yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] Miami_Son:
For the record, I have NEVER recommended using the phone in salt water. I posted the story of my mishap simply to show that, at least in my case, the phone did survive just fine despite having been subjected to extreme exposure and beyond what the manufacturer recommends. I never intended to submerge my phone in the ocean, that was caused by a fumble-fingered friend. I also don't believe, as another member said, that all failures are due to the negligence or stupidity of users. I think Samsung's representations for this phone far exceeded the engineering. That belief is backed up by the fact that as soon as problems started developing both Samsung and AT$T backed off on promotion of the Active almost immediately. Rather than tout the phones ability to be submerged in water they should have simply promoted its ability to survive a minor mishap in or near water. The fact that they promoted it as being able to actually be used underwater to take pictures created a false sense of just how water-resistant the phone really is. For that, they deserve to have to replace any Active that fails due to water exposure. Bottom line is the Active is a phone that can deal with exposure to water to some degree. It is not an underwater phone or camera. It's water-resistance ability may also diminish with time as seals age and harden and provide less protection against water entry.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] :
I'm asking respectfully, but since you have made two posts and they're about the one thing: are you pushing this product? Either way, it would be good of you to make a testing video if you could, even if you just dunk it in a bucket for a while and see how it goes. I don't want to drag this out or take this thread off topic but I posted a question in your other thread about the case.

I can't believe you even made this post after your whole "last word" rant and I dropped it. Just wow.

I both know and recognise this. What I was saying is that if a failure had resulted as of a situation such as this, it would not have been due to the phone's inability to live up to its guarantees but rather due to "extreme exposure" and misuse beyond the phone's expected abilities.

Clearly referring to me. I never said that all failures are due to negligence, I said failures due to negligence aren't failures of the phone itself. Yes, it is possible and likely for the phone to reach beyond it's guarantee, but reaching beyond its guarantee is not a guarantee and that's all I was pointing out - not to expect more than what Samsung does as you may be disappointed.

This may or may not be true. I can't find any such advertising personally and I have searched for it. The only advertising that I could find shows splashes and smalls dips. The most "exposure" I could find in any of the advertising was a person being pushed into the shallow (probably about waist deep?) end of a pool where it appears he pulls the phone out of his pocket, rather than leaving it submerged.

My personal opinion is that I disagree. Samsung and it's retailers disagree. The law itself, at least where the majority of these phones are sold, disagrees. That is, with water exposure outside of it's written guarantee.

I agree. The phone is water resistant not water proof unless within specific limitations.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] Stryke_the_Orc:
This thread has run its course.

The bottom line, no the phone isn't waterproof. Take care of your electronics and be happy if it survives a dunk in liquid.

Manufacturers will make it look like they have the best product out just to make a sale, and with the video editing technology we have today, they could record the device being dunked in molten metal.

Just think Terminator.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] soapbubble:
I read speakerphone quality was unaffected for some reason. So if it's not a private call that might be an option? I really have been thinking about selling my 32gb s4 for the active.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] fylim:
After looking at all your comments I have concerns getting the S4Active now which was something I was looking to do.

The waterproof function should just work i.e. the phone should function normally in and out of water. Something that does not work until a few hours later or requires some effort to get it working I think means water had gotten in and will likely eventually fail. That doesn't inspire confidence and once you have fear bring a supposedly waterproof phone into the water, what's the point of getting one.

As you can imagine warranty claim for waterproof issues will be tricky. How to differentiate between water damage due to user negligence vs manufacturing issues?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...W_COMMENT_SUBMISSION&bvauthenticateuser=false
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] geoff5093:
I believe the microphone is the same regardless of whether it's a private call or on speaker phone.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] kenmitch:
Most likely the back wasn't snapped on correctly on your link to doubt.

The phone is a $600 smartphone one should use caution with something so valuable. It's more weather resistant than water proof. Short dunks in water wont kill it. Long term water usage most likely will in the end. I'd think a quick dunk or two would be fine. A person should rinse and dry it off afterwards. I see no issue having to possibly do a quick blow in the mike and speaker afterwards to make a call or having to blow out the water from the headphone jack if needed. Use common sense and it will last just as long as the next smartphone or possibly longer if your on the clumsy side.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] mr_sock:
"The phone is supposed to be water-resistant to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. A warning sticker on the back of the Active reminds you to firmly seal the battery and USB covers before use and to press against the AT&T logo on the back of the phone to make sure"
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] Kadin:
I was just coming here to say something similar. This will definitely put AT&T/Samsung into a pickle because like the reviewer mentioned in the OP's linked article, he would have taken it back and exchanged it. So how does he prove it was only dropped in water within 1m vs. 2m or more? Maybe there's a way to tell that but I can't think of any.

