If you’ve ever gotten your phone wet in the rain, dropped it in water or spilled liquid over it, you’re not alone. One study suggests25% of smartphone usershave damaged their smartphone with water or some other kind of liquid.
Liquid penetrating a smartphone can affect the device in several ways. It could lead to:
While new phones are advertised as “water resistant”, this doesn’t mean they are waterproof, or totally immune to water. Water resistance just implies the device can handlesomeexposure to water before substantial damage occurs.
Samsung Australia has long-defended itself againstclaimsit misrepresents the water resistance of its smartphones.
In 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Samsung to Federal Court, alleging false and misleading advertisements had led customers to believe theirGalaxy phoneswould be suitable for:
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use in, or exposure to, all types of water (including, for example, oceans and swimming pools).
Samsung Australia subsequentlydenied warranty claimsfrom customers for damage caused to phones by use in, or exposure to, liquid.
Similarly, last year Apple wasfined €10 million(about A$15.5 million) by Italy’s antitrust authority for misleading claims about the water resistance of its phones, and for not covering liquid damage under warranty, despite these claims.
How resistant is your phone?
The water resistance of phones is rated by an “Ingress Protection” code, commonly called an IP rating. Simply, an electrical device’s IP rating refers to its effectiveness against intrusions from solids and liquids.
The rating includes two numbers. The first demonstrates protection against solids such as dust, while the second indicates resistance to liquids, specifically water.
Here are the various Ingress Protection ratings. The numbering changes based on the level of protection. Image via Element Materials Technology
A phone that has a rating ofIP68has a solid object protection of 6 (full protection from dust, dirt and sand) and a liquid protection of 8 (protected from immersion in water to a depth of more than one metre).
Although, for the latter, manufacturers are responsible for defining the exact depth and time.
The populariPhone 12andSamsung Galaxy S21phones both have a rating of IP68. However, regarding exposure to water, the iPhone 12 has a permissible immersion depth of a maximum of 6m for 30 minutes, whereas the Galaxy 21’s immersion limit is up to 1.5m, also for 30 minutes.
While IP ratings indicate the water-repellent nature of phones, taking most phones for a swim will land you in deep trouble. The salt content in oceans and swimming pools can corrode your device and cost you a hefty replacement.
Moreover, phone manufacturers carry out their IP testing in fresh water and Applerecommendsdevices not be submerged in liquids of any kind.
Luckily, water resistant phones are generally able to survive smaller liquid volumes, such as from a glass tipping over.
Read more:Screwed over: how Apple and others are making it impossible to get a cheap and easy phone repair
Checking for liquid damage
Exposure to water is something manufacturers have in mind when designing phones. MostAppleandSamsungphones come with a liquid contact/damage indicator strip located inside the SIM card tray.
This is used to check for liquid damage that may be causing a device to malfunction. An indicator strip that comes in contact with liquid loses its usual colour and becomes discoloured and smudgy.
Samsung and Apple phones have Liquid Contact/Damage Indicators. Images via Samsung/Apple
A discolored strip usually renders your phone ineligible for a standard manufacturer warranty.
If you have any of the more recent smartphones fromAppleorSamsung, then your device will be able to detect liquid or moisture in its charging port and will warn you with an alert. This notification only goes away once the port is dry.
New generation Samsung and Apple phones have a moisture/liquid alert notification.
But what should you do if this dreadful pop-up presents itself?
Fixing a water-logged phone
Firstly, do not put your phone in a container of rice. It’s amyththat rice helps in drying out your phone. Instead, follow these steps:
If the above steps don’t help and you’re still stuck with a seemingly dead device, don’t try opening the phone yourself. You’re better off taking it to a professional.
Read more:Upgrade rage: why you may have to buy a new device whether you want to or not
This article byRitesh Chugh, Senior Lecturer – Information Systems and Analysis,CQUniversity Australia,is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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