Just got the phone, went swimming, does NOT work

[Joe_Perone]

To add on this:

Direct from Liquipel FAQ:

Q: My device has been treated with Liquipel; can I take it swimming or surfing ?
A: No, the Liquipel treatment is a preventative coating and is meant to protect the internal, vital components of electronics from liquid corrosion in the event of accidental liquid exposure. Just as you would not intentionally throw your device on the ground after purchasing a case, you would not want to intentionally submerge your device in liquid after having Liquipel applied.

Your statement: "you could literally throw your phone in a lake and come back a month later, and besides the battery being dead the phone would still work (once recharged)."
is nonsense. I am moving away from this thread now since I have fed you enough. Please do share your thoughts on Liquipel when you get your phone back. Until then...

My thoughts exactly, thank you. Besides, AngelArs' link to "extensive testing" doesn't show me any definitive results. It sounds like he's just spouting his opinion instead of backing it up with facts. As for myself, I am done here as well. EDITED BY A MODERATOR

 

[Jennifer Stough]

This thread has been cleaned up a bit. Please do not state or insinuate that another user is a troll. It is not helpful in the least.

Jennifer Stough
Forums Moderator
Droid DNA
S-off, boot loader unlocked
illusion CM10.1

 

[anon(52425)]

This thread has been cleaned up a bit. Please do not state or insinuate that another user is a troll. It is not helpful in the least.

Jennifer Stough
Forums Moderator
Droid DNA
S-off, boot loader unlocked
illusion CM10.1

Why is it acceptable for certain users to act that way then? I think everyone is being pretty civil in this thread for the most part but there are some questionable posts. Good on you to clean it up a bit but I would hope to see a bit more moderation as these DO tend to get out of hand at times.

 

[Jennifer Stough]

Why is it acceptable for certain users to act that way then? I think everyone is being pretty civil in this thread for the most part but there are some questionable posts. Good on you to clean it up a bit but I would hope to see a bit more moderation as these DO tend to get out of hand at times.

I do not condone the actions of any posts you might think as of questionable. If you feel like any of the posts in this thread may need a more thorough look by myself or any of the other moderators, please, report them.

Jennifer Stough
Forums Moderator
Droid DNA
S-off, boot loader unlocked
illusion CM10.1

 

[milehigherik]

Put mine in a bowl of water and indeed the screen stopped working.

 

[anon(220176)]

Put mine in a bowl of water and indeed the screen stopped working.

Not on my Active.. works flawlessly in a bowl of water for 15 minutes.

 

[planoman]

Once again, you're relying on marketing to make this statement. Have you or anyone you know done this? Can you attest to the fact that it works? Would you be willing to take the chance with your device and do something like this? I doubt it. Please, only post what you actually know, rather than speculating.

I know this works and am the one who posted it and AngelARS saw it. I sent my daughters new (at the time) iphone 4s to be done and it works amazingly. She washes it every night (makeup etc). The process seals all the electronics from shorting out. If electronics come into contact with liquid it is the short that ruins them. The liquipel process stops the shorting out process. They put their money where their mouth is and warranty the phone from water damage from what I recall. More than Samsung or ATT does... I would much more trust this method over the S4 Active case and seals etc. I bought the S4 Active three days after it came out. I paid $644 for it. I took it back after a week because there are just too many things that can go wrong with the phone many of which you are seeing here on this thread. For some reason the USB cover bugged me. That will break off in a few months...then what?

As I was returning my S4 Active, I bought a Lifeproof case for my iphone 5...with my accessory discount it was $64. Ironically 10X less than the S4A. I have used it several times in the pool etc since getting it. I even took it down some water slides and filmed it while we were in San Antonio for the 4th. I think the active is a great idea but maybe not quite up to what I want. I think the design will evolve.

Just to clairfy, I am not recommending the Liquipel as a better alternative to the S4 Active. It is amazing to submerge an iphone with any case in water and see no issues, but it should be a precaution not use as a waterproof or rugged phone. It seems the S4 Active ads are fueling an issue I would not want to be a part of. In my opinon if you want to take pictures and video in the water etc your best bet is a waterproof, rugged point and shoot or a lifeproof or OBEX case. Just my 2 cents.

To those of you who have it, enjoy it but I would surely have insurance on it...

 

[AngelArs]

I know this works and am the one who posted it and AngelARS saw it. I sent my daughters new (at the time) iphone 4s to be done and it works amazingly. She washes it every night (makeup etc). The process seals all the electronics from shorting out. If electronics come into contact with liquid it is the short that ruins them. The liquipel process stops the shorting out process. They put their money where their mouth is and warranty the phone from water damage from what I recall. More than Samsung or ATT does... I would much more trust this method over the S4 Active case and seals etc. I bought the S4 Active three days after it came out. I paid $644 for it. I took it back after a week because there are just too many things that can go wrong with the phone many of which you are seeing here on this thread.

THANK YOU planoman for posting! And thank you for pointing out this incredible new technology. Appreciate it, even if some people don't. Did Liquipel mention if your daughters phone was a level 1, 2, or 3? More about levels here.

