Galaxy S4 Active - is it really waterproof? - Galaxy S 4 Active General

USA Today have an article (here) where the reviewer was testing the S4 Active. Right after he dunk the phone underwater, the phone have WATER DAMAGE:
Shortly after I took the phone for a dip (in not very deep water), the display went kaput — at least for several hours. It lit up just long enough to indicate that I had power, but I couldn't actually keep the display on and use it.
Roughly a day later, the screen came alive again, but the phone was still exhibiting finicky behavior, presumably because of water damage. The touch-screen was messed up and the device acted as if headphones were plugged in when they weren't. If this were my actual phone, I'd return to the store for a replacement.
I just got the S4 Active and thought I am not planning to take the phone for a long underwater activities, I am concerned that I am getting a phone that have a very weak water resistant feature.
Not sure if this is because the reviewer didn't "properly" close the battery cover / USB port, but I have seen S4 Active review and Samsung Event videos where the phone was submerged in water for a long time and it still works.
PS: Have ANYONE tried to dunk their phone in the water for testing?

My phone has been in a pool, lake, bathtub, rainy weather, all since I got it. I trust it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2

I'd like to think that reviewer just got stuck with a bad unit.
But this begs the question: Is water damage covered under warranty? Either by AT&T or Samsung? Surely they should back up their "vacation-proof" phone..

aceownstheworld said:
My phone has been in a pool, lake, bathtub, rainy weather, all since I got it. I trust it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first one went into the pool just fine. The unit I have now I am scared to expose it. On the top between the glass and bezel there is a small gap... above the in call speaker.... I'm afraid that water will pour in through that... Can you look at yours and see if yours is like that?

He probably didn't press down the back cover correctly.
Sent From My Galaxy S4 Active using a Tapatalk 4

joshuadjohnson22 said:
My first one went into the pool just fine. The unit I have now I am scared to expose it. On the top between the glass and bezel there is a small gap... above the in call speaker.... I'm afraid that water will pour in through that... Can you look at yours and see if yours is like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean between the earpiece and the bezel at the front? I don't see any gaps, at least not with my naked eyes.
On the back, bottom part near the speaker, I don't see it either. Trying to press to see if there is a gap, so far none.
What makes you "scared" on the phone that you have now?

robstunner said:
He probably didn't press down the back cover correctly.
Sent From My Galaxy S4 Active using a Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a sticker on the back cover that provide a warning for the user to PRESS DOWN on the middle of the cover, underneath the LED.
I always do that, but I never hear a "click" or any indication that the back cover is now PROPERLY covering the phone to prevent water leakage.
Well, I DO hear the click when pressing on all sides, but that's normal like my Galaxy Note.

lanwarrior said:
You mean between the earpiece and the bezel at the front? I don't see any gaps, at least not with my naked eyes.
On the back, bottom part near the speaker, I don't see it either. Trying to press to see if there is a gap, so far none.
What makes you "scared" on the phone that you have now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah on the front top. I just think water will easily get in the phone...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I've used this phone below the 1 meter mark and the only bad side effect I get is the microphone not working well for a bit afterwords, which happens really at any level of exposure. This phone is pretty safe in water if you use it correctly.

mattpayne92 said:
...the only bad side effect I get is the microphone not working well for a bit afterwords...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is pretty bad. I mean, I am not going snorkeling and take a phone call while floating on the shore, but if somebody calls me and I CANNOT talk to them because the microphone does not work, that is a big problem.
I am actually wondering how does the phone protects the microphone, earphone and speaker? There are holes there and water can go in. I was considering the Xperia Z and so far the only problem with water issue is the microphone jack - the phone will think that the jack have a headphone but it's only water. However, that is easily fixable by drying it out. I.e. use tissue or something that goes inside the jack.
Microphone though, the holes are to tiny to "dry" with a tissue or something.
BTW, is the microphone STOPS working completely or it works again after a FEW DAYS?

Maybe I can ask those who read this thread to tell me if:
A). You HAVE tested your phone under water (splashing it, dunking it in a bowl of water)
B). What ISSUE you have after you did the above? Phone dead, microphone stops working, etc.
I am trying to get a sense if this is just a specific batch issue (I can replace the phone) or design issue (no matter what, the issue still exists).

If it really was then it would have lifetime warranty. The fact that it only has 1 year warranty like most of the phones tells me that after year 1 be ready to say bye bye to your baby
Sent from my SGH-I337

lanwarrior said:
Maybe I can ask those who read this thread to tell me if:
A). You HAVE tested your phone under water (splashing it, dunking it in a bowl of water)
B). What ISSUE you have after you did the above? Phone dead, microphone stops working, etc.
I am trying to get a sense if this is just a specific batch issue (I can replace the phone) or design issue (no matter what, the issue still exists).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Decided to take mine in the shower to test after it got here.
I let the showerhead spray onto the phone, both front and back. Nothing wrong.
Like other people reported, the speaker volume gets significantly lower when wet and goes back to normal within a half hour. Also if the headphone port gets water in it it will errenously display that "headphones are connected" which blowing into the port will fix.

thatbigmoose said:
Decided to take mine in the shower to test after it got here.
I let the showerhead spray onto the phone, both front and back. Nothing wrong.
Like other people reported, the speaker volume gets significantly lower when wet and goes back to normal within a half hour. Also if the headphone port gets water in it it will errenously display that "headphones are connected" which blowing into the port will fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is useful! BTW, you haven't test submerging the phone, have you?

maldinimi said:
If it really was then it would have lifetime warranty. The fact that it only has 1 year warranty like most of the phones tells me that after year 1 be ready to say bye bye to your baby
Sent from my SGH-I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it won't, because all things mechanical / electronics break downs eventually - nothing last forever. Even mil-spec stuff does not have a "lifetime" warranty.

lanwarrior said:
This is useful! BTW, you haven't test submerging the phone, have you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't submersed it yet but there's videos on YouTube with submersion and it brings about the same issues I discussed.
Higher water pressure will clog the mic membrane and make you sound distant in phone calls.
Maybe I'll build up the courage to dunk it tomorrow.

I did the dunk test the night after I got it by fully submerging it in a cup of water...worked just fine afterwards...although I was showing a friend that didn't believe that I had a "water proof/resistant" phone by putting it in the sink and letting water run over it and had an issue with the phone thinking the headphones were plugged in.only did it for about an hour...weird thing was that it didn't start doing it until about 2 hours after it had been wet. Although once it fully dried I haven't had any issues at all with it. Hope this helps.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium HD app

lanwarrior said:
That is pretty bad. I mean, I am not going snorkeling and take a phone call while floating on the shore, but if somebody calls me and I CANNOT talk to them because the microphone does not work, that is a big problem.
I am actually wondering how does the phone protects the microphone, earphone and speaker? There are holes there and water can go in. I was considering the Xperia Z and so far the only problem with water issue is the microphone jack - the phone will think that the jack have a headphone but it's only water. However, that is easily fixable by drying it out. I.e. use tissue or something that goes inside the jack.
Microphone though, the holes are to tiny to "dry" with a tissue or something.
BTW, is the microphone STOPS working completely or it works again after a FEW DAYS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe leave the phone in the sun for a few minutes to dry? Blow on it? Several things help get the water out. But honestly, how often are you going to go swimming with a phone and then take a call immediately afterwards? I'd be thrilled that my phone didn't fry after it fell in the pool, I could care less that the microphone doesn't work for an hour - that's what bluetooth headsets are for.
Anyways, I've had my phone submerged in a sink with running water twice now, the only issues I've found is that after removing the back cover there is water on the outside of the rubber gasket, which looks normal, but I would recommend taking the back off to dry it out after exposed to water.

When i took mine into the pool I made a phone call right after and they said I sounded funny so i blew in the mic and it cleared the water out and they could hear me fine....

geoff5093 said:
But honestly, how often are you going to go swimming with a phone and then take a call immediately afterwards?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not very often, but when I DO need to take that call, it will be a big problem. This is a phone after all.
I don't think I will purposely take the phone for a swim, but the reason I bought the Active instead of the S4 is because of the water/sand protection and want to confirm it works. If it doesn't, then I'll exchange the phone to a normal S4 because it's thinner.
However, based on your response and others, it seems it does offer those protection to a certain degree and the ONLY issue is that the mic may get covered with water and cause the caller not being able to hear me, but this is easily fixed QUICKLY.

