Thomas Müller, the German soccer star and Bayern Munich player, is facing some embarrassment over his damaged iPhone, despite his successful career and numerous advertising deals. A teammate's Instagram post showed the iPhone 12 Pro with extensive cracks and even holes in the housing cover, revealing the sensitive electronics inside.
The back of Müller's iPhone is far from pristine, with cracks running across the glass and centimeter-sized holes next to the camera and at the bottom. Despite the warm battery and the occasional hand warmth, Müller admitted that it might be time for a new device.
Leon Goretzka, Müller's teammate, captured the situation in an Instagram video, jokingly questioning the phone's functionality. The caption tagged Müller's account, and the clip quickly gained attention.
While minor cracks in the glass might not be a major issue, holes can cause more problems. Condensation or water splashes, for instance, can lead to short circuits. Furthermore, if the iPhone gets hot while making calls, a repair might not be worth it, given that a new device would cost almost as much as the repair.
The broken iPhone might not go down too well with Telekom, one of Bayern's long-time advertising partners. The potential embarrassment is even more significant considering that Tim Cook, the Apple boss, had visited Munich last year and was shown the use of Apple devices during training, but no broken devices were mentioned.
As for the cost of repairing the iPhone 12 Pro with extensive damage, estimates range from $109.99 to $200 or more depending on the issue and the repair shop. The risks of using a damaged iPhone include internal damage, data loss, voiding the warranty, performance issues, and physical hazards from the broken glass.
Therefore, it might be better for Müller to seek a repair or replacement soon before the device completely fails. Yet, the 2014 World Cup winner appears unbothered, attributing the warm battery to frequent use.
[1] iPhone 12 Pro Repair Pricing (iFixit) [2] Water Damage in iPhones (Apple Support) [3] Voiding Warranty (Apple Support) [4] Performance Issues (iFixit) [5] Physical Hazards (iFixit)
