The Tropics May Be Too Humid For Apple’s iPhone
7:34 am, July 24th, 2009, Leander Kahney
Apple is adding moisture sensors to everything, from iPods and iPhones to MacBooks and even its latest keyboards.
But recent reports suggest the sensors may be too sensitive, and may even be triggered by high humidity.
The moisture sensors, or Liquid Submersion Indicators (LSI), are small stickers that change color from white to red if submerged. Apple refuses to honor warranties on products with triggered sensors, assuming they’ve been dropped in a swimming pool or doused with Mountain Dew, no matter what the owner says.
The sensors, which are found in the dock connector ports of iPhones and under the keys of Apple’s latest keyboards, are controversial. There have been complaints that they’re triggered by sweat.
Now, there are reports out of Singapore that high humidity is killing iPhones, but positive LSI indicators are allowing the local carrier to reject warranty claims.
According to forum posts on HardwareZone, Singapore’s wireless carrier Singtel is rejecting warranty claims of iPhones that appear to have suffered water damage, but owners swear up and down their iPhones have never been submerged.
Singapore is one of the most humid cities in the world. Humidity ranges between 75 and 90 percent all year round, and can reach 100 percent after periods of prolonged rain.
According to Apple, LSIs aren’t triggered only when exposed to liquid. Apple’s manual for technicians says:
Damage due to liquid exposure is not covered by the Apple one (1) year limited warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan (APP)….
The indicators trigger only with direct contact to a liquid. The indicators will not be triggered by temperature and humidity that is within the product’s environmental requirements described by Apple. A triggered indicator will turn red or pink, as shown in the examples below, indicating that the module(s) to which the indicator is attached has been exposed to liquid.
Important: If you see a triggered LSI, inspect all adjacent modules for liquid damage. Components or modules that do not work due to liquid contact are not eligible for warranty service. Furthermore, the resulting damage may be so extensive that the cost of repairing the product may exceed the cost of replacing the product. Inform customers about this possibility.
Customers are responsible for the costs of servicing products that are damaged as a result of liquid contact. This includes, for example, the cost of replacing keyboards that stop working due to liquid spills.
The iPhone’s technical specs state that the acceptable humidity range is between 5% and 95%, but conditions must be “noncondensing.” Trouble is, leaving an air conditioned building will often create condensation.
In addition, according to tech specs from the manufacturer of the LSI sensors, 3M, days exposure at 95% humidity will change sensors slightly pink. (See the sensor’s product brochures – PDF).
3M says LSI sensors should be stored in conditions not exceeding 60-80°F and humidity 40% to 60% — which Singapore and other tropical cities never are.
These are storage conditions, not usage conditions, but one wonders whether it’s best to avoid hot humid climes with your brand new iPhone?
Via MacBidouille and MacNN.
Here are some of the locations of LSIs in keyboards and MacBooks. Pictures from MacBidouille.
Posted by Leander Kahney in Hardware, News, iPhone | Comment on this article
GLOBAL WARMING!!!! Jk
Eric, on July 24th, 2009 at 8:30 am
I live in New Orleans, LA. This area is considered sub-tropical and does have humidity outside the range specified by Apple. It is not inconceivable that LSI sensors ould be triggered through normal use. Believe me when I tell you that a rainy, summer day in NOLA will make an LSI as pink as a boiled shrimp’s a**. For that reason I will not purchase any device so conceived by Apple or any other manufacturer. In fact, I have mentioned to a state legislator that consideration should be given to banning the sale of such items under the terms of Apple’s warrenty. I had a raised eyebrow from the legislator. Knowing that legislator, I would say that if this problem comes on the radar here in Louisiana – well, you get the picture. So, bottom line is that if you live on the Gulf Coast be aware that LSIs will trigger.
Russ, on July 24th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I agree with the commentator and the article that it is quite possible to get the LSI triggered even when not submerged in water, simply due to humidity. I used to live in West Africa and the humidity there wreaked havoc on a lot of electronic equipment. To keep electronic equipment dry, they were often used in an air conditioned room. However, it was possible that condensation would form when the computer or electronic device was brought out of the condensation room.
Do you remember the trusty VCR recorder/player? On every manual that came with a VCR recorder/player, it said that if you moved a player from a cold place to a hot place, you should turn on the VCR for about a hour and let the heat dry out the heads that read the videotapes. The logic there is because condensation would inevitably form on the read heads. Now, if condensation could form on the heads of VCR, of course it could also form on these LSI stickers.
West Africa’s humidity is not the only climate challenge to electronics. During part of the year, it is very dust and dry because of the winds that blow southwesterly across the Sahara to the coast. These conditions of dust and sand (which penetrated indoors even if you closed every door and window) is certainly a challenge.
Agree, on July 24th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I live in miami florida so I guess Im just shit out of luck cuz I know there are many moisture problems here here due to the humidity
Jetrois, on July 24th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Thought I would chime in. I live in New Orleans and I have had my iPhone 3G for about a year now. I just looked at both of my LSIs, they are nice and white. So Russ I guess you may want to reword that bold claim of yours. Most LSIs take a decent amount of moisture to trip, enough moisture that if it condensed and tripped the LSI, chances are it also condensed on the sensitive parts of the iPhone and possibly caused a short. A lot of people, from what I have read, seem to think that these LSIs are switches of sorts. They are under the notion that if the LSI trips then an actual physical switch will trip and cause the iPhone to not work anymore.
James, on July 24th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Meh. I live in Thailand, had an iPhone for 2 years, and no problems.
Now if I were to leave the iPhone in an Air-Conditioned room set to really low unattended, then proceeded to take it outside and left it somewhere unattended, I can imagine it could possibly get damaged. Since I have the phone in my pants pocket it’s at body temperature most times.
On the other hand, the phone survived tropical downpours in my front pocket when I was drenched to my underpants. The phone was wet, but still working – it’s not easy for water to actually get inside the phone where it could damage something.
nikster, on July 25th, 2009 at 4:43 am
I too live in New Orleans, I have had an iPhone, iPhone 3G, and now a 3G S and all of my LSI’s have stayed white.
I don’t use a case, just a leather pouch and there is no other protection,
I have even taken mine to the Bahamas, Rio de Janeiro, Miami, and other high-humidity locales and have never had a problem with even the slightest pinking.
I would guess to say it is possible but only under extreme conditions, just be careful when you use your phone.
Matt, on July 26th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I live in Taipei, Taiwan.
the humidity is always high in summer
lot’s of people here claiming the LSI triggered because of the humidity and found out they lose the warranty while they protecting the device as careful as their own baby.
it’s really disappointing that apple didn’t consider this as a big problem.
Timothy, on July 26th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I live in London, England, and on reading this checked the sensor on my phone. Lo and behold… it’s red. The phone functions as it did when I first opened the box over a year ago now and it has never been submerged so can only assume that it has been unwittingly been caused by rain or sweat during regular use. Let’s hope it doesn’t break down in the next 6 months before I can upgrade to the s.
Giles, on July 26th, 2009 at 10:40 pm