Samsung fixes Galaxy S7 Active’s waterproof flaw, will replace phones

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Active is meant to be waterproof, but apparently, some units didn’t get the memo.

The rugged smartphone, which works exclusively on AT&T in the US, has an IP68-rating that covers both dust- and water-resistance. It is designed to survive immersion in five feet of water for 30 minutes. But Consumer Reports on 8 June put two units through a dunk test and reported that they both failed. CNET later conducted a similar test, and two out of four units also failed.

All units of the S7 Active were manufactured in the same facility in Asia, and at least some of them appear to have waterproofing issues. On 22 July, Samsung responded to these claims, revealing to Consumer Reports that it found a problem in production. It quickly corrected the issue, declined to provide any further details, and said S7 Active units now being shipped should be flaw-free.

The Korean company won’t remove existing units from store shelves. All Samsung phones carry a one-year limited warranty, it explained, so any S7 Active units that sustain water damage can be immediately returned to where it was purchased or directly through Samsung for a replacement. Samsung warned that it will not replace phones that have not suffered water damage.

Samsung also wouldn’t expand upon how consumers can determine if their phones were flawed (ie, check their serial numbers, etc), though it believes only a small number of units were affected.

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