I’ve had a good spring. But if we talk about gadgets, then spring is good in a figurative sense.

Apple Pay broke on iPhone X. iPad 2018 caught with hair under the screen. Filled the MacBook Pro with champagne, more on that some other time.

Now I have Apple Watch exploded.

But he was upset for a short time. There is a possibility that I will even benefit from this trouble.

What happened to my Apple Watch

Alas, you have already begun to imagine how half a room was blown to me, or at least burned my hand. I know you, you bloodthirsty guys. But the reality in this case is a bit more boring.

I’m at home two weeks ago. Suddenly I hear a juicy pop and a blow.

I look for the cause all over the room and see nothing. There are no sounds without a reason, so I carefully examined every corner. Everything is fine again, except that the Apple Watch is located near the magnetic charger, and not on it.

Put them back, shrugged and forgot.

The reason became clear in the morning. The wife put on an Apple Watch, and there the display is torn off. But they continue to work.

I googled the problem and instead of disappointment, I began to rejoice.

Apple is not only aware of the problem. She repairs for free

It was the very first Apple Watch, the so-called Series 0. At the time of cotton, they were 2 and a half years old from the date of purchase. AT ordinary situations, they are already considered non-warranty according to the laws of the Russian Federation.

In Series 0 was discovered defective built-in batterywhich causes the battery to swell. It is not known what exactly is “guilty”: operating conditions, falls, charger. It is also not clear if the swelling is gradual or if it is an instantaneous reaction.

But the result is the same: the increased battery knocks the clock display out of the lower grooves along with the glued insulation.

You can continue to use the watch: it is fully operational, charging and even holding this charge in the same way as before the “clap”. But now it becomes much easier to break the display, because one of the faces just sticks out of the case.

In addition, the insulation is broken. If desired, you can lift the display module and look at the cable inside, as well as the outlines of the swollen battery. If even a milligram of water gets there, the watch can be thrown away. Dust will also accumulate.

Fortunately, Apple is replacing defective aluminum Apple Watch Series 0 with new ones. Still.

Which Apple Watch with a swollen battery is Apple changing?

If your warranty AW the display fell off and the battery swelled up, they will change them for new ones. But some models take advantage. For their Apple batteries extended the warranty period to 3 years since purchase:

For reference, Apple Watch Series 0 was announced on April 24, 2015. This means that all Apple Watch Series 0 to this day actually remain under warranty — however, only for emergency situations related to the built-in battery.

If you use AW S0 and run into the same situation as me, don’t be discouraged. Everything is very good. But first you need to go to the SC.

How to fix an Apple Watch with a swollen battery?

Unlink the watch from your account first. You can do it in the app. Find iPhone. Open it, swipe on the line with the Apple Watch from left to right and select «Delete», confirming the password.

Now take your watch and passport (just in case). Kit, box and strap are not needed. You don’t even need a check.

Go to one of the authorized Apple service centers. I went to DeepApple, but you can choose any ASC in Russia. It’s funny, about eight years ago they were our competitors in news topics. Now they are just a store and SC DeepArtment.

The ASC will take your Apple Watch for diagnostics. And if the battery defect is confirmed, you will not be repaired.

Your Apple Watch will simply be replaced with brand new ones.. This is what I understand service.

What Apple Watch will they give you instead of defective ones?

In 80% of cases, it will be Apple Watch Series 1, not Series 0. The latter were discontinued a long time ago. And if your color and model is not in stock S1, then they will send as many as Series 2.

It turns out that you upgrade to a new model for free.

The new Apple Watch will bring back the same watch face color and size. The watch itself will be brought without a set.

The final chord that you will definitely like: the new AW will be given a full 12-month warranty from Apple. You can’t imagine a better outcome.

So let your Series 0 explode too.

Just as harmless as mine.

You may have scratches on the case. Or right on the glass. This is wonderful. There were old Apple Watches, there will be new ones.

Thanks to Apple for the replacement program. I will wait for new AW from the service. Now all that’s left is for my steel Series 0s to “pop” as well. Given the events of recent months, I’m not surprised at all.

PS If anyone is wondering, Apple Watch was changed to S1 after one week. So at the first suspicion of battery swelling, take your S0 to an authorized service. Get a free upgrade.