The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is suing Samsung for providing false information about the resilience of Galaxy cell phones. They are NOT as resistant to water as claimed in Samsung advertisements.
The consumer protection authority, in a statement released today, accuses the South Korean company of "false and deceptive representations" in advertisements, where smartphones are shown not only as "waterproof", but also usable in the pool or while surfing, and therefore resistant to salt and chlorine in the water.
The case, for which Samsung risks a fine, is in relation with about 300 commercials, since February 2016 - the launch date of the Galaxy S7 - onwards. The ambiguity about the Samsung Galaxy smartphone was first introduced on the Galaxy S7 where the handset which was seen in Samsung's advertisement in an aquarium, failed to successfully pass a waterproof test of a consumer magazine.
According to the ACCC, the company cannot advertise its smartphones in that way because it has not tested the consequences on devices in exposure to these water environments, and because it does not enforce the warranty on water damage.
Samsung itself on the official website warns that smartphones are not resistant to every water environment. The Galaxy S10, for example, "is not recommended for use on the beach or in the pool".
