According to PhoneArena, Samsung Australia has been fined by the Federal Court to pay a $14 million (about $9.7 million USD) penalty for a deceptive marketing effort. The advertisements in question implied that certain of Samsung’s water-resistant phones could be used in pools and on beaches, something Samsung’s own website advises against.
Between March 2016 and October 2018, the adverts depicted Galaxy A-series, S7-series, and S8-series phones. They’re all IP68-rated, which means they can be totally submerged in water for a lengthy period of time – in this example, up to 30 minutes to a depth of 1.5 metres (about five feet). However, this protection only applies to freshwater; saltwater and chlorinated pool water are a different story.
In 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (or ACCC) put Samsung Australia to task over these accusations, and the Federal Court ordered Samsung to pay up. Gina Cass-Gottlieb, head of the ACCC, stated that the organisation evaluated hundreds of complaints from Galaxy users who claimed their phones malfunctioned or stopped operating entirely after being exposed to water. The charging port appears to be the weak link: corrosion can develop if the phone is used in salt water or chlorinated water and then charged before the port is completely dry.
It’s a nice reminder that even a high waterproof rating like IP68 has its limitations. It’s best to err on the side of caution before you take what you see on TV and your smartphone swimming seriously.
Image Credits: Amazon
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