14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung's Galaxy S Active line is designed to come with roughly the same powerful specs as on the Galaxy S smartphones, but with a more resistant case and more rugged feel to the device. However, earlier this month, the Galaxy S7 Active failed the water resistance test conducted by Consumer Reports.
The organization placed the smartphone under five feet of water for 30 minutes, as per the IP68 certification documentation. The Galaxy S7 Active was expected to still function after it was submerged, but it seems that the handset's display became unusable.
A second unit was subjected to the same test, and it too failed. Moreover, techs from the organization waited a few days for the phones to dry off, as water was found in the camera lens and even the SIM slot. After a few days had passed, the touchscreen was still non-responsive, deeming the smartphones unusable.
Samsung's Galaxy S7 Active did score quite high during other tests, but the failed water resistance test determined Consumer Reports to place the device on the list of not recommended smartphones.
Samsung responded to Consumer Reports' claims
Several days have passed after Consumer Reports issued its findings, and Samsung has just recently responded to the claims that Galaxy S7 Active is, in fact, not waterproof. The South-Korean company has stated that it stands behind the IP68 certification on the Galaxy S7 Active, and should any customers have issues with water damage, the company will replace the smartphone under its standard limited warranty.
Other details haven't been provided, but it's not surprising that the company would stand behind IP68 certification, considering that it's one of the main selling points of the Galaxy S7 Active.
The smartphone also comes with a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage that can expand to 200GB. In addition, the smartphone has a rear camera of 12MP and a 4,000mAh battery.