Apple Outlines Types of Apple Watch Damage Eligible for Warranty Service

MacRumors has obtained official Visual Mechanical Inspection information for the Apple Watch that reveals what type of damage is eligible for warranty service, out-of-warranty service or no service at all. These guidelines are adhered to by Apple authorized service providers and are based upon Apple's standard 1-year limited hardware warranty for the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch damage that is eligible for warranty service includes user-claimed debris under the display glass or pixel anomaly, a back cover removed with no damage, and any condensation in the heart rate sensor windows. In particular, the document states that a removed back cover is only covered when not accompanied by enclosure damage or evidence of prying.


Apple Watch damage that is eligible for out-of-warranty service includes a cracked, missing, removed or damaged Digital Crown cap, extreme abrasion, puncture holes, missing buttons resulting from a drop, any chips or multiple cracks in the display glass, a removed back cover with evidence of enclosure damage or prying, a bent or split band enclosure, a missing or removed band release button, or cracks in the back cover.


Apple Watch damage considered nonreturnable and ineligible for warranty service includes a disassembled unit or missing parts, catastrophic damage, counterfeit or third-party parts, and unauthorized modifications such as aftermarket displays and other non-Apple installed parts. Catastrophic damage may still be covered under an AppleCare+ Protection Plan on a case-by-case basis.


Apple disclosed earlier this month that it will charge out-of-warranty service fees of $229, $329 and $2,800 for the Sport, Watch and Edition models respectively for repairs not covered by Apple's limited one-year warranty or AppleCare+ for Apple Watch. Out-of-warranty battery service is also available for $79 plus an applicable $6.95 shipping charge if required for all Apple Watch models.