Apple's guide to eligible repairs under and out of warranty has accidentally surfaced on the web. Here's everything you need to know
Everyone who has an iPhone at least once has asked themselves this question: will my smartphone be eligible for free repairs from Apple? Luckily, there's a guide to figure out which repairs are included in the warranty, which ones are guaranteed out of warranty, and which iPhones are not eligible for repairs.
Cupertino's guide regarding repairs is 22 pages long and was accidentally released on the Web. Within the document, it only talks about repairs guaranteed to those who own an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. From Apple's guidelines, it can be understood that there are just a few damages that the company insures even during the warranty period, aside from accidental damage. These are factory errors in the display, especially the abnormal display of pixels. But also issues related to the rear camera. If these bugs occur Apple guarantees free repair under warranty even after accidental damage.
In practice if we display white pixels when opening the camera or during normal navigation on the screen we are entitled to a free repair, if under warranty, even if the phone has been dropped or damaged in some way.
Which iPhones are not eligible for repair
Some other damage to the LCD screen and connectors may be included in out-of-warranty repairs, although in this case to get the service we will never have had to make any changes to the phone. In practice if we have replaced an Apple battery with a third-party or if we have used non-original chargers the company will consider our iPhone as not eligible for repair. From the guide we understand that those who have subscribed to the AppleCare+ insurance plan have some additional repairs available than other customers. According to our insurance plan we can have a replacement of the broken screen or two repairs following accidental damage.
What to do if the iPhone 7 falls into the water
The latest iPhones are waterproof but if there were factory errors and the smartphone was damaged after immersion in water the company guarantees us a free repair, even out of warranty. Attention, however, the replacement or repair is guaranteed only in case of contact with water. If the phone, after verification by Apple, is found to be damaged due to contact with cosmetics or other soluble products, the iPhone will be considered ineligible for repair.