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Apple removes ‘impact resistant’ claim from Apple Watch after losing court case over cracked screen

The BBC reports that Apple has removed the phrase ‘impact resistant’ from its description of the Apple Watch after losing a UK court case over a cracked screen. The owner said that he had been influenced by the description as he is “prone to knocking things about a bit.”

Gareth Cross, 32, from Aberystwyth, [bought] his Apple Watch Sport, but spotted a crack in the glass face 10 days later. The technology giant said work to fix the watch was not covered by warranty […]

Mr Cross took the company to the small claims court in Aberystwyth for breach of the Sale of Goods Act, and has won the case after a six-month fight. The company was ordered to refund the cost of the watch and pay £429 ($620) costs. Apple has now changed the description of the watch, removing the claim it was resistant to impact.

Cross says that he still plans to buy a replacement Watch.

Accidental damage is covered for those who pay to upgrade to AppleCare+, but not for standard warranty claims. We last year detailed the visual inspection process used by Apple to accept or deny claims.

Torture tests demonstrated that the Watch is pretty tough, but not immune to damage. The sapphire screens used on the more expensive stainless steel and Edition models is far more scratch-resistant than the Sport model, but just as vulnerable to cracks.

Photo: swns.com

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Comments

  1. iSRS - 9 years ago

    So “resistant” now needs to mean “impervious” I guess.

    • Michael Maguire - 9 years ago

      Agreed. So are Casio et al going to have to rebrand all of their water resistant watches now also?

      • What? Impact resistance has nothing to do with water resistance. You’ll notice Apple didn’t have to change anything regarding the water resistance of the Apple watch. Analogy is lacking logic.

    • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

      Number 3 definition from a simple google search….

      3. resistant – impervious to being affected;

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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