Apple may have found a new way to force you to tell thetruth about how well you’ve taken care of your iPhone or iPod. A recent patentfiled by the company describes a customer abuse detection system that willallow technicians to tell if you’ve been too hard on Apple devices. Instancesof abuse could include things such as immersing the device in liquid, exposingit to extreme temperatures, dropping it, or tampering with the device’sinternal circuitry.

This detection system could store a digital recording of theevent in the device’s memory anytime abuse occurs. Using diagnostic tools,technicians could access this information to find out how well you’ve takencare of your iPhone or iPod. If you’ve treated the device poorly, Apple could makethe argument that your warranty is void and you’re not eligible for repair orreplacement under warranty.

Apple doesn’t explicitly say that it will use the customerabuse detection system to refuse device repairs or replacements, but the patentdoes suggest the company is looking for a way to protect its own interest. Thepatent states, “it is not uncommon for consumers to receive replacementproducts or repair services on abused products not covered under the terms of awarranty. Such erroneous replacements or repairs may be costly to the vendorand/or manufacturer of the product.”


The trouble with a customer abuse detection system such asthe one described comes down to the way in which the information is used. Forexample, say you accidentally drop your iPhone andthen a month or so later something goes wrong and the iPhone fails to function.Should the accidental drop mean you’re no longer entitled to a warranty,especially if the phone continued to function after the drop? Most people wouldprobably argue that the two events are not necessarily related and that Appleshould still honor the warranty. However, with a consumer abuse detectionsystem, Apple may see things differently.

Before we jump to conclusions, it’s important to point outthat Apple has not said it will use the customer abuse detection system againstcustomers to refuse warranty work. It’s only a possibility. There’s also the possibilitythat the customer abuse detection system would only be used in situations wherethere is a very clear connection between the abuse and a device’s inoperability.Finally, it’s important to remember that this is only a patent—Apple has notmade any official announcements saying it will deploy a customer abusedetection system.