Related

Xperia Z Water Damaged

Hello there xda community... I am new to this forum and have just succesfully managed to wreck my Xperia Zs screen.
I have only wanted to clean my phone under the sink (its rated for low jets of water) wiped it dry and then after a few minutes, fractal structures if I may call it, started to creep up all over the screen.
It started slowly from the corners jumping all across the screen in seconds. (very weird)
I have uped some screen shots! This is my second Z i got. My first one, I exchanged it because it had burned pixels on the screen with which I could not live with.
I just dont seem to be lucky with this phone! :/
I had all ports closed and no water was detected by the detectors. I believe the leak came from the power or volume buttons but who knows?
I feel like my trust to Sony is broken.
I have seen others put it under the pool with no probs... but well someone has to be the lucky one! :/
I think am gonna turn back to my old Nokia 3330!
P.S do you think that I stand a chance of exchanging it since no water detection was triggered? Am going to try any way.
kokoscy said:
Hello there xda community... I am new to this forum and have just succesfully managed to wreck my Xperia Zs screen.
I have only wanted to clean my phone under the sink (its rated for low jets of water) wiped it dry and then after a few minutes, fractal structures if I may call it, started to creep up all over the screen.
It started slowly from the corners jumping all across the screen in seconds. (very weird)
I have uped some screen shots! This is my second Z i got. My first one, I exchanged it because it had burned pixels on the screen with which I could not live with.
I just dont seem to be lucky with this phone! :/
I had all ports closed and no water was detected by the detectors. I believe the leak came from the power or volume buttons but who knows?
I feel like my trust to Sony is broken.
I have seen others put it under the pool with no probs... but well someone has to be the lucky one! :/
I think am gonna turn back to my old Nokia 3330!
P.S do you think that I stand a chance of exchanging it since no water detection was triggered? Am going to try any way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry to see that man, the best thing you can do is try and explain your reason...you can try to let it dry and exchange it.
Since under flaps there is no red colored markers, I belive you can get replacement. It looks like it was manufacturing defect phone and this should not happen. I was scared to put my second XZ under watter, feeling of flaps was like they were used and not able to close as they should, so I made small test step by step, but now I am sure it works. And yes, as some people use it under water in pools, I don't plan to do that hehe.
Wish you luck with service!
droidhd said:
Since under flaps there is no red colored markers, I belive you can get replacement. It looks like it was manufacturing defect phone and this should not happen. I was scared to put my second XZ under watter, feeling of flaps was like they were used and not able to close as they should, so I made small test step by step, but now I am sure it works. And yes, as some people use it under water in pools, I don't plan to do that hehe.
Wish you luck with service!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So sorry to hear that. I hope you can get it replaced.
After playing around with it under the tap and a little bit of water to test the resistance on day 1, I decided to avoid water whenever possible.
gunblazer said:
After playing around with it under the tap and a little bit of water to test the resistance on day 1, I decided to avoid water whenever possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just sat patiently waiting for mine, and the last thing on my list of things to do when it gets here is stick it under a tap to test it.
XperienceD said:
I'm just sat patiently waiting for mine, and the last thing on my list of things to do when it gets here is stick it under a tap to test it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's smart. I can say it is quite water proof however, I had a scare because the main speaker took nearly 12 hours to dry before it started working again. (I researched and found out this is normal as water gets in the speaker. So no more
It's nice knowing that during catastrophic accidents and heavy rain this phone will be functional though!
sorry to hear that this has happened.
That is definitely water ingress into the screen. since the front and back are glued into the frame it looks like that's where the failure occurred and water entered that way.
Since the water indicators are still white I would stand your ground until they give you a replacement.
Same scenario, my phone is under going rice treatment. I'm encountering a weird problem, my phone's LED went red and vibrated 3 times and went off. The cycle goes on and on and its about 5 hours since. Any way to resolve it? :crying:
Edit: Unable to get to fast boot, when unplugged the phone stops the cycle.
As said before, if the water ingress tapes are still intact (white) then take the phone for a warranty replacement.
To the OP - If and when you get a replacement, I would suggest not exposing the phone deliberately to water, especially not just to clean it. Get a microfibre cloth, for goodness sake!
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2
I precisely lock all the flaps and wash my Z from time to time.
No problems whatsoever, the only thing is that the loudspeaker get's stuck with water and you have to wait
for it for some time to come back to normal loudness.
kingvortex said:
As said before, if the water ingress tapes are still intact (white) then take the phone for a warranty replacement.
To the OP - If and when you get a replacement, I would suggest not exposing the phone deliberately to water, especially not just to clean it. Get a microfibre cloth, for goodness sake!
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advices! I took it back today and got a replacement. I didnt say anything about the phone getting in contact with water. Infact they didnt even ask. They checked the tapes and looked suprised because to them it looked like something between a crack and a smudge though it didnt have the symptoms of a crack. (probably because of the sharp lines formed on the screen?) I just kept my mouth shut and was waiting for their question about water which never came. Anyway it ended with a happy end and I got my 3rd Xperia Z within 2 weeks! Awesome!!
So the moral of the story is do not get overconfident with water resistant stuff!
After this am thinking that I could have bought the S4 without all the disturbing flaps, since from now on am going to avoid water in every way. I had a quick look at it when I was at the shop...it really does not feel like a 5" screen comparing to the Z, but the screen is just a bit to colorful for my taste.
I am sure we will be seeing more of these water damages as time passes...
Water Resistance on the Z is more of a marketing "trick" than a reliable feature!
Hello, community.
My Xperia Z also got wet (for 1200th time) but this time is different than any previous - seems like water got inside my Xperia...so, I am not able to turn my phone on.
Actually, it was working for 15 minutes and just after shot down.
I used hair dryer...no luck, get reboot signal once and that's it.
An hour ago I bought some rice, placed Xperia into it...so, I will waiting for few days, who knows, maybe It is going to come back to life again
If so - great...If it doesn't - ok, I can live without it

