Some Galaxy S7 Actives fail more submersion tests; Samsung promises replacements for water damage

It was reported earlier this month that the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, the rugged version of the award-winning S7 handset, didn't fair too well when submerged in water. Tests by Consumer Report showed two of the devices malfunctioning when left in a water tank pressurized at 2.12 pounds-per-square-inch (equal to five feet of water) for 30 minutes.

Surprisingly, the regular versions of the S7/S7 Edge, which share the same IP68 rating as the Active, were found to function much better underwater - they both passed Consumer Report's water test and top the publication's smartphone ratings.

In response, Samsung suggested the possibility that both the devices tested were faulty units, and therefore not as watertight as they should be. However, CNET decided to perform some water tests of its own on the Active, and the results were similar.

The publication dunked an Active in a vase full of water for 20 minutes, which it survived with no problems. It then did more tests using deeper buckets; this time, one handset came out okay, but water seeped inside another unit.

Samsung says the Active can withstand submersion at a depth of up to almost 5 feet for 30 minutes. To test this claim, CNET left one of the smartphones at the bottom of a five-foot deep pool for 28 minutes. Once retrieved, it was discovered that the Active would no longer turn on and some water had made its way inside.

CNET did point out that it tried other Active units using the pool test, and some of them did actually pass.

Samsung has promised that if an Active does suffer water damage, it will replace the handset with a new one. The company gave the following statement in response to the tests.

"The Galaxy S7 Active passed rigorous tests to ensure IP68 certification for water resistance. Samsung stands behind this water resistance certification, and will replace any Galaxy S7 Active under its standard limited warranty, should water damage occur."

Its waterproof features may sometimes be questionable, but the Active can stand to be dropped from quite a height. Remarkably, it survives a 400-foot fall from a drone in this video.