Hot tub isn't so hot for iPhone 5
- The situation: The iPhone 5 is a pretty hot device, and as a result has been flying off shelves and into the hands of eager users. But no matter how hot it is, it will never be made for a hot tub, as a Mississippi girl learned the hard way. Her dad told us that as a result of the incident, the device's screen and camera do not work, and that a repair was in order.
- What caused it: Well, that's already pretty clear in this case. But what is interesting about this particular instance is that both post-tub problems did not arise immediately following the incident. Only the phone's camera did not work when it was removed from the tub, while the LCD screen did not power out until a month later. Why the delay? It's likely because the girl had a Lifeproof case, which can go a long way toward protecting against damage that could otherwise occur. In addition to the case, the girl and her dad placed the phone in a tightly sealed bag of uncooked rice following the water submersion, another proactive step against long-term damage. But in this case, even those two tactics evidently did not prevent long-term screen damage from happening. The lesson here is that no matter how stringently you protect your device, it's best to never try your luck. So just keep all Apple products away from water.
- The solution: For this device, the iPhone 5c screen replacement cost can sometimes be hefty. But we will attempt to carry out the repair in the most economical way possible.
DIY gone sour
- The situation: A woman from Hawaii reached out to us because her iPhone 3G's home button is often unresponsive,
- What caused it: Don't get us wrong, there are some repairs that can certainly be carried out in the comfort of your own home. But unless you're either significantly experienced or following directions to a T, we don't count an iPhone battery replacement among the recommended DIY tasks. That is because the process of replacing the battery requires disassembly of the device, which can easily lead to the creation of new and unforeseen problems. That appears to be the case here, since it was after undertaking such a DIY battery replacement that the woman noticed the home button intermittently not functioning, and reasoned that it's likely because she did not reassemble the device properly.
- The solution: Fortunately for her, we know exactly what we're doing and will easily be able to retrace her steps not only to identify what went wrong, but to fix it.
Battling a battery issue
- The situation: A Michigan customer sent her device in because its battery is deteriorating when it comes to accepting a charge.
- What caused it: The woman is a frequent flyer and aptly surmised that the changes in humidity that occur when flying could contribute to the issue.
- The solution: This repair will involve identifying whether the problem lies just with the battery or at a deeper level. Fingers crossed that it's not the latter.