To those of you who have it, enjoy it but I would surely have insurance on it...

Which ironically may cost more than the Liquipel :-*

 

[planoman]

THANK YOU planoman for posting! And thank you for pointing out this incredible new technology. Appreciate it, even if some people don't. Did Liquipel mention if your daughters phone was a level 1, 2, or 3? More about levels here.


Which ironically may cost more than the Liquipel :-*

I am sure it is level III. I paid to get the expedited service and you also have to pay for them to ship it back. I think I paid for 2 day FedEx so I think it was 90-100 for the whole thing as I recall. I will send my S4 to get done once I get a back up personal phone. I sold my Nexus 4 and Note 2 to get one of the Google Edition phones so it won't be long now.

 

[anon(52425)]

It seems the S4 Active ads are fueling an issue I would not want to be a part of. In my opinon if you want to take pictures and video in the water etc your best bet is a waterproof, rugged point and shoot or a lifeproof or OBEX case. Just my 2 cents.

To those of you who have it, enjoy it but I would surely have insurance on it...

Please show me the Active advertisement showing users taking pictures and video under water.

There isn't one.

 

[planoman]

Please show me the Active advertisement showing users taking pictures and video under water.

There isn't one.

Not sure of the point you are trying to make? Are you saying the aqua mode is to take pictures & video out of the water?

After my lengthy post you come away with that? Ok I can play too...Although it looks like I was talking solely about water, I was not, but we have seen on this thread how that is a hit or miss proposition. And since you manage a store, tell us how you would handle someone who brings in a S4 Active with water damage? Exchange it no questions asked?

Ok how about pulling the phone out of the sand while the kids bury you in the sand at the beach...that made be cringe...better?

 

[anon(52425)]

Tell us how you would handle someone who brings in a S4 Active with water damage? Exchange it no questions asked?

Ok how about pulling the phone out of the sand while the kids bury you in the sand at the beach...that made be cringe...better?

Your first question, I don't manage an AT&T store. Another carrier. And it really depends on what I am looking at. We all have guidelines and such to look for when replacing phones. Hell Apple gave us an entire class on what to look for in returns, etc.

What happens when your Lifeproof case fails? Cause they do. Look at their FB page, it has plenty of people complaining that their phones have been ruined because of their faulty product. Or maybe, just maybe it was user error. Like I believe some of these broken, water damaged Actives are. My issue with these "complaints" are that nobody seems to own up to the fact that he/she may have no entirely checked things out prior to getting the phone wet. Maybe a seal was missed, maybe that time you swapped out your battery real quickly the night before, you did not think to check against all seals. I am a realist and I get that there are manufacturer errors, there always will be but it's not always the case.
I also have the issue with people who expect to take these phones out swimming, rafting, tubing, what have you and still have their phones functioning after. The phone is not designed for that activity. Samsung nor AT&T have advertised this phone as such. I expect that if my son spills a glass of juice on the table and it rushed toward and under my phone that it will be fine. I expect that if I am taking a **** and I accidentally drop it in the toilet that after grabbing it quickly and running it under fresh water, it will be fine. I don't expect unrealistic results as others here are.

I am not sure why you're being a smart *** and I am trying to be a civil as I can.

 

[MyHTC8MyS4]

Please show me the Active advertisement showing users taking pictures and video under water.

There isn't one.

It's on the ATT site (Take pics underwater with Aqua Mode). Click where it says Videos. First video on left. It's also in the owners manual.

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active - Urban Gray cell phone from AT&T

 

[anon(52425)]

It's on the ATT site (Take pics underwater with Aqua Mode). Click where it says Videos. First video on left. It's also in the owners manual.

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active - Urban Gray cell phone from AT&T

Thank you. And that would be AT&T for actually showing this example and for the influx of people who go out and try this and end up with a broken phone. There are plenty of people on YouTube who have made videos of them taking their phones into a pool and they have come out just fine. Then you get the others who have done just that and ended up with a water damaged phone. Was it user error? Or was it a bad phone, with a bad seal or something? That's what is hard to figure out sometimes. Of course people who I come in contact with never take ownership of their possible mistake. It's ALWAYS something that went wrong with the phone. A guy who dropped his phone on the concrete last week brought his phone in (with a broken screen) and asked for a replacement (no insurance)...he blamed LG for not making the glass strong enough even after admitting that the phone feel off the top of his car as he pulled away.

 

[planoman]

Your first question, I don't manage an AT&T store. Another carrier. And it really depends on what I am looking at. We all have guidelines and such to look for when replacing phones. Hell Apple gave us an entire class on what to look for in returns, etc.

What happens when your Lifeproof case fails? Cause they do. Look at their FB page, it has plenty of people complaining that their phones have been ruined because of their faulty product. Or maybe, just maybe it was user error. Like I believe some of these broken, water damaged Actives are. My issue with these "complaints" are that nobody seems to own up to the fact that he/she may have no entirely checked things out prior to getting the phone wet. Maybe a seal was missed, maybe that time you swapped out your battery real quickly the night before, you did not think to check against all seals. I am a realist and I get that there are manufacturer errors, there always will be but it's not always the case.
I also have the issue with people who expect to take these phones out swimming, rafting, tubing, what have you and still have their phones functioning after. The phone is not designed for that activity. Samsung nor AT&T have advertised this phone as such. I expect that if my son spills a glass of juice on the table and it rushed toward and under my phone that it will be fine. I expect that if I am taking a **** and I accidentally drop it in the toilet that after grabbing it quickly and running it under fresh water, it will be fine. I don't expect unrealistic results as others here are.

I am not sure why you're being a smart *** and I am trying to be a civil as I can.

While It is hard to decipher tone in an email I would ask you to review the threads...civility may not be your strong suit...however, I agree that it is hard to distinguish operator error from a defect which is why I discussed the ads and how they may cause issues when owners do the things they see in the ads and get trouble...some may be defects but I suspect many stores will assume operator error and I did not want to own a phone is that classification. Just my thoughts. I think we are actually in agreement on this issue.

Having owned this lifeproof case for 2 weeks I would certainly trust it over the S4 Active. But I think it was just fad as I do own an Olympus TG2 rugged camera which is certainly waterproof to 50 feet. I do like the dust proof and rugged aspect of the lifeproof case probably more than the water proof features. Although I do not think twice about taking my iphone in or near the pool and or water.

As I said, I am not trying to convince anyone to get or not get an S4 Active. Just discussing my experiences with the S4 Active, Lifeproof cases and Liquipel.

 

[MyHTC8MyS4]

And that would be AT&T for actually showing this example and for the influx of people who go out and try this and end up with a broken phone.

Huh? This is not on the samsung site. It's a ATT s4 version. You said " Samsung nor AT&T have advertised this phone as such" and you were clearly wrong. They do. Examples of using this phone while swimming are shown more than once. It's marketed that way. The hype doesn't deliver. Would love to see data on how many have already been returned. I'll bet its high. Lots of threads about people complaining about this model around. Here's another.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-active/291966-s4-active-really-waterproof.html

 

[anon(52425)]

Huh? This is not on the samsung site. It's a ATT s4 version. You said " Samsung nor AT&T have advertised this phone as such" and you were clearly wrong. They do. Examples of using this phone while swimming are shown more than once. It's marketed that way. The hype doesn't deliver. Would love to see data on how many have already been returned. I'll bet its high. Lots of threads about people complaining about this model around. Here's another.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-active/291966-s4-active-really-waterproof.html

Samsung makes the phone. The designed it. They manufactured it. The commercials appear to be from AT&T. And the only one I had seen up until today was the TV spot, but talking about the spot, it only shows what the phone is really designed for. Accidental submersion, etc. The arent touting to take out the phone and hit the pool with it.

However today, another user pointed out that the website (AT&T) has a video of the phone and it being submerged while the user takes photos. I think them showing that makes a hard case for them to turn down returns. Samsung warranty says they dont cover water damage...AT&T shows the phone under water while taking photos. It's contradicting.

 

[planoman]

Samsung makes the phone. The designed it. They manufactured it. The commercials appear to be from AT&T. And the only one I had seen up until today was the TV spot, but talking about the spot, it only shows what the phone is really designed for. Accidental submersion, etc. The arent touting to take out the phone and hit the pool with it.

However today, another user pointed out that the website (AT&T) has a video of the phone and it being submerged while the user takes photos. I think them showing that makes a hard case for them to turn down returns. Samsung warranty says they dont cover water damage...AT&T shows the phone under water while taking photos. It's contradicting.

I hear what you are saying and agree but as discussed the S4 Active has an Aqua Mode which is designed to take pictures under water. In fact, as I recall the mode selector for aqua mode has a picture of someone under water? So does not Samsung share in this liability if it does, in fact, exist?

 

[MyHTC8MyS4]

Samsung makes the phone. The designed it. They manufactured it. The commercials appear to be from AT&T.

Then provide a link to the phone from the samsung website.

I'll wait for the link.

Every phone comes with a owners manual. Open the one from the active up and look up Aqua Mode.

ATT didn't put that there.

 

[anon(52425)]

Then provide a link to the phone from the samsung website.

I'll wait for the link.

Every phone comes with a owners manual. Open the one from the active up and look up Aqua Mode.

ATT didn't put that there.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active | ATT Android Smartphone | Samsung Mobile

And they mention on the site "Aqua Mode Means You Can Capture Your Poolside Experience from Inside the Pool" which is misleading and confusing to consumers who follow all the necessary precautions in sealing their phone, take it in the water, use it and break it. It's pretty apparent when you look at the phone that it isnt what I would call a safe submersible phone. I made that mistake the day I got it, it did not break but once you crack on the back, look at the "seal" and compare it to those found on a Lifeproof or the Armor, it doesnt make you feel confident that it will last while submerged.

I wash my Active and I take it in the shower and listen to music...And I trust it on the quick dunk in water (accidental). But I don't trust it enough to go under water. No matter what AT&T and Samsung claim. Yes they do make those claims above but I won't do it. Just like I won't do it when I get a Liquipel coating.

I feel my opinion would be different if AT&T had commercials airing showing usage underwater. But they do not.