Samsung Galaxy Watch and Swimming Pool

[bravopapaoutai]

I started swimming about 5 weeks ago. Suddenly my samsung galaxy watch stopped working (it does not recharge- it does not switch on anymore). I don't understand what is happening? I do swim with the swimming lock mode and I do shake the watch after use to empty it from water and yet it stopped working.

Can some explain please?

 

[me just saying]

the watch is water resistant, not waterproof. I have seen too many complaints about the swim lock mode. In Spite of the ads and commercials, swimming with it is not good good for it and will void the warranty.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I moved this to the Galaxy Watch forum for more specific traffic.

 

[bravopapaoutai]

I am shocked. All ads say that the watch is multi sport and good for swimming too....how can it void the warranty when the commercials say otherwise??

Is the watch gone forever then??? 300 euros wasted just like that

 

[mustang7757]

Only watch I trusted as I'm a scuba diver is Casio 20 years and battery still kicking

 

[B. Diddy]

I am shocked. All ads say that the watch is multi sport and good for swimming too....how can it void the warranty when the commercials say otherwise??

Is the watch gone forever then??? 300 euros wasted just like that

Unfortunately, companies do tend to advertise these kinds of devices as capable of withstanding things like swimming, but the problem is that it assumes there has been absolutely no break to the integrity of the device's seals. If there has been (which you might not be aware of, since it could've been due to some incidental trauma while wearing the watch, like accidentally bumping it into a wall or a desk while walking), then all bets are off. They can advertise this, but if you'll notice, they never guarantee that the device is waterproof.

 

[mustang7757]

Unfortunately, companies do tend to advertise these kinds of devices as capable of withstanding things like swimming, but the problem is that it assumes there has been absolutely no break to the integrity of the device's seals. If there has been (which you might not be aware of, since it could've been due to some incidental trauma while wearing the watch, like accidentally bumping it into a wall or a desk while walking), then all bets are off. They can advertise this, but if you'll notice, they never guarantee that the device is waterproof.

It's like you buy a new cobra mustang or Corvette it can go 200mph , yeah if you do those speeds and something breaks guess what No Warranty .

 

[bravopapaoutai]

Is it possible to email samsung about this? or are they going to play stupid anyway?

 

[Mr Bojangles1]

I wouldn't ever trust commercials. Companies cover their asses in the fine print or by that guy that talks 100 words a second at the end of the commercial explaining all the things that could go wrong or side effects. Water can do some wear and tear on stuff when repeatedly submerged, especially if it's a pool with chemicals. Water seeps into any and everything. Taking a shower with it you're probably fine, but not being submerged for length of times. I'm sorry about your watch. Best you can do is keep it in a dry place and just let it sit for a long while until it completely dries out. After giving it a few days at least, maybe even longer, try plugging it in again and let it sit for a bit to see if it starts to charge. I've seen some really bad devices that were acting really funky come back to life out of nowhere and return to functioning normal/almost normal. I hope the best for you.

 

[bravopapaoutai]

Thank you for your reply. i ll give it a try but there is no better than the old casino watch unbreakable and waterproof and cost ten times less...thats all you need after all

 

[Mr Bojangles1]

Only watch I trusted as I'm a scuba diver is Casio 20 years and battery still kicking

Funny thing, even when I wear my watch I tend to look at my phone more for the time lol

 

[mustang7757]

Funny thing, even when I wear my watch I tend to look at my phone more for the time lol

I can see that happening

 

[o4liberty]

All these manufactures give these devices water ratings but ZERO warranty which is why I avoid water with any devices.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

shaking it off isn't good enough. if you submerge something in salt water or chlorinated water you need to rinse it off with fresh water thoroughly.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Product page on Samsungs website shows them swimming but it also includes this.

"Consistent with IPX8 rating, water resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Rinse residue/dry after wet."

Basically if you dive below 5ft depth, spend more than 30 minutes in the pool, or fail to rinse it off with pure water and dry it you're exceeding it's limitations.

They don't honor warranty replacements because 99.9% of the time there is no proof of how long the device was in the water or how deep it was. This is standard across the electronics industry for water resistance claims, even GoPro won't replace their cameras for water damage.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Product page on Samsungs website shows them swimming but it also includes this.

"Consistent with IPX8 rating, water resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Rinse residue/dry after wet."

Basically if you dive below 5ft depth, spend more than 30 minutes in the pool, or fail to rinse it off with pure water and dry it you're exceeding it's limitations.

They don't honor warranty replacements because 99.9% of the time there is no proof of how long the device was in the water or how deep it was. This is standard across the electronics industry for water resistance claims, even GoPro won't replace their cameras for water damage.

I definitely agree that we should avoid getting our electronics wet, and I've said a few times that IP ratings are nothing more than marketing. But I'm pretty sure the Galaxy Watch is rated for 5ATM, not just IP68.

As you say though, they're not going to honour a waranty on a water damaged device either way.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

I definitely agree that we should avoid getting our electronics wet, and I've said a few times that IP ratings are nothing more than marketing. But I'm pretty sure the Galaxy Watch is rated for 5ATM, not just IP68.

As you say though, they're not going to honour a waranty on a water damaged device either way.

I pulled the IPX8 right off Samsungs product page for the Galaxy Watch 4 in the disclaimer at the bottom of the page prior to posting that.

 

[Morty2264]

That is really unfortunate, OP! My Fitbit has a water lock on it as well but I still don't trust it in pools, hot tubs, or even in rainstorms. Hope everything works out for you!

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

I pulled the IPX8 right off Samsungs product page for the Galaxy Watch 4 in the disclaimer at the bottom of the page prior to posting that.

I'm not saying that it isn't IP rated, I'm saying they also rate it at 5ATM.

I suspect they list the IP rating because people are conditioned to think it means something, whereas outside of divers like mustang and nerds like me 5ATM is meaningless to most people.

 

[J Dubbs]

I am shocked. All ads say that the watch is multi sport and good for swimming too....how can it void the warranty when the commercials say otherwise??

Is the watch gone forever then??? 300 euros wasted just like that

Like everyone's saying, it's false advertising basically, but they use fine print and legal loop holes to get away with it :-\ Your best bet is to get a watch that's truly designed for swimming

And your 300 euros aren't wasted... I'm sure Samsung's making good use of them. On a serious note I would definitely call Samsung and make some noise... if you're persistent enough there's a reasonable chance they could help you out