Water "Testing"

[FLTimmyB]

Question for everyone who has either "tested" their phone or had water damage , how did you do it, for testing did you just put it in water (how deep) and for fails what happened. I would like to test mine soon but just looking for the best way to do it. I am most worried about it getting wet around a pool, rain , or accidental spill, I pray I never have to retrieve it from a toilet..lol but if you could pass on what you did I would appreciate it.

 

[Law2138]

Unless you are prepared to wait 10-15 days for Samsung Repair or deal with warranty exchange at ATT, then I suggest you not "test" it. As crumby as this sounds, it is probably best to treat it as a non-IP68 compliant device or move on to something else.

 

[billharrison]

I am on my 3rd S7 active now. So far the 2 have failed in approx 36" of water for less than 5 minutes. First one showed fog in camera lenses and water in sim card but still functioned OK. Second one after approx 3 minutes began rebooting and then was removed and dried off. Became unresponsive after a few minutes showing water in camera lenses and again a wet sim card.

For me this is unacceptable and Samsung's response equally so. I feel every one of these is bad just not until you put it deeper than 2 feet. So aquarium or glass of water tests seem OK but under any real water it fails.

 

[FLTimmyB]

Well what I may do is put it in a sink of water for a few min and make sure it keeps working if it is a massive fail then its worth the pain of going through ATT, I would not want to do a Consumer reports test but if it fails in a sink or a rinse there is a HUGE issue worth having it repaired. As I said I am most concerned about splashes and Rain and maybe a spill on it. All input is welcome and thanks to everyone who gives feedback. Great group in this forum so far.

 

[htcrazy]

I'm inclined to agree with Law2138. Even though I have backup phones, I really don't want to deal with Samsung over a repair. If my phone was damaged, I would have no assurance that AT&T would have a good replacement on hand. I would have the same doubts about any replacement phone. I've reluctantly decided to use it not around water and move on later to something else.

 

[Law2138]

Personally, I would have still purchased my S6 Active even if it wasn't IP68 certified. I love the rugged aesthetics of the Active line. No glass back and non-metallic edges made me comfortable enough to use it without a case. Battery life is outstanding. However, the glass is still susceptible to damage just like any other S6 or S7 but that's the deal with thin, smudge resistant displays.

For this whole "waterproofing" IP68 certification, it seems like Samsung wasn't banking on people subjecting their devices to more "wet" conditions. Maybe they're not ready for devices to be completely submersible and can withstand whatever the consumer throws at it. Samsung isn't the only manufacturer to offer such devices either. I wonder how the others stack up. Are they experiencing claims of water damage at Sony or Moto/Lenovo support?

Because of my experience with the S6 Active and water damage, I don't think it meets its claim of being IP68 certified. To me, it's just a splash resistant, rugged looking S6 with a better battery.

 

[FLTimmyB]

as I said as long as mine can take a splash maybe a spill and a rinse I'm good with that...if it doesn't then I worry I see no need to take it in the water I just want it to be safe around the kitchen sink and the occasional sprinkler turned the wrong way and the sort. I agree, I was not a fan of the glass back I like the way its built but as I said I have tile floors, dogs and a child, the sturdy case is the big sell for me. I still have mine in a case just to add that layer of warm fuzzy for me. So I guess if its safe in a quick dunk I'm good, I have seen IPhone survive that as well.

 

[Law2138]

as I said as long as mine can take a splash maybe a spill and a rinse I'm good with that...if it doesn't then I worry I see no need to take it in the water I just want it to be safe around the kitchen sink and the occasional sprinkler turned the wrong way and the sort. I agree, I was not a fan of the glass back I like the way its built but as I said I have tile floors, dogs and a child, the sturdy case is the big sell for me. I still have mine in a case just to add that layer of warm fuzzy for me. So I guess if its safe in a quick dunk I'm good, I have seen IPhone survive that as well.

You should be good to go. There are some general precautions about handling/operating a device that has been accidentally exposed to water. I'd apply those to the Active as well. If a device becomes fully submerged, one should power it off immediately (if it is a non-removable battery) and place it in a dry bag or dehumidified environment. Allow it to dry for a day or so, then inspect for signs of moisture in the sim tray, camera lens, ports. IF all appears to be dry, then power it on and see how it goes.

