Chosen Solution
I have an iPhone 8. In an effort to remove some dust and debris, I accidentally punctured one of my bottom speaker holes with a thumbtack. I wanted to know if it worth it to replace the mesh. I do not want to compromise any water resistance the phone may have by opening up the device.
As you can see in the product description, ‘Mesh covers are part of the water and dust ingress protection for the phone. ‘ iPhone 8 Speaker and Microphone Mesh Set So, my answer is yes. I understand that you do not want to compromise any water resistance the phone may have by opening up the device, but a damaged speaker mesh might also get your phone in a risk of water damage.
Getting the mesh replaced requires opening up the phone which removes any water resistance when it is opened. Better to leave it as it is.
Depending on which holes you poked. If it is the right side holes, probably water resistance wasn’t compromised in the first place. You can do a pressure test to determine if the phone is still sealed. If it is the left side holes, you’ve destroyed water resistance already and it is going to be a complex repair to replace all seals and meshes, and there will be no sure way to test after all this. So consider water resistance permanently lost if left holes are damaged.