[Q] Xperia Z - muffled sound - YES, I know it needs to dry

Hi all,
My Xperia has not been in water since 4 days ago, but my sound is still muffled.
It got a bit better over the last few days, but it is still pretty bad.
I tried everything, a stream of water (and drying it!), laying it in rice, salt...
Even using a hoover like in one video on youtube.
I still have my warranty, so taking it to get repaired is an option, but I would prefer if there is a way to clean it. I don't believe that the guys can repair the phone in such way that I could be waterproof again and I doubt that I will get a new phone if I bring this one in.
For you to get an idea how bad it is, I recorded a video with my TF101 and I measured the loudness using a Samsung Galaxy Mini and Sound Meter from the Play Store.
lujo_zgb said:
Even using a hoover like in one video on youtube.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fail. Anything suggested from this point forth is pointless imo as you may have seriously damaged your speaker, so would just get it straight to a Service Centre.
XperienceD said:
Fail. Anything suggested from this point forth is pointless imo as you may have seriously damaged your speaker, so would just get it straight to a Service Centre.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. But never rule out that the climate might not be appropriate for drying it, but yeah, anything besides letting it dry on it's own and rebooting that you listed (besides the rice which seems.... odd....) will actually damage the speaker. I live in AU where it's fairly dry and all i have to do after my phone's been submerged for 10-20 mins is let it dry. personally, i play games that'll strain the phone to heat the internals up, usually helps it dry faster. Otherwise try a hairdryer on low to heat up the phone physically.
To make things clear, the hoover was not on full power. It was not even on 30%. I used it to get maybe some lint or dust out, not to dry it off. Also tried the hairdryer on slow speed and medium temperature, but it didnt help.
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
my phone had the same fault.
Sony (Sbe Ltd repair centre) couldnt fix it so they sent me a replacement
...which ive just received back covered in scuffs, scratches and with dirt surrounding most of the screen.
****ing ridiculous. Sorry, but it's stupid.
edit: mine was without any water contact at all... so maybe different fault

My speaker grille just fell off!

