzfanz: While you may feel there is "steam all around your phone" there isn't. Unless your phone is at the level of the top of the shower curtain, it in no way is exposed to that much vapor. HOWEVER, if you bring a cold phone/iPhone/iPod/etc into that same environment after it is very cold, then you actually get surface condensation on things. An example would be placing your phone on the roof of your car at dusk, and as the cool night air rolls in, the same "dew" that forms on everything outside forms on your device. But just like the inside of your car doesn't get damaged, the same thing applies here. Even if you don't leave it there all night, just the hour it's outside can void your warranty.

"The reforms I am proposing would not apply to those who water damaged their iPhones illegally."

@G.O.B.: Come on!: This. So this.

If Apple refuses to fix a phone with a red sticker, either remove the sticker or sue Apple in small claims court. There is no limitation set in the warranty specifying that the sticker can't turn colors.

And second of all, why is everyone calling this a sensor? It's only a sensor if it sends a signal elsewhere. It's just a sticker that turns color when it gets wet.

@tinyrobot: This happened to me for a Motorola phone, I just removed the sticker entirely and had no problem getting it covered by the warranty.

@katstermonster: Works for most phones though. Apple is probably the only manufacturer that makes it nearly impossible to safely disassemble the phone. It most other phones, the stickers are behind the battery or the phone can be easily opened.

@acasto: Why do I get the idea that you're not kidding?

@katstermonster: he didnt say tough luck he is just stating that he doesnt have sympathy for him. I guess stating your opinion is being a moron? Also have you never heard of "buyer beware" some responsibility does lie with consumers, the most powerful tool we have is to not give our money to crappy companies. Haggie doesnt say any ware that he dosent think matt shouldnt have gotten the refund.

I know people that work for Apple. I hear these stories all the time, and usually the customer finally admits that they did something stupid after trying to get it replaced anyway. The reason the internal sensor doesn't go off is because most people do something stupid like drop it in a cup of water, a puddle, or a flooded cup holder in their car. It's only submerged for a second, not long enough to reach the internal sensor.