Verizon resellers say no to rice, use vacuum to salvage wet phones with Redux
The Redux machine basically creates a vacuum that lowers the boiling point of the water inside your phone so that it can turn into cold gas that won't damage the device and can safely evaporate through the handset's openings. The whole process takes about half an hour with water-resistant phones presenting the biggest time challenge due to the copious amounts of adhesive applied in the assembly points.
If the device is not plugged in after dunking it in the pool, the Redux founder Zielinski claims 84% success rate in salvaging the phone to the point where it retains its typical usage duration expectancy. The Redux machine costs $49 to lease per month and just a couple of subscriptions sold can offset the outlay for Verizon resellers.
Redux has already sold nearly two million subscriptions and is pitching the device to other carriers, too. As for the bowl or pack of rice "slippery when wet" advice? Well, Zielinski has the following comment: "Rice is OK, but you don’t know when all the water’s out of it. Will it take two minutes or two weeks?" Plus, the American way has always been a high-tech solution to a low-fi problem, so the Redux devices might soon become a staple in carrier shops near you.
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