Samsung Galaxy S7 Active has been described as the tough and rough version of the Galaxy S7. This is because the phone comes with the same performance specs as the latter, but with a tougher and ruggedized body suited for outside use.
One thing with the Galaxy S7 Active is that it is exclusive to AT&T, something that has been happening ever since the birth of the Active lineup a few years ago. Ideally, this range of devices usually comes in positioned as the tough and rugged as well as water, shatter and dust resistant variant of the cosmetic-driven variant.
While in the past all units of Galaxy Active handsets have had nothing to worry about, it seems the latest release has a huge design flaw. According to the incoming Consumer Reports tests, it seems the Galaxy S7 Active is not really water resistant as the South Korean tech giant claims. The IP68 certification feature should mean that a phone can survive up to 30 minutes of being dipped in fresh water of up to five feet. This is the same certification that is included on the standard Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge.
Apparently, Consumer Reports placed a Galaxy S7 Active into water that was pressurized to 2.12 pounds per square inch and set the timer to 30 minutes. The testers then removed the phone after the expiry of the set period and according to them, the phone’s screen was obscured by green lines, with the touchscreen remaining unresponsive. To make matters worse, the phone had tiny bubbles of water in the main and secondary snappers.
In a bid to confirm that this was indeed happening to a Galaxy S7 Active that is supposed to survive a dip in water, a second handset was put into the same tank of water under the same conditions. Surprisingly, the results were the same, with this one carrying more water in the SIM card slot. A few days later, the two phones could only light up the display when plugged into a power source, but they are no longer functional.
Samsung has yet to fully make a statement on this matter, but we’ll keep track of it and bring you the details as they pop up. Meanwhile, keep your Galaxy S7 Active away from water. You might also consider taking the same advice if you already own a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge.