Apple

Apple allowing trade-ins of water-damaged iPhones

iPhone

In late August, Apple introduced its “Reuse and Recycle” initiative, a program that allows customers to trade their gently-used iPhones into an Apple Store for credit towards a new product. While that sounds like a great deal, one stipulation of the program is that the devices had to be in working order – and they couldn’t have had their liquid contact indicators tripped, either.

The liquid contact indicators inside Apple devices are notoriously sensitive, and have even led to a class-action lawsuit by owners who were denied service or trade-in eligibility due to a faulty indicator. Luckily for them, Apple has acknowledged the sensitivity of its indicators and has started accepting water-damaged iPhones into the trade-in program.

There are still some minor stipulations, though: the phone still has to work, and if there are any signs of corrosion in the ports or liquid under the screen, Apple will still refuse the device.

The move is likely designed to help sell more units of the iPhone 5C, Apple’s recently-introduced budget model that has reportedly been selling in an underwhelming manner. Giving credit to customers who are in the market for new iPhones is a surefire way to move at least some units, and you can be sure that’s where this change of heart is coming from.

Regardless of Apple’s motives, it’s certainly an appreciated move – especially for those who were missing out on a trade-in program due to faulty liquid contact indicators. If you are one of those unlucky people, are you going to take advantage of the program?

[9to5Mac]
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Calob Horton

Calob Horton is an associate editor at Pocketables. He loves all technology, no matter which company it comes from. This unbiased view of the tech world allows him to choose the products that best fit his personal needs and tastes: a Microsoft Surface Pro, a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and a third-gen iPad.Google+ | Twitter | More posts by Calob | Subscribe to Calob's posts

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