 

[FLTimmyB]

The one thing I have read is that ATT has stepped up and will swap them out quickly if there is a water issue, it is a referb that has been tested so they say. would love to hear more confirmation on how smooth its going with a ATT exchange.

 

[TylerLV76]

The one thing I have read is that ATT has stepped up and will swap them out quickly if there is a water issue, it is a referb that has been tested so they say. would love to hear more confirmation on how smooth its going with a ATT exchange.

Fed Ex shows mine will be here tomorrow, they shipped it yesterday. Ill let you know what I get. I already told At&t that as soon as I get it I'll be putting it in water to test. If the replacement is bad as well I'll be pushing At&t for the regular S7.

For my test I filled a 32 ounce plastic cup with water and put my phone in upside down. Left it in for 3 minutes and when I pulled it out everything was fine. Dried it off and went about my day. About 3 hours later I noticed the camera was fogged and I could barely hear callers through the speaker.

 

[FLTimmyB]

Please let us know how it goes with the new one...Glad to hear they have the new/referb on the way to you..btw..when did you get your first one roughly...I got mine in may/june .

 

[TylerLV76]

Please let us know how it goes with the new one...Glad to hear they have the new/referb on the way to you..btw..when did you get your first one roughly...I got mine in may/june .

July 6th from Best Buy.

Edit: I had one I bought June 28th but had to return it. The guy at Best buy screwed my At&t plan up and had to redo the sale. The one thats ruined is the July 6th one.

 

[FLTimmyB]

Dug out my paper work, I got mine on June 16.

 

[TylerLV76]

Then Id be willing to bet it will fail the water test. In that case I dont know if Id try it or not. On one hand you have a perfect phone with no water indicators tripped but on the other hand you could choose to have it replaced on your own time instead of a point where its inconvenient. For me I wanted to know when I could afford to go without my phone.

 

[FLTimmyB]

I was thinking of testing at the 6 month mark, figure that is well with in the window of the year by Samsung, all the old units should be out of inventory by then and it should be smoother by that point. I was thinking like you just put it in a sink of water and let it sit for a few not long honestly that is probably the longest it will be exposed to any depth of water my bigger worry is the splashes and spills, because those are what really happen to phones..water spilled on a counter spray from a sprinkler etc

 

[FLTimmyB]

Now ATT sent you one on a two day ship right (granted you had to pay for that lil "luxury" but they did do it correct?

 

[bkrell]

I ordered mine July 2 and received it July 5. I discovered a couple days ago that my iPhone 6 Plus has finally dried out after the soaking it took that brought me back to Samsung in the first place. So, at least I have a good back up phone whenever I decide to "test" my Active...

 

[FLTimmyB]

Bkrell did you pay to have it expedited?

 

[TylerLV76]

Now ATT sent you one on a two day ship right (granted you had to pay for that lil "luxury" but they did do it correct?

Yeah 2 day shipping for $14.95 or 6 days for free.

 

[jlczl]

I am on my 3rd S7 active now. So far the 2 have failed in approx 36" of water for less than 5 minutes. First one showed fog in camera lenses and water in sim card but still functioned OK. Second one after approx 3 minutes began rebooting and then was removed and dried off. Became unresponsive after a few minutes showing water in camera lenses and again a wet sim card.

For me this is unacceptable and Samsung's response equally so. I feel every one of these is bad just not until you put it deeper than 2 feet. So aquarium or glass of water tests seem OK but under any real water it fails.

I tested mine basically by using it as I would want to use it while I was on vacation at a waterpark and was at several pools. I had it in my pocket and it was fairly deep at the wave pool at Fiesta Texas many times. Never had any issues. That being said, as many others have mentioned, I plan to do a thorough video to test at about the 6-month mark so I can get a replacement at that point if it fails or just get a confirmation that my phone is fine. Right now I am still in the honeymoon phase so I don't want to have to use a backup phone while I wait for a replacement if in case I would need one.