Every Friday, CTV Consumer Reporter dips into the viewer mailbag to answer your questions. This week, Steele on Your Side takes a closer look at cellphone water damage.
Andrew contacted us after trying to trade in his BlackBerry. When the employees at the store opened his phone they told him they would not accept it because it had been dropped in water. He wants to know how they could tell that.
Many phones will still work after they've been dipped in water, but there are indicators inside smartphones that can alert you to water damage.
If you remove your BlackBerry's battery cover and take out the battery, you'll notice a small sticker. If that sticker is pink or red, the battery has probably been water damaged. If the sticker is white it hasn't been exposed to water.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 phones also have an indicator sticker below the battery.
Detecting water damage in iPhones is a little trickier. You must remove the back of the phone cover with a screwdriver and inside the iPhone you’ll find a couple of indicator stickers.
If you do find yourself with a wet smartphone, there are some ways to attempt to dry out your device. For starters, fill a bowl with uncooked rice. Then bury the phone, battery and back piece into the mixture. Let the phone sit for 24 hours and then remove it from the rice. Put the battery and backing back on and turn it back on.
