Get the latest tech news

Hairline cracks on iPhone and Apple Watch no longer covered under warranty

You’ll have to pay out of pocket, even if there’s no point of impact.

By Victoria Song, a senior reporter focusing on wearables, health tech, and more with 12 years of experience. Technically, the standard one-year warranty has never covered “cosmetic damage” such as scratches, dents, and broken plastic on ports unless you could prove that it was defective materials or workmanship from Apple. While this is a disappointing development, Apple in recent years has made some positive shifts regarding repairs thanks in part to pressure from right-to-repair efforts.

Get the Android app