The longer I'm having this phone, the more disillusioned I am becoming with it.
I sold my iPhone 5 in September and 'upgraded' to the Z1...
Yet despite needing initial time to get over the pathetic viewing angles, I developed a real fondness for the phone...
But that honeymoon period soon ended... Two weeks later the phone had proven that it was the biggest scratch magnet I ever owned. The perfectly hard wearing Dragontrail glass is covered by a super scratch prone ASF, the aluminium frame has lots of ugly scuff marks on it despite taking great care of the phone and only keeping it in a soft pocket - alone - and today the grille bubbled up and came off the speaker at the bottom.
By the way it is nothing but a piece of cut out mesh, fabric essentially, that has been glued down with what seems to have become really tacky glue. Clearly not water resistant as it's advertised.
I've put it back but it wouldn't stick. I really need to send it in for a warranty repair but I'm leaving Europe for 5 months on Monday so I can't!
So the Z1 is a poorly constructed phone made to appear as if it is of a premium build quality and Sony did not build it to look good in a month, or two or 12 down the line let alone two years.
Who in their right mind ok'd the ASF what a hideous idea?!
Anyway I digress, has anybody else's speaker grille come off or bubbled up?
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Here it is... It's just a piece of plastic mesh and mine has now fallen off. Anybody with the same?
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Another pic of the grille
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Use superglue. The grill has nothing to do with the waterproofness.
It will still be under warranty when you get back. Send it then?
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
I can't superglue it back as it now has a kink in it... And just looks bad.
A warranty repair it is then when I come back. Thanks for the advice anyhow.
As long as my waterproofing is not affected I'm gonna live with it.
But yes I am fundamentally disappointed with some of the materials used to make this phone... and at the top of my list is the ASF with the logo baked in...
This is just yet another thing...
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Didn't somebody's silver ring around the power button also just fall off? These things shouldn't happen...
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
My speaker grill just started pealing off. Noticed when it got caught on something.
Does this actually affect whether it's waterproof or not? I'm imagining not, as it's just a thin piece of plastic, either way I'll be more careful with the phone now.
Mine isn't under warranty because I've had it so long, and it's rooted too...
corydor13 said:
My speaker grill just started pealing off. Noticed when it got caught on something.
Does this actually affect whether it's waterproof or not? I'm imagining not, as it's just a thin piece of plastic, either way I'll be more careful with the phone now.
Mine isn't under warranty because I've had it so long, and it's rooted too...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@corydor13 @Johann_London
I've noticed today, that my speaker grill is a bit "wobbly" which means that if I put my finger on it I can move it a bit to the left and right and also up and down. I'm not sure if it was there from the beginning (I have the phone since September) but I doubt it. Is this "normal" or already considered a case for warranty?
I'm afraid now the grill might come off soon! I have a case on the phone and always have it alone in one pocket and handle it with care so that shouldn't be the cause.
What did you do? Sent it in under warranty?!
drsoran2 said:
@corydor13 @Johann_London
I've noticed today, that my speaker grill is a bit "wobbly" which means that if I put my finger on it I can move it a bit to the left and right and also up and down. I'm not sure if it was there from the beginning (I have the phone since September) but I doubt it. Is this "normal" or already considered a case for warranty?
I'm afraid now the grill might come off soon! I have a case on the phone and always have it alone in one pocket and handle it with care so that shouldn't be the cause.
What did you do? Sent it in under warranty?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's basically how the problem started for me.
After a while of trying to keep it on, I got annoyed with the fact that it kept falling off, so just left it off.
Haven't sent it back for repairs or anything as I don't see the point.
It's been soaked since and doesn't have any problems..(yet).
So it is still waterproof? But even if so, it's very disappointing that this happens after only 9 months and without the grill it looks ugly, like it was used for ten years.
I also have that strange, squeaky vibration motor sound. I can live with the former, but both defects combined are almost too much.
I'm going to talk with the Sony chat tomorrow and see what they'll say.
drsoran2 said:
I'm afraid now the grill might come off soon! I have a case on the phone and always have it alone in one pocket and handle it with care so that shouldn't be the cause.
What did you do? Sent it in under warranty?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a problem, they used a cheap glue to stick that grill under the phone and in time, hot temperatures and maybe water, the glue just lost his consistency. Try to keep it on or just apply some drop of good glue and do not close the speaker (LOL)
BTW, I can move mine too but until stay there I do not touch it.
I'm going to post this thing that happen to me yesterday I think I was the only one and I found this, yesterday I saw how my grille can move and I was like , I take great care of the phone, doesn't have scratches of any type, and now this.... I will try to remove it very very careful and apply some kind of glue I have, and see what happen
A little too late to this thread, but just posting my own experience. The little speaker mesh literally fell off of my Xperia Ray. After it comes off, you can not hear anything on the speaker phone when talking to someone and Music, although loud comes with very high frequencies. To fix this, you take black electrical tape, cut just a small part and stick it over the plastic, then use a clear plastic tape to cover that along the bottom. The sound is not like the original but still works better than no mesh. The in-Call volume of these phones is a major disappointment. You are right, the build quality of most android phones is junk. What the Android world needs badly is the iPhone build quality.
Well I'm back with some things to say, some friends I know seem that doesnt have this problem at all, weird, after some time I finally removed the grille it was just holded with strong by a very small side, I try glue that have a color like orange/brown (I dont remember the brand) it work ok but just for 2 weeks, after that it starts to move again, so now I try a Gel glue and it seems that work excellent, it doesn't move at all, with the other glue it holds, but it can move a little, seems that this glue is the solution, and it says in the boxx is water resistant so, better for me, I have to say that you have to ve very careful because a little drop in the mic and nobody will hear you again, the same for the speaker, so far I dont have problems :victory: so if you found a gel based glue in a little stick, try it if you have this problem
jacker60 said:
Well I'm back with some things to say, some friends I know seem that doesnt have this problem at all, weird, after some time I finally removed the grille it was just holded with strong by a very small side, I try glue that have a color like orange/brown (I dont remember the brand) it work ok but just for 2 weeks, after that it starts to move again, so now I try a Gel glue and it seems that work excellent, it doesn't move at all, with the other glue it holds, but it can move a little, seems that this glue is the solution, and it says in the boxx is water resistant so, better for me, I have to say that you have to ve very careful because a little drop in the mic and nobody will hear you again, the same for the speaker, so far I dont have problems :victory: so if you found a gel based glue in a little stick, try it if you have this problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Does anyone know where I can buy this part (black botton cover)?
I have tried to find a place that sells it and I could not find one.
However, I replace the screen on my phone (Xperia Z1s C6916) about three months ago, and only ripped the flex cable connecting the audio jack and sensor. When I did that, I bought a screen that was already connected to a frame. However, I forgot to transfer the mesh covering the speaker. I did not know it was just a mesh piece on the outside until now... I took the phone apart, yet again, ripped the flex cable connecting the microphone... Why are parts for this thing so expensive!?
Johann_London said:
Anyway I digress, has anybody else's speaker grille come off or bubbled up?
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine fell off a few months ago.
AkiraProject said:
Mine fell off a few months ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine fell off yesterday. I bought mine in September. I'm glad the water proofing hasn't been affected by it (going by others' accounts, I'm too chicken to try it myself.) I was really upset cause I bought it only for the waterproofing and the other features were a plus. I'll super glue it then. India is getting too hot, the glue melted off.
Yeah mine fell off too, it's been off for a while now.
My USB flap fell off too, though it was probably my own fault over using it without care. So I guess mine isn't waterproof any more ? :victory:

[Q] Improving waterproofness

So I got my new Z3C and was thinking: what if we can make flaps and audio port more waterproof?
Doing pressure sensor test I get reading around 1000 and it's increasing by about 30-40 when I press against screen with closed flaps. But it normalizes after 1-2 seconds and goes back to initial reading meaning tiny amount of air escapes. Does it mean my phone is not totally waterproof? Don't know.
Since this phone is just fresh-water proof (meaning no using in pool or sea) and I really want to use it worry-free in all kind of water that I dare to go in myself I really want to improve waterproofness.
I'm not worried about front and back since glass should be all.kind-of-things-proof. This leaves sd card and sim card covers, audio jack, mic holes and speakers.
So what I thought of was to "grease" flaps' rubber o-rings with rubber compatible oil/grease to make better contact with phone body or use some kind of silicone spread around rubber contact area before closing flaps to have semi-permanent seal and be still able to open and scrub extra stuff off without doing much damage.
For audio jack I thought to make some kind of plug - like pressy button but with a bit bigger "head" that has soft sticky rubber underneath so when pressed in it makes a seal with the edge of audio jack or even plug that is covered with silicone all the way.
Speakers and mic holes could be protected with bits of strong adhesive tape - it's easy to get sticky stuff off the glass and it'll be possible to hear some sound even with speakers covered. Not sure about mic holes because side plastic has matte finish but some strong adhesive should still stick?
So the question - has anyone tried something remotely related? Is it thinkable? Have I missed anything important? What materials (grease, silicone) should I use?
If anyone has done something similar? Probably... But no one ever posted about it on this forum. You can use the phone in the sea and swimming pool, as long as you rinse the phone afterwards. As for modifying the phone, I wouldn't do it. It might cause you to lose your warranty.
In terms of waterproofing the phone even more, I'd look at waterproof cases made for other phones with almost similar dimensions and see if you can do something about the case instead.
Sent from my D5803
Dsteppa said:
You can use the phone in the sea and swimming pool, as long as you rinse the phone afterwards. As for modifying the phone, I wouldn't do it.
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Plenty of stories of people going in the water, damaging their phone and fighting with sony about warranty.
It's hardly modifying, adhesive sticker on glass is easily removed and thin film of silicone should be also easily removable.
Dsteppa said:
It might cause you to lose your warranty.
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Yeah... getting water inside causes that too.
Dