The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active is a variant of the Galaxy S7 line of smartphones designed for use outdoors or in other rough environments. The phone has a rugged case, a big battery, and a waterproof design.

Well, it’s supposed to be waterproof anyway. But when the folks at Consumer Reports put that claim to the test earlier this month, they discovered that the the phone had stopped working when it was removed from a water tank.

Now Samsung tells Consumer Reports that a manufacturing problem was identified and corrected… so all phones produced from here on out should actually be waterproof.

galaxy s7 active

That’s good news if you happen to be in the market for a new phone. But what if you’ve already purchased a Galaxy S7 Active or buy one of the defective units that’s been sitting on a shelf?

The phones are covered by a one-year warranty, and unlike most smartphones, that warranty includes water damage. So if your phone stops working after it gets wet you can send it in for a replacement up to a year after you’ve purchased the phone.

Samsung is not recalling existing phones that haven’t been damaged, suggesting that it will only be an issue for a small number of phones. But both phones tested by Consumer Reports failed the water submersion test, and 50 percent of phones tested by CNET failed different water test (CNET tried four phones and two of them broke).

The moral of this story? Just because your phone is supposed to be waterproof doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to drop it in the toilet intentionally. But if you do… try to do it while the phone is still under warranty.

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7 replies on “Samsung fixes Galaxy S7 Active flaw, now it really should be waterproof”

  1. I’ve had my S7 (standard S7 model) underwater at least 15-20 times. Haven’t had an issue yet.

    1. Ironically, there’s no problem with that model. The issue only affected the rugged model.

      1. Shame. The Active model looks fairly enticing with that massive battery.

        1. Still loving this one! really affordable; Sadly is no more convenient anymore Right now there is some models with waaay better specs on the market for a little extra… the agm a8; as example ( the guy below inspired me xD )

  2. You know people are going to drown the phone on purpose and force it to break just so they can get the new one.

  3. Usually I don’t like class action lawsuits, but this situation screams out for one. Samsung should extend the warranty to at least 3 years for water damage. But I guess they apparently want to be sued, forced to pay attorney fees and then forced to extend the warranty. Their choice.

    1. Seems to me that if I had one, it might have an accidental submersion for an extended period of time well before my warranty expired…

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