Apple Extends First-Gen Apple Watch Warranty

If you own a first-generation Apple Watch, then Apple just extended your warranty by another year, taking the total cover period to three years.

This isn't simply a generous gesture, it's a response to a problem these first-generation Watch models face: swollen batteries.

Although not a very widespread problem, there have been multiple reports of the small rechargeable battery fitted in the original Apple Watch swelling up inside the casing and pushing the display outwards. The Watch may "pop" and will feel very warm when it happens, meaning a trip to Apple is in order, where a replacement will likely be issued.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple's standard limited warranty lasts for one year, but the company covers expanded/swollen battery issues for two years. For the first-generation Apple Watch, that period is being extended by one year. As the Apple Watch launched on April 24, 2015, all owners now have the next 12 months covered.

When that's up, your Apple Watch battery will either be repaired already or not prone to the problem. But it's also quite likely you'll have upgraded to a new Apple Watch or moved to some other brand by then. Either way, Apple decided to cover your gadget for longer at no extra cost.

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After launching the first=generation Apple Watch in April 2015, Apple followed up with Series 1 ( at Amazon) and Series 2 ($180.52 at Amazon) variants in September 2016. It's unclear when the Apple Watch Series 3 will be released, but going on past launch timing it will likely fall somewhere between September 2017 and April 2018.

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