iPhone's Liquid Sensors Can Be Triggered By Wintertime Use 484
An anonymous reader writes "The Polish website Moje Jabluszko ran an experiment that proves the poor reliability of the liquid contact indicators (original, in Polish) installed by Apple in the iPhone. They performed three different tests to challenge the LCIs, which they recorded as a movie. They decided to mimic regular usage of the iPhone — meaning, you go outside where it could be cold or warm, then move inside in a building where temperature might be dramatically different, but still within covered conditions. So, they placed the iPhone in its box for one hour outside at -11 C, then moved it inside at room temperature for 24 hours. They repeated the experiment 3 times, and after the third cycle they could show that the LCI located in the audio jack plug started turning red! This is a clear proof that LCIs are not reliable and could turn red while the iPhone has been used under the defined environmental requirements defined by Apple. Here, only the condensing water could have been in contact with the sensor. In other words, even moving in and out during regular winter time will make you iPhone LCI turn red!" (In the tech specs for the iPhone, Apple rates the non-operating temperature range as -20 to 45 C.)
Doubly unreliable (Score:5, Funny)
We do a lot of service on macbooks at work, and there's been times when we've taking a unit in for service that "won't turn on" and the user "has no idea why", only to find out they're drippy inside, and none of the liquid sensors are tripped.
Re:Doubly unreliable (Score:3, Funny)
non-operating temperature range... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Doubly unreliable (Score:5, Funny)
They really have liquid sensors in them? That seems so... Orwellian. Does that not bother anyone else?
I can't quite figure out if this is flamebait, or if I'm just the only person who can't make a connection between liquid sensors in a consumer electronic device and a dystopian police state. If a liquid sensor bothers you so much, I hate to be the one to tell you, but ... don't turn your iPhone around ... there's even a camera!
So, no, to answer your question: it doesn't seem to bother me a bit.
simple solution (Score:5, Funny)
Move to California.
Re:What are the sensors made of? (Score:5, Funny)
I believe the sensor is 3M Material 5559, which is a kind of humidity indicator [wikipedia.org]. Wiki says, that these are usually made from Cobalt(II) chloride, which in pure form turns from blue to red powder by absorbing water.
Either that or the phone is pregnant.
Re:Doubly unreliable (Score:5, Funny)
Re:non-operating temperature range... (Score:3, Funny)
Welcome to California. Apparently, none of our Northernisms (I'm Canadian, eh) are welcome Cupertino-wise. That is pretty mind-bogglingly high even for there, though - it does snow there sometimes.
(Wow, I dragged you out to reply to my humble post? Sorry! ;) )
--- Mr. DOS
Re:Doubly unreliable (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Orwell 1984 (Score:4, Funny)
Very true. For instance, by applying methods first outlined in the paper "Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis" (Statistical Science 9: 429-438) to Orwell's Animal Farm, I discovered the following statement appears no less than 16 times!
"Android good, iPhone Bad!"
Re:Doubly unreliable (Score:2, Funny)
i'd rather not overpay up front
And yet you buy Apple products.
*ducks*
Re:Doubly unreliable (Score:3, Funny)
Oh you do find some Apple users there. They just keep it IN THE CLOSET.
Re:Doubly unreliable (Score:3, Funny)
Nearly. You can only have your phone there during the day. Don't keep it there overnight as the LCI may be triggered by the dew.