Either way, I did see a video on YouTube earlier comparing the S4 and S4A where the guy submerged it into a full bucket with no issues. Trying to decide on this phone as well...
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] biggstkk:
The S3 and other newer phones have barometers, which measures air pressure... You never know. :what:

Sent from the 3rd Galaxy running something Task has conjured up in his 'spare' time.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] galaxyjeff:
I saw a CNET torture test and they tested the iPhone 5 and regular galaxy s4 in water and the s4 worked fine after being in a bag of rice for 2 days. In wondering if some of the same parts on the original s4 are the same as on the active one
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] geoff5093:
Why?
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] ricktat:
I was at AT&T and the guy said their Samsung rep for training said to please stress "water resistant" not "waterproof"

He also said they were told that it is not resistant to salt water.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] Solange82200:
I think he meant he took it to the pool, not put it in boiling water lol. At least I hope that was a typo!
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] Raspster:
The words WATER PROOF/RESISTANT and removable back battery cover do NOT mix well. I have had problems with galaxy's phones in the past that the battery cover was not secure and now it seems like its more important than ever with the active.. Why didn't Samsung make this thing uni-body like the HTC one or even the experia z. That phone is unibody and waterproof and I have not heard anyone with water damage issues with that phone. Anyway, not sure why Samsung just can't make a unibody phone damn it! LOL
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] Infekxion:
Removable battery. Samsung could make a bullet and water proof device with a 5000 mah battery and there would still be hoards of people complaining that it's non removable.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] yankeesfan714:
I have submerged mine for 2 minutes with no water damage.

It takes remarkable photos under water.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] BlackFire27:
My ps1 still works lol
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] lanwarrior:
Is it water proof? :D
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] BlackFire27:
Lol shhh. Dude when I bought my ps2 from GameStop they asked if I wanted a 2 year warranty and I asked what it covered. He said anything. I asked if I threw it in a river you'd replace it. They said yep and I bought it lol
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] kwhee07:
Mines been in for a dunk...heres a quick vid.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151774755386654
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] robertopod1968:
Mine is. I've used it in water a dozen times already
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] yankeesfan714:
Mine is now showing a little water beyond the seal near the bottom right of battery after a quick dunk
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] thatbigmoose:
So the seal is compromised?

That sucks..
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
Mine is constantly in water. As far as the back cover goes? No idea, it hasn't come off since I put my memory card in when I got it the day it came out.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] scott14719:
As with most other products, I am sure the more times you separate the seal, the less likely it is to properly seal.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
You are 100% correct. Also you have to verify there is ZERO dust or any kind of particles on the sealing surface or o-ring before you close the device. The more you take it on/off, the more the plastic catches wear out on the cover and the seal gets looser. I plan on replacing the rear cover every 6 months or so with a new OEM one just for good measure.

I am desperately waiting for a floating case, I am on boats almost daily. IP67 means nothing when it's 20ft on the bottom of a lake in mud.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] scott14719:
Lifeproof is considering making one for the regular GS4. If enough active owners showed interest, maybe they will make one for the active as well. They have one for the S3 already and I have seen some good reviews.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
I don't care about a $100 case when my insurance deductible is $100. Super easy to make a slide in/out floating case. Wouldn't cost but a few dollars.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] Solange82200:
What insurance do you have? The att I've is 200 deductible :(
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
Square trade my friend. $5 a month. $99 deductible.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] lanwarrior:
That a beer or sprite? :)

No headphone jack issue? No speaker issue?
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
Beer!

Headphone jack did it once when new, then never came back. The speaker will sound like junk until it dries out. That's just the nature of getting water in any speaker.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] CBONE:
In response to the title question: Nope. Not compared to a lifeproof case, at least. Big problem in not being able to test the seal. Mine got water inside almost immediately. :( I've taken the back off a total of 3 times since I got it 2 days ago.

Apparently the fatal error was walking around the kiddie end of the pool, barely pocket deep for about 4.5 minutes. I took it out, dried the outer surface, opened it up, and there was a gang of water inside. Dried it out, put the battery back in and the cover back on. I opened it again a few minutes ago to see that there was more moisture inside. I imagine that water got in and leaked out through the battery contacts and that open space to the right of the fingers. Super annoying. I can only assume that this is a dud seal. The cover isn't that hard to get on.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] scott14719:
One of the mistakes Samsung made was to give it an "underwater camera" mode. Why would you claim a phone is not waterproof and refuse to warranty it as such and then put a mode on it to take underwater pictures and video? I see future litigation regardless of the fine print in the sales contracts.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] lanwarrior:
I think we have some phone with defective back cover. I remember when Samsung announces the phone, there are tons of video showing the phone left in a large box of water. ... submerged. ..BY Samsung.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] yankeesfan714:
I was fine taking a 10 second video in the pool but not putting it in a cup of water for 2 seconds. Weird.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] CBONE:
Actually I believe the water came in through the front or something. The wimpy looking back seal kept the water that leaked in contained to the area it was supposed to keep water out of.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] lanwarrior:
I just did a test.. get a large cooking pots (approx. 4 inches high), put water till it overflow and ... dunk my phone in.

