Cracked iWatch 3 Screen

[phamer1]

Just found my six month old S3 Apple Watch on the charger red hot and cracked all the way round the screen. Battery looked like a pillow ( rather than flat). Took it to an Apple approved repair centre and they agreed swollen battery. Sent to Apple and they said I must have dropped it. I tried hard to convince them that it had never been dropped, but they wouldn’t budge. Their own forum is full of people with the same problem ( literally thousands) and yet they refuse to acknowledge the problem. I posted an identical statement to this on the Apple forum and it was removed within 12 hours ( apparently it was a “rant”, you be the judge). Something is amiss and needs to be sorted. They have finally backed down over the series1 and 2. Maybe they’ll come to their senses over the 3. There is a class action lawsuit pending in the USA over this very problem.

Similar scenario.
My Wife encountered a detached screen with crack along the top edge. I was in the kitchen with my wife and it just ominously detached. No obvious reason surrounding the circumstances and historically my Wife's care for watches and jewellery etc. is the polar opposite to mine.

Contacted customer care and after explanation and uploaded picture was instructed to post back the watch. I received a really impressive customer care approach. This underpinned decisions made to buy a recognised brand with quality as its backbone.
Unfortunately this soon fell apart.Once the watch was returned the verdict received back was customer damage. I challenged this as the screen popped out without obvious impact, which indicated that an internal pressure may have been present either from battery swell or checked in pressure. From there on in I received total radio silence from the person involved with the case. The watch was returned and has remained in the returned box ever since.

I am more disappointed by the customer care than the watch. The intention started well but close out of the customer complaint and rapid route cause analysis that took place could be nothing short of superficial.

The watch is not suitable for normal daily use and certainly not designed for foreseable misuse. Its eluded that the watch is suitable for sports use this cannot be the case. design flaw, production process flaw or material flaw is the route cause. The relationship between Apple and its customers is based on trust, honesty and integrity. There is a known and foreseable weakness in the product delivered to the customer and this should be addressed directly and in a positive manner. VOC

 

[Oldmanmac]

Class action lawsuit?

Got all the input I need for purchase. NOT!

 

[thebernard]

They didn’t just give you the $280 repair cost. You had the choice to get Apple Care plus or not. People need to acknowledge where their responsibility lies too. My bro had the same thing happen, he hit his watch and broke it... he didn’t get Apple care and he was angry since he usually does...difference was he said I should have bought Apple care plus. Why is that left out of your complaint. Only apple’s fault. You didn’t think you would break it so you took a risk. You self insured. Self insuring is more costly when the item breaks.

The watch survives many bumps as many people have explained and experiences. It won’t survive all bumps. We all have heard of the person who dropped their phone on carpet just wrong and had their phone screen shatter. It goes for any electronic device with a glass screen. Sometimes it just breaks. No, Apple can’t engineer it to survive all possible scenarios. That is not realistic.

[doublepost=1538913473][/doublepost]My watch cracked as well and did not get Apple Care.
I purchased my watch online but not through Apple. Apple Care was not offered and it never crossed my mind to even get it.
I was shocked by the cost of repairs and choose not to have it repaired. Instead I ordered the series 4 with Apple Care.
I consider myself a tech enthusiast and I am well informed on Apple products but admittedly not familiar with the perils of wearing a smartwatch.
It was an expensive lesson and hope that by sharing my experience it will help others make a better informed purchase. It would be nice if Apple raised awareness about the benefit of getting Apple Care. They should insist that third party stores at minimum remind buyers about Apple Care and better yet offer it.

 

[Sword86]

Boy, one thing that becomes real clear reading this entire thread is, for one reason or another, a small number of screens are popping off so you’d better be buying Apple care. If you don’t feel the need is warranted, you ought to be giving some real thought to not buying an AW at all. S

 

[44267547]

Boy, one thing that becomes real clear reading this entire thread is, for one reason or another, a small number of screens are popping off so you’d better be buying Apple care. If you don’t feel the need is warranted, you ought to be giving some real thought to not buying an AW at all. S

With the screens detaching, it’s mainly a concern with the first GEN Apple Watch, but it did proceed to the Series 1 and Series 2 intermittently. But Its not as widespread very with the Series 3 experiencing any type of battery concerns. Either way, if it is a concern with the battery, Apple will replace it, assuming it is indeed a defective battery that would be causing the issue to begin with.

 

[Sadwthiwatch]

After 2 months, my Apple Watch 3 has a cracked screen (diagonally across the top right corner), the touch function is gone so I can’t enter my passcode - so it is essentially a brick. I’m certain I didn’t drop it or whack it against anything. Apple won’t repair it under warranty and it would cost me $280 for repair. That’s not going to happen. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

[doublepost=1541207882][/doublepost]My son has had his Apple Watch series 4 for a month. It dropped from wrist height to the tile bathroom floor. We mailed the watch to Apple Inc and now they say the cost of it will be $375. To get a new one. As there is three cracks and the corner is where the impact happened.
I am arguing that how can this be a sports watch?! It can’t fall from a wrist without shattering?
I want to team up with others in the same category and file a class action lawsuit

 

[44267547]

[doublepost=1541207882][/doublepost]My son has had his Apple Watch series 4 for a month. It dropped from wrist height to the tile bathroom floor. We mailed the watch to Apple Inc and now they say the cost of it will be $375. To get a new one. As there is three cracks and the corner is where the impact happened.
I am arguing that how can this be a sports watch?! It can’t fall from a wrist without shattering?
I want to team up with others in the same category and file a class action lawsuit

You’re blaming Apple for using ‘inferior’ materials with the Apple Watch because the watch dropped from your son’s wrist to a hard tile bathroom floor? Do You expect the Apple Watch to survive every single drop when it hits a hard surface? What if I told you that I dropped my stainless steel Apple Watch on a hard surface and it never broke, maybe I should praise Apple for making a quality watch. My point is, _every_ situation will be different, but you can’t blame Apple for using ‘poor materials’ because you’re upset that your son broke his watch from dropping it.

 

[brentc133]

You’re blaming Apple for using ‘inferior’ materials with the Apple Watch because the watch dropped from your son’s wrist to a hard tile bathroom floor? Do You expect the Apple Watch to survive every single drop when it hits a hard surface? What if I told you that I dropped my stainless steel Apple Watch on a hard surface and it never broke, maybe I should praise Apple for making a quality watch. My point is, _every_ situation will be different, but you can’t blame Apple for using ‘poor materials’ because you’re upset that your son broke his watch from dropping it.

Agree 100%. It’s a glass screen that contacted a tile floor. It’s usually just the luck of the landing and obviously this Watch landed squarely on the glass screen which is the worst possible outcome. Sorry for your son’s bad luck but if he had of bought Apple Care then it would be a whole different story.

 

[Knight3]

[doublepost=1541207882][/doublepost]My son has had his Apple Watch series 4 for a month. It dropped from wrist height to the tile bathroom floor. We mailed the watch to Apple Inc and now they say the cost of it will be $375. To get a new one. As there is three cracks and the corner is where the impact happened.
I am arguing that how can this be a sports watch?! It can’t fall from a wrist without shattering?
I want to team up with others in the same category and file a class action lawsuit

I’m fairly certain you’d be left out of the lawsuit should there be one.
You wouldn’t sue Home Depot for your broken bathroom mirror now. Would you?

Also, if it’s only been a month and you purchased it using a credit card, there’s a good chance your credit card covers for the damage. It’s usually valid for up to 90 days for most cards. Try and file a claim as soon as possible instead of blaming others for your lack of care for the product.

 

[Sadwthiwatch]

You’re blaming Apple for using ‘inferior’ materials with the Apple Watch because the watch dropped from your son’s wrist to a hard tile bathroom floor? Do You expect the Apple Watch to survive every single drop when it hits a hard surface? What if I told you that I dropped my stainless steel Apple Watch on a hard surface and it never broke, maybe I should praise Apple for making a quality watch. My point is, _every_ situation will be different, but you can’t blame Apple for using ‘poor materials’ because you’re upset that your son broke his watch from dropping it.

If Apple Inc didn’t advertise that it was a Sports Watch that could even detect falls. Then it wouldn’t be so absurd that a wrist height fall would shatter the corner and have three cracks through the screen. I have a Tag Heuer dive watch with metal band and it has dropped over the past 10 years probably a dozen times. Never a crack in the glass. Why? Because it is a quality product that claims to be able to go in the water, to be strong enough to play sports and still look great out for the evening. It does what it promises.
Apple Inc has made a sports watch that cannot stand up against one fall . It’s an oxymoron. As people that play sports fall!

