Apple has relaxed their water damage policy for the iPod, and this probably includes the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch as well.

This is good news for users who have had experience with a device getting slightly moist from something like fog or rain, but there are certainly going to be limits to what Apple determines is acceptable liquid contact.

Specifically, the new policy states the following:



If a customer disputes whether an iPod with an activated LCI has been damaged by liquid contact and there are no external signs of damage from corrosion, then the iPod may still be eligible for warranty service.

That last line, about a device may be eligible for warranty service, would be particularly welcome to iPhone and iPod users who live in humid climates, who sometimes report the Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI) can be wrongly activated due to extended exposure to high humidity and certain environmental conditions.

Of course, this does not allow a deeply water damaged device to get a repair, but ultimately it may depend on a case-by-case basis. For users who have dropped their iPhone into water or otherwise gotten it very wet, you can follow these instructions to try and save the iPhone from water damage on your own. Basically you’re going to need to turn it off immediately and try and dry it out completely before any attempted usage, and it can take a few days for a device to really dry out. Not all iPhones that have suffered serious water contact can be saved, but sometimes they work just fine if you act quick enough.

Image of updated policy comes from the French site iGeneration.