Any iPhone owner will tell you how scary it is when their device drops. In such a case, you may be relieved if you pick it up and your screen seems fine, but the worry is that some internal components may have received the impact, affecting the phone’s performance.
Can dropping the iPhone cause internal damage? Dropping an iPhone will likely cause visible or internal damage if the fall is too severe. The impact can cause the parts attached to the logic board to detach, leading to short-circuiting and breakage of vital components. However, if it was a fall off a small height, your phone may remain intact without any internal or external effects. You can also check whether everything is fine by running apps and charging the phone while looking out for changes in performance.
Smartphones are an important part of our lives since they help us carry out our day-to-day activities, including communicating with our loved ones. No matter how careful you are, accidents are inevitable, and your phone can fall onto the ground. If it falls but there are no external damages, you may wonder if the crash can impact the internal parts.
A severe fall can damage the iPhone’s internal components when the impact loosens the logic board’s links. The collision is also responsible for short-circuiting and can affect anything that directly contacts the impact point.
As a result, the RAM, charging ports, and other essential internals may get damaged and, in turn, affect the phone’s overall performance. All the above will happen in addition to physical damages like screen, battery, and camera breaks. On the contrary, if the drop was not from a great height, you may be lucky to have the physical and internal components intact.
Several factors determine the damage extent when your iPhone falls from your grip or from a surface to the ground. The height of the drop and the force of the fall are the likely contributors. If it is a slight fall, chances are high that nothing will happen to the device; otherwise, you can expect physical and internal damages. If you want to be certain that everything is fine, you can ask a specialist for help to determine which parts need fixing.
However, there are some common internal damages to expect, although you will not see them. The iPhone parts do not have special construction to handle brutal force or impact shocks. The force from the drop affects the phone directly, damaging anything in contact. For instance, if the impact is great, it may cause short circuit issues. The logic board parts may also loosen, leading to complications like a broken battery and general performance issues.
Additionally, the enclosed iPhone batteries and soldered parts may detach and shake inside the phone. You can also expect the charging port and the entire assembly to loosen or get damaged. When these essential parts are ruined, the only resort is to seek help from Apple or other experts to help repair the phone.
Apple may charge you for the parts, but the warranty covers some damages. A vital internal component vulnerable to destruction is the motherboard which powers all the smartphone’s functions. Falling can fry or break the circuits within it, and, as a result, ruin the RAM, charging ports, and other essential internals, eventually affecting the phone’s overall operations. Although they may not kill your iPhone, they will likely slow it and interfere with various functions.
If it falls off from a lower height, it may not affect any external or internal parts. Otherwise, severe falls interfere with the internal components and escalate when the weather is too cold. Under low temperatures, the parts slightly shrink, increasing the gaps between them and making them more fragile. Therefore, you can expect a performance change or shut down in extreme cases. Lastly, besides screen damage, the camera may also break, losing focus and affecting the photos’ quality.
Accidents are unavoidable, regardless of how responsible you are with your device. The best and only way to keep your iPhone safe is to prepare for inevitable crashes. Most users tuck their phones into protective cases to provide more grip and cushioning during drops. They usually come in various designs and materials perfect for different users.
You can find a plastic or rubber version that effectively absorbs energy and reduces the impact of falls. They are also affordable and very durable, lasting years of use. You can also go for a screen protector to keep the display safe.
A ring holder may also be ideal if you tend to drop the phone when handling it. Lastly, if you have kids, it would be best to keep the phone away from them. Otherwise, find a proper cover or case to prevent internal damage from crashes.
How Do I Know If My iPhone Is Internally Damaged?
You can expect superficial damage, internal destruction, or both, whenever your iPhone drops. It means shouldering the repair costs, which may be pricey depending on the extent of the damage. Therefore, it may help to know the kind of internal damage you are dealing with to help you plan better for the repair if necessary.
The first way to know if your iPhone has internal damage is to shake the phone for any new, unusual sound. Next, plug it into a power source to see whether electricity flows through uninterrupted; afterward, you can open the device and try running some applications. You can test the camera, play music, stream videos, or open your social media platforms. If there are glitches or blurs on certain programs, it is evident that your phone has internal component issues. Other signs to watch out for are unresponsive screens and overheating.
You cannot automatically detect internal damages on your iPhone unless you take the time to check performance changes. Keenly monitor how your apps behave. For instance, you can try recording a video, and if there are any lags, it is a clear indication that your iDevice has problems with the internal parts. To be sure, you can also assess how other programs like streaming and social apps work.
