In a new announcement on Friday, Apple (AAPL) announced that it will replace cracked screens of Apple Watches for free. However, this program will only be available for watched sold between September 2016 and September 2019. Apple acknowledged that Series 2 and Series 3 watches made of aluminum were facing screen cracking issues around the edges.
Why did Apple make the announcement?
Some Apple watches have been facing problems with cracked screens. To combat the issue, the company announced on its website,
“Apple has determined that, under very rare circumstances, a crack may form along the rounded edge of the screen in aluminum models of an Apple Watch Series 2 or Series 3.”
The company said that it would fix watches for three years from the date of sale. Customers who want their watches to be repaired for free can visit an Apple store to check if their product is eligible for the free repair. Alternatively, they can look for an authorized service provider on the company website. The company has listed all the affected models on its website.
It is likely that some Apple Watches sold next month facing similar screen cracking problems will also be eligible for replacement. The company may also try to eliminate this problem in future models or discontinue affected models. However, it will not be covering shattered screens in the replacement program. Watches with ceramic and stainless steel will also not be covered.
Apple’s blue-eyed boy
Apple Watch is one of the most successful products in the company’s current line-up. In the last quarter, it sold wearables worth $5.53 billion. The company is expected to unveil the Apple Watch 5 alongside the iPhone 11 Pro at its upcoming September 10 event. Not many changes are expected in the new smartwatches because the company changed the hardware last year. As the watches now have bigger OLED displays. However, users can expect the ceramic and titanium models of the Watch to unveil this season. Apple had ditched ceramic display for series 4 but is coming back with it in series 5.
It is highly likely that newer watches will be very expensive. The tech community is expecting the watch to have new and more mind-boggling features- including a built-in camera, glucose monitor, blood pressure monitor and even a sleep tracker. The company could also announce an updated version of the series 4. Hopefully, it will not face the screen cracking problem of its earlier versions.