Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are water resistant but after spending your hard-earned money, one can't help wonder if submerging the handsets in water may impact on some vital functionality of the smartphones.
Samsung launched the two mobile phones during the 2016 Mobile World Congress and announced that the devices were IP68 certified, which means totally dust tight and protected against complete and continuous submersion in water.
"The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge go everywhere you go. In the rain, the shower, or the pool for up to 30 minutes in a depth of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) or below. We've also worked out how to completely seal off the inside-components while keeping micro USB ports, earphone jacks open; so you won't have to fiddle with extra caps or covers," says Samsung.
Water and dust resistance features of the new Samsung devices will attract many customers who want to take the phone outdoors or want to take underwater pictures. However, it seems that the Galaxy S7 edge does not charge if the phone detects moisture in the USB port.
"I took an underwater photo this morning and put the phone away (S7E). 4 hours later I plugged it into the wall (fast charger) for a top-up and the phone popped up an error message 'moisture detected in charging port..' and the phone won't charge," complained a Galaxy S7 edge owner on XDA Developers forum.
The Galaxy S7 edge owner was told by other users to dry the phone with a hair dryer or put the device in a rice box to get rid of the moisture, which the handset owner did. However, the handset would still not charge.
"It is annoying for a water resistant / IP68 phone to act up after its first 30 seconds of exposure to water. Having to find a hair dryer or box of rice each time I get it wet defeats the point of IP68 frankly," added the Galaxy S7 edge owner.
Some other users received the same message but the alert did not appear after about an hour and the phone charged without any issue.
It is worth noting, that even though the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge are IP68 certified, the charging port is not covered and water may enter it. The moisture sensor in the charging port is a welcome addition to the Samsung phones and it can protect the phone as well as its users from electric short circuits and damages.
Reports suggest that the wireless charging capability is not affected by the issue. However, it is recommended that smartphone owners do not put a wet handset on a charging pad.