 

[Bosechris]

If Apple Inc didn’t advertise that it was a Sports Watch that could even detect falls. Then it wouldn’t be so absurd that a wrist height fall would shatter the corner and have three cracks through the screen. I have a Tag Heuer dive watch with metal band and it has dropped over the past 10 years probably a dozen times. Never a crack in the glass. Why? Because it is a quality product that claims to be able to go in the water, to be strong enough to play sports and still look great out for the evening. It does what it promises.
Apple Inc has made a sports watch that cannot stand up against one fall . It’s an oxymoron. As people that play sports fall!

Hello.
Could you show picture of those 2 watch?
Thanks.

 

[Sadwthiwatch]

Don’t get me wrong. I love Apple Inc products. Although, I feel that the Apple Sport Watch 4 is flawed. I believe that it should be used as a “trial and error” situation, at Apple Inc expense not my 17 year old son’s expense.
My son is handicapped and does have propensity to fall. So the fall detector is awesome. My son has used the watch to count laps in the pool and it has encouraged him to swim longer. It has measured his heartbeat.
The flaw is the sides of the Apple Watch 4 they are not protected. So I want a Apple Watch 5 that has all the same capabilities as 4 but with reengineering in the strength of the sides to prevent cracks. This is constructive criticism.

 

[Purga]

A few things to consider:
- there is two watch types: a cheaper 'sport' version and a more expensive 'stainless steel' version. The latter is much more robust due to the steel and saphire glass. However you chose the former.
- there is the possibility for apple care in case you are worried for involuntary damage to the watch
- there is the possibility of using a casing, in case you need added protection

Isn't it absurd to think that an aluminium body with regular glass could be 100% protected for falling onto tiles? Can your phone?

 

[nasa25]

This thread is a joke

Get AppleCare and stop complaining when your watch breaks after you drop it. I used my s0 aluminum in high risk sports activities for 3 years and it had like 2 scratches on it and zero cracks. I also had AppleCare on the watch but never used it.

 

[44267547]

Apple Inc has made a sports watch that cannot stand up against one fall . It’s an oxymoron. As people that play sports fall!

There’s nothing true what you’re saying here. The Apple Watch is extremely durable with the aluminum and stainless model. Being your new to Macrumors, I also would suggest you read through the *countless* threads there on the Apple Watch forum that many members will attest that how durable the sport model Apple Watch is in a variety of environments. That said, you’re upset that your son broke his watch by his own negligence by dropping it, you can’t place blame on Apple for something that inadvertently happened due to circumstances that has nothing to do with the Apple Watch durability.

I already provided you the example that I have dropped my Apple Watch and it survive the fall, therefore I should say the Apple makes great products. You’re basically upset over something seemingly that you don’t want to accept of your sons own fault. Anything that is dropped is based on angle, impact and surface type how it affects when something breaks based on a Fall.

 

[Azathoth123]

I doubt any watch maker, smart watch or dumb watch, is going to warranty a watch dropped on a hard surface except as a courtesy to the customer. A hard drop is really outside the design criteria for most delicate mechanisms.

I’d also disagree that the term ‘sport’ implies that drops onto hard surfaces won’t damage it. ‘Sport’ to me implies a different/additional function like faces, bands, software, etc.

If you think that you’re going to drop the watch on a hard surface, get a case for it.

Side note, I have a 40-year old Rolex, and it has a polycarbonate plastic ‘crystal’. It’s very durable, but it scratches fairly easily compared to glass and you can also ‘chip’ it especially at the corners of the crystal. Folks might want to submit a feature request that the sport models use a polycarbonate plastic crystal, keeping in mind that it will show scratches/abuse which will accumulate with time. People would of course complain about this too and demand that Apple use glass then we’re back where we started.

 

[Knight3]

If Apple Inc didn’t advertise that it was a Sports Watch that could even detect falls. Then it wouldn’t be so absurd that a wrist height fall would shatter the corner and have three cracks through the screen. I have a Tag Heuer dive watch with metal band and it has dropped over the past 10 years probably a dozen times. Never a crack in the glass. Why? Because it is a quality product that claims to be able to go in the water, to be strong enough to play sports and still look great out for the evening. It does what it promises.
Apple Inc has made a sports watch that cannot stand up against one fall . It’s an oxymoron. As people that play sports fall!

I don't know any sport that particularly involves dropping something from your wrist height or deliberately bumping your watch against desks or walls. Probably why Apple failed to design watches with Kevlar reinforced corners.

Jokes aside, I used the Aluminum version of Series 2 for a year and bumped into kitchen counter tops, walls and other stuff a few times. Most of the time I haven't even noticed a scratch and other times they did. And it did survive a couple falls from chest height. Does that mean mine is any different from yours other than the circumstances? Not at all!
But there might be advancements in the future that would allow for Apple to design something with stronger corners without compromising their simplistic design.

