Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Waterproof? Why Doesn’t The Warranty Cover Water Damage?

Go on, throw your Galaxy S4 Active into a pool of water, rinse it off in the sink, go nuts! Samsung told us it's "whatever proof" remember? Samsung's next-gen smartphone is hyped for its durability, ability to withstand water, and really just the unpredictable, so why doesn't the warranty cover water damage?

Wait a minute, now we are confused. Here's how Samsung's Galaxy S4 Active user manual lists it's liability: "This Limited Warranty does not cover: (a) defects or damage resulting from accident, misuse, abnormal use, abnormal conditions, improper storage, exposure to liquid, moisture, dampness, sand or dirt, neglect, or unusual physical, electrical or electromechanical stress." You are joking right? So when I rinse my phone off under faucet like an actor did in Samsung's incessant advertising, it's not covered if it breaks? Yup. That's what it says.

Silly us, we were fooled by Samsung's advertising to believe that the Galaxy S4 is "water proof" when in actuality it's "water resistant" and under strict regulations. Samsung defines the phone's water resistance capabilities in the Galaxy S4 Active's user manual. As Samsung points out in the device's manual, the S4 Active is rated IP67, which means that it's resistant to water only up to depths of a little over three feet and only for 30 minutes.

But the absurdity doesn't stop there. In order to keep the phone safe from water damage that we were told it can inherently resist, owners must first make sure the phone's series of "snap points" and port covers are secured. As Samsung says: "It is important that all compartments are closed tightly. Follow these tips carefully to prevent damage to the device." And we haven't even discussed Samsung's biggest mistake with the Galaxy S4 Active. Advertisements boast that the device can survive a dip in the pool, what if that pool in deeper than 3 feet? And while Samsung may say that the Galaxy S4 Active is "whoops proof," the only whoops I see is in the Active's included "water resistant" features.

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The Galaxy S4 Active has an "Aqua Mode", meaning that Samsung is not only advertising that the device could withstand water, now it telling us we should use it in water on "Aqua Mode," of course. "Aqua Mode" allows user to produce underwater photography, therefore Samsung is encouraging users to jump in the pool and snap underwater but denying liability if user actually use a boasted feature on the Galaxy S4 Active. Venture Beat said it best, "When you give people a false sense of security, bad experiences are inevitable."

Samsung can't encourage me to break my phone and throw your hands up when it does, well apparently they can. By simply going to AT&T's website and scanning the reviews for the S4 Active, they are all bad. One user wrote this review, "Major disappointment. This phone is NOT, I repeat is NOT waterproof. Despite the fact that the camera has an underwater photo setting on it!! And yes, we had the one flap completely sealed and the back was completely sealed as well. Stuck it under about a foot of water to get pic in pool and first it froze up. About 1/2 later, home button not working, back button not working, keeps saying headphones are connected, right side of screen looks damaged and now it won't charge! Taking it back to store today and this better be covered under the phone insurance I purchased!"

Well unfortunately for this dissatisfied customer, who also revealed they wouldn't recommend this product to a friend, Samsung's warranty will not cover his obvious water damage. What do you think about the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Active? Commet below and let us know!

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