Wet iPhone? No sweat: Apple has a replacement plan

Sweating your iPhone out-of-service is now a slightly less terminal problem

Sweating your iPhone out-of-service is now a slightly less terminal problem, thanks to a new wet iPhone replacement plan introduced by Apple this week. That, my friends, is one odd sentence I never expected to have occasion to write.

The Woes of a Wet iPhone

The wet iPhone problem isn't quite as strange as it may sound: The iPhone has a reputation for being supersensitive to sweat and steam, it seems, and that's left plenty of people -- well, steaming mad. Vigorous workouts have proven to produce enough perspiration to cause iPhones to shut down, keeping consumer reporters worldwide running to keep up with complaints. (Let's just hope they weren't holding iPhones at the time.)

Avoiding exercise doesn't keep you safe, either: Moisture from your shower, some say, can also cause an iPhone to stop working. (Maybe it's just me, but doesn't that beg the question of why you're bringing the phone into the bathroom while you bathe? Would you actually take an incoming call while sudsing up your special zones?)

Apple's New Policy

Regardless of the reason, Apple previously hadn't been too understanding about water damage to the devices. The company used to require you to buy a new phone and start a new contract, putting a real damper on the whole iPhone-owning experience.

Now, though, the company's changing its tune. Got your phone a little too damp? Don't sweat it, Apple says. Just call your local Apple Store, make an appointment with the Genius Bar, and go in to get a discounted replacement.

The deal, as explained to me by an Apple Store representative: You shell out US$199, get a model of the same generation, and avoid having to sign up for a new contract. The phone could be new or refurbished -- but, unlike your current one, it'll work. And, unlike with the policies of the past, you won't be signing your cellular life away for another two years.

If all else fails, you can always spring for the iDive underwater case. It'll protect your iPhone under 300 feet of water, so unless you are one absurdly sweaty son-of-a-gun, you should be safe.

For further reading:

o "Disaster! How to Salvage a Wet Gadget," by the PC World staffo "Dealing With Overactive Sweat Glands," by CafeMom.como "The 100 Sweatiest Cities in America," by Old Spice o "How to Avoid Sweating Too Much," by wikiHow

Connect with JR Raphael on Twitter (@jr_raphael) or via his Web site, jrstart.com.

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