 

[Azathoth123]

I find it curious that anyone would think that you could drop any glass onto concrete/tile, bang it against rocks or masonry walls and believe that there wouldn’t be a high probability of cracks, scratches, or chips.

 

[Bosechris]

I doubt any watch maker, smart watch or dumb watch, is going to warranty a watch dropped on a hard surface except as a courtesy to the customer. A hard drop is really outside the design criteria for most delicate mechanisms.

I’d also disagree that the term ‘sport’ implies that drops onto hard surfaces won’t damage it. ‘Sport’ to me implies a different/additional function like faces, bands, software, etc.

If you think that you’re going to drop the watch on a hard surface, get a case for it.

Side note, I have a 40-year old Rolex, and it has a polycarbonate plastic ‘crystal’. It’s very durable, but it scratches fairly easily compared to glass and you can also ‘chip’ it especially at the corners of the crystal. Folks might want to submit a feature request that the sport models use a polycarbonate plastic crystal, keeping in mind that it will show scratches/abuse which will accumulate with time. People would of course complain about this too and demand that Apple use glass then we’re back where we started.

Hi.
I like Rolex, i am fan it.
I have never seen a 40 years old Rolex.
Could you show a picture ?
Thanks.
[doublepost=1541352678][/doublepost]So you mean that Rolex is not as strong as I think ?

 

[newellj]

I find it curious that anyone would think that you could drop any glass onto concrete/tile, bang it against rocks or masonry walls and believe that there wouldn’t be a high probability of cracks, scratches, or chips.

Agree very strongly. If you want to play hockey with your watch (as the puck), buy a G-Shock.

 

[Azathoth123]

Hi.
I like Rolex, i am fan it.
I have never seen a 40 years old Rolex.
Could you show a picture ?
Thanks.
[doublepost=1541352678][/doublepost]So you mean that Rolex is not as strong as I think ?

Here you are! Rolex appearance doesn’t change much from year to year. This one is 1977, so 41 years old.

Rolex is stainless (like some Apple) or 18k gold and the crystal is polycarbonate plastic on this model. They are very durable, but they can be damaged just like anything else. The gold is of course VERY soft compared to steel.

 

[Bosechris]

Thanks for the pic, I like it.
Is it true that sometimes you must go to jewelry to check up, set up and put special oil inside ?

 

[AZhappyjack]

[doublepost=1541207882][/doublepost]My son has had his Apple Watch series 4 for a month. It dropped from wrist height to the tile bathroom floor. We mailed the watch to Apple Inc and now they say the cost of it will be $375. To get a new one. As there is three cracks and the corner is where the impact happened.
I am arguing that how can this be a sports watch?! It can’t fall from a wrist without shattering?
I want to team up with others in the same category and file a class action lawsuit

AC+ would have solved this issue. You break it, you bought it.

 

[BillGates1969]

Here you are! Rolex appearance doesn’t change much from year to year. This one is 1977, so 41 years old.

Rolex is stainless (like some Apple) or 18k gold and the crystal is polycarbonate plastic on this model. They are very durable, but they can be damaged just like anything else. The gold is of course VERY soft compared to steel.

Mine is only 10 years old...proves the design is timeless!

 

[Azathoth123]

Thanks for the pic, I like it.
Is it true that sometimes you must go to jewelry to check up, set up and put special oil inside ?

It is a mechanical watch and has lubricants like oil. A Rolex can easily last 3+ generations, so 150 years or more, I think maybe much longer. Oil and many traditional liubricants will thicken or degrade with time and have to be cleaned off and replaced. This is true of all mechanical watches at this time. New high-tech lubricants could easily extend the service intervals. But still, yes every 15-20 years, a service is a good thing to do.

Mechanical parts also wear, but mechanical watch makers know this and there is a mechanical adjustment to compensate for wear, environment, etc. It is basically a small internal mechanical adjustment to speed up or slow down the watch.

I would encourage you to get one if you want to, it is a completely different experience and used older models like mine can be had very reasonably - just buy from a reliable dealer. You own it, but after some time, it owns you too, by the memories where you wore it, the people that you knew or met ... As much as I love my Apple watch, I do not believe that an Apple watch will ever hang out for 150 years - hey, my Rolex is almost 30% of the way there and it performs like new. It isn’t anywhere as near as acccurate as a digital watch, mine loses about 1 minute a month, but it has done that for 40 years so, therefore I am used to it. And it is used to me.