Liquid Contact Indicators removed from iPad 2

According to French Apple site Hardmac, Apple's infamous (to some) Liquid Contact Indicators--sensors responsible for allowing Apple technicians to determine if your device has had substantial contact with liquids--are not present in the newly released iPad 2.

Many problems have come about because of Apple's liquid sensors, even resulting in lawsuits, and causing Apple to adjust how it handles indicators that have been activated.

As a manager in an Apple Store a couple years ago, when the first Liquid Submersion Indicators, as they were named then, were included on the original iPhone, we were told that the sensors were a fool-proof way to know if a device had been under liquid.

The policy at the time was to consider any device with a tripped sensor (a bright pink or red color) as accidental damage and therefore not covered by AppleCare. Despite claims from some of our customers that the sensor was falsely triggered by humidity or by nothing at all, we stuck to the policy (and created a few intense customer service issues).

The times have changed, though. Now, Apple has relaxed its stance on the indicator, and in the case of the new iPad 2, dropped it altogether. Hardmac's analysis of Apple's iPad AppleCare replacement policy is as follows:

• If the glass screen is cracked (on line) without any trace of shock.
• If there is dust behind the glass.
• If one (or more) pixels is defective, whether it is white, of another color, or off.

Though jailbreaking your iPad can cause software issues, Apple will still service your device for the above hardware defects. If you are experiencing software issues with a jailbroken device, be aware that the first thing an Apple technician will do is restore your device to its factory settings.

As usual, be sure you've got a current backup of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod before bringing it in for service.

Do you have a Liquid Contact Indicator story? Let me know in the comments!