Leave it there for about 20 seconds, leaving it on and off and on and off (you get the idea...). Pick it up, shake the phone a little bit, dry the outside with paper towel... works OK. I can play song from the speaker, sounds OK.

I turned off the phone and opened the back cover and yes... there are tiny water droplet in the back cover and the back of the phone.. but NOTHING INSIDE the area that is protected by the RUBBER STRIP. Took out the battery, not a single water. Took my magnifying glass.. nada.

Turn it on again, works OK.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] yankeesfan714:
For me it has worked 99% of the time. That little gasket is basically a $700 gasket.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] jenocide:
Quick question for any of you veteran AT&T customers.

I really want this phone, but I'd like to stay with T-Mo...

What is AT&T's policy regarding buying phones full price? Could I just walk in and purchase an Active free and clear? If not, could I have a friend current on an AT&T plan buy the phone full price for me? And will they unlock it?

I'm in a refarmed T-Mo area, so the lack of AWS band on WCDMA isn't a big deal to me. Plus Tucson just got LTE on AWS, so this phone has everything I need!
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
Here's what I did. Got a friend that had ATT, had them "add a line" on their plan and purchased the phone straight out. It's contract free. Called customer service, got unlock code. Canceled the added line on the same phone call. Done. It's just a hair over $630 after tax.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] jenocide:
Thanks! I may have to try that. My friend may have an expired contract, so I'm wondering if he even needs to add a line. But I'm happy to hear that it's worked for someone. I may give it a try soon.

And $630 is around the same price range I was going to spend on a Dev edition HTC One or GPe edition anyways!

Thanks again!
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] lanwarrior:
Why not just go to an ATT store and buy the phone? Nothing in their policy state toy must have an account to buy the phone outright.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] jenocide:
They do have a policy about unlocking phones though, hence the steps taken by TwoStroker.

However, I may call around like you said.. and see if I can just walk in and purchase an S4 Active.. then attempt to unlock it myself using one of the S4 unlock guides here on XDA.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] thatbigmoose:
Those guides don't work on this phone. Don't get screwed over with an un-unlockable phone
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
ATT will only give you an unlock code if you're a paying customer out of contract. It's to stop people from buying mass amounts of exclusive phones like the Active, unlocking them, and selling them. Bypassing their exclusiveness.

None of the S4/Note2/S3/any samsung methods work on the S4 Active. That part of the menu system has been locked out. I'm sure there's a new code but it has yet to be leaked/discovered. AWS on the radio is nice, but not needed and I can deal without for a long time.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] jenocide:
Yeah. I just visited an AT&T store and they said they'll sell a full-price Active or any other phone to established AT&T customers, who would have to obtain an unlock code via AT&T's customer service.

First opportunity to hold the phone and it's much lighter than I had anticipated. Feels more solid than my S2 and the S3's and S4's that I've held.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
Just find a friend/family member with ATT, have them add a line "family plan" to their account. Just make sure they don't have unlimited data or they'll never get it back. Buy the phone. Unlock it. Have them cancel the add a line and go back to their old plan. No money out of pocket for said person, just a little bit of a hassle. Take em out to dinner or something.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] lanwarrior:
Just an idea: if you are not travelling out of the country or have a need to unlock the phone, it's probably easier (and less painful for your friends who have AT&T).

Even if you sell the phone and it is still locked, you can still get a good price because people want to buy the phone without a contract, though it maybe slighlty less than the unlocked phone.

Additionally, the unlock code will be available down the road from a 3rd party unlocker.

Just and idea.. ;)
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] joshuadjohnson22:
I have like 30 photos and 5 videos of underwater shots.... Never felt like posting because it was too much work lol. It worked great for me. But i have had 3 Actives and only 1 of them I would trust under water... My current active have multiple gaps in the seal around the glass, the one before this one had a major gap on the top and my first one had no gaps but a screwy power button. I love this phone but clearly not every one is created equal.

Basic principal, look over your active to make sure it is sealed right before taking it into water. If it is you wont have any issues, if not I still think it will survive a accidental drop but I wouldn't keep it under for long.

That's my 2 cents
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] jenocide:
I want to use the S4 Active on T-Mobile (I don't plan on signing up for ATT), as well as have the option of popping in another sim card when I travel to EU or otherwise.

What's the warranty/return policy? First thing I'd do out of the box is dunk it into a glass of water and if it fails, immediately get an exchange or refund.

---------- Post added at 12:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:00 PM ----------

My friend has an AT&T plan and I believe he's out of contract. Would he still need to add a line to get this? Couldn't he just buy it and get it unlocked and continue using his iPhone5 like he has been?
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] joshuadjohnson22:
Warranty does not cover water damage. You will be SOL if you dunk it and it dies
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] jenocide:
Ouch! That's pretty lame if the "water-proof" smartphone doesn't have water damage warranty protection.

Hmm, second thoughts ensue..........
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
Square trade. $100 deductible. $5 a month.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] thatbigmoose:
$5/mo. or $99 for 2 years upfront -- plus the $100 deductible.

So pretty much the same as AT&T's warranty. Except AT&T's also covers loss and theft.

Edit: AT&T's deductible is $200 though, but still the piece of mind of knowing if I lose it I'm covered. Cell phone theft is big in NY and its suburbs.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] yankeesfan714:
Mine leaked lower rh near battery. No damage thankfully. Samsung is sending a box so they can look at it. First s4 active in for repair? Lol
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
Mine just did something weird. Put it in ice cold drink. SD card unmounted. No water intrusion.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] thatbigmoose:
Does anyone else think samsung should've left the moisture sensor within the device? And then if moisture got to 100% a big notification could light up the screen and vibrate the phone saying something like "Water damage! Remove phone from water immediately!"?
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
I had to heat mine up lol
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] CBONE:
Mine had a leak in the front through a gap in the front or the headphone jack. Looked like a watercolor smear on the screen. NEITHER water damage indicator was red. My local AT&T corporate store wanted no part of it. "Water damage? GTFO. *said without even really looking at it*" Samsung said if I sent it to them on my dime they would investigate, possibly charge me for the privilege, and get back to me shortly after the Lifeproof case for the S3 comes out (AKA never).

EDIT: It wouldn't surprise me if there were something done about this (recall, gift cert). While I was in the store for hours trying to get a replacement phone, several Actives were sold with CSRs talking up the waterproof aspect. Probably going to be a lot of pissed off people in a week or so when they call about a replacement and can't get one or even a refurb.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] scott14719:
No way around the bootloader lock (at least not yet and maybe never), 50% chance of it actually working under water, no noticeable spec improvements over the actual S4 (maybe LCD, but it is according to opinion). I'm not sure why anyone would buy an Active? I guess if modding isn't important or if you are one of the lucky people that got one that actually works in water it is OK, but it seems like to me the point of the phone is to be a bit more (a lot more) resilient than the actual S4. But it doesn't seem to be? When I put my S4 in a lifeproof or Seidio water resistant case (when available) I think it will be more resilient than the Active.

So what am I missing here?
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] TwoStroker37:
I've had no water issues with my active. Its not a submarine
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] thatbigmoose:
It works underwater far more than 50% of the time. I'm willing to venture to say they pushed at least a few hundred thousand of these units so far. No public backlash yet. Remember that angry customers are much louder than satisfied ones.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] dave1977nj:
Go for a swim in the ocean with it :p
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] scott14719:
Very true. I'm just basing that off of what is reported here in these threads. I'm just wandering if it actually lives up to the task that Samsung is selling it for. The lack of warranty support for water damage has to be a huge flag. I thought about getting one as a secondary phone (beach, hiking, maybe work) and then use my regular S4 all of the rest of the time. So, I'm trying to decide if it is worth getting one or just getting a water proof / resistant case for my regular S4. I'm strongly leaning towards the case right now.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] CBONE:
Nothing. Lesson learned by me: Stick to waterproof cases where I can verify the seal before I use it with a phone. Doubtful that there will be a waterproof case for a water-resistant phone, so I plan on exchanging my replacement unopened Active for a plain S4. I don't have anything to prove by taking a chance with shoddy seals again.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] scott14719:
Don't wait too long to do it because you never know when Samsung / AT&T is going to software patch LOKI on the regular S4s coming out of box.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] yankeesfan714:
Saltwater is actually one of the no no's
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] scott14719:
Does it officially say that somewhere? Many pools use salt based filtering systems. If water (in general) isn't supposed to get passed the seal(s), why would it matter if it had salt in it or not?
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] msn.debord:
Salt water is bad for electronics.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] scott14719:
Not if it doesn't get to the electronics. Salt water has to get to the electronics to hurt them. That is the point of the seal, right? So again, if water isn't supposed to get into the phone's electronics, why would it matter if it has salt in it or not. If the salt in the water is reaching the electronics, that means the seal isn't keeping the water (salted or not) out.
[Galaxy S 4 Active General] msn.debord:
Yes. But I would think that it could compromise the seal in the long run. Plus it couldn't be good for the speakers and mic or the headphone jack.