Samsung recently found itself in hot water down under in Australia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is reportedly taking the Korean electronics brand to court for “misleading” customers with inaccurate depictions of water resistance for several its Galaxy smartphones.
In one instance, the ACCC alleged – through more than 300 advertisements – that Samsung has shown its smartphones either being used or submerged in unconventional scenarios such as swimming pools and oceans since 2016. Even when the devices didn’t have the grounds to do so.
Samsung didn’t introduce IP68 water and dust resistance to their Galaxy smartphones until the release of the Galaxy S7 series back in 2016. However, a test conducted by US Magazine Consumer Reports in the same year debunked Samsung’s water-resistant claims after it failed one of its immersion tests.
In its defence, Samsung has told consumers that its phones, including the current Galaxy S10 series models, isn’t suitable for beach use or in saltwater. That said, it should be noted that Samsung isn’t the only brand to put out such a warning; other smartphone brands with devices bearing the IP68 rating has released the same disclaimer, some even going so far as to point out the obvious differences between freshwater and saltwater.
For now, Samsung says that it intends to fight the ACCC’s lawsuit and that it stands by its marketing campaigns, both past and present.