If you notice that something is off, it means that dropping the phone damaged some vital components. Other than the applications, the internal circuit system also plays a significant role in helping you determine whether your phone is working fine. First, you can try charging the device and look for the powering icon. If you don’t see it, the charges are not flowing through the handset as usual.
Therefore, the chances are high that there may be an issue with a faulty charging port, battery, or incomplete circuit. In other cases, the iPhone may heat up even when you are not charging it. The increased temperature will affect the battery life such that a full charge won’t last as long as it previously did. Additionally, your device’s display and screen sensitivity may alter.
The damage can cause the screen to blur or become shaky and unstable. When typing, you will notice that the keyboard may be texting the wrong things. These issues will likely persist even after restarting the phone. An impact on the iPhone’s logic board may also be the primary cause of the internal problems on your device. Most components, including the charging port, attach to the motherboard.
Hence, any extreme damage reaching the major part, in turn, affects other embedded components. Note that a severe impact on the logic board would automatically kill the phone to the point of no repair in most cases. When you have confirmed your fears and are certain that your iPhone crashed and was damaged internally, the only resort is to resolve the issues.
It is not advisable to disassemble and repair it if you are not an expert. If something goes wrong, it will void the warranty, making you lose out on Apple repairs in the future. When you detect the signs above, it is best not to rush to pry the phone open. Before handing it over to a professional to help you repair it, take your time.
What Happens When You Drop Your iPhone?
Like most electronics, iPhones are equally vulnerable to serious falls. Dropping is usually accidental and inevitable, even for the most careful users. If your iPhone is still new or this is your first time dropping it, you may be curious about what to expect.
When an iPhone is dropped, it can survive short drops and remain intact. It will also be safe if it falls on the side, edges, or back, or a few feet above a wooden or carpeted surface. Otherwise, the screen may crack if the fall is face down on a hard floor like ceramic tiles or cement. Also, drops from higher places like from a building will certainly destroy the phone regardless of the side it lands on upon impact. Therefore, how and where your iPhone drops will determine the device’s damage extent.
If your iPhone falls and you later notice that it doesn’t function properly, the chances are high that it suffered some internal damages, from the inner screen up to the cell and logic board. Therefore, whether it fell lightly or on a hard surface, the fastest way to check the damage is by running some apps to confirm that they are operating smoothly. If there are no abnormalities, the impact is probably not as severe; otherwise, it is best to see a specialist if there are glitches.
You can expect superficial damages like a broken screen when you drop your iPhone. Besides this, there may be internal impact interfering with the batteries, circuitry, or motherboard. The effect of a fall will also cause hitches because of the interference with the internal components. Since there is no cushioning, a crash on a hard surface will likely detach or break the parts.
Minor components may also be affected, although you won’t see them at first glance. A fall may also interfere with the charging ports, making it difficult to power the iDevice or break its camera or casing. All the possible damages can compromise the smooth running of your phone. Whenever it drops on any hard surface, there are high chances of injury, either internal, external, or both.
It may be minor scratches on the edges, scratches on the screen, shuttered face, or disorientation of internal parts. Other than dropping your iPhone on rough surfaces, it may also accidentally fall into a pool of water, which has dire consequences on the iDevice’s performance. If you dive into a large water body while still with your phone, it will likely sock in water and may die when you remove it.
If a phone contacts water, the circuitry breaks, causing irreparable damage. To guard your iPhone from drop-related damages, it may help to buy a rubber case and screen guard to be ready for anything. Cushioning the device protects the surface and the internal components in turn.
Additionally, if you are frequently near massive water bodies, your best bet would be to cover your phone in water-proof material if it accidentally drops. However, if your phone contacts moisture, you can try some at-home remedies. First, remove the device from water quickly, turn it off and drain all the excess moisture before placing it in a bag of rice for some days.
It is advisable to inspect your phone thoroughly after a fall in water or a hard surface to confirm that everything is working perfectly, even when there are no evident damages. If not, something may be wrong, affecting your iPhone’s regular performance. Confirm that all the apps are running, and that the charging system is working fine. If there are any inconsistencies, you can visit an Apple store for directives.
Summary
You are justified in worrying about internal damages after dropping your phone. Sometimes the impact is too severe, breaking the screen and the embedded components. The force can detach the parts linking to the motherboard and interfere with other systems, but you will be lucky if the fall is from a low height leaving your iPhone intact.
Since the effects are not visible unless you disassemble the phone, you can only tell the damage extent by checking for changes in performance. You can run apps and see whether they work smoothly or plug the phone into a charger to ascertain nothing is wrong with the powering system. Therefore, it is essential to buy a phone case to cushion against such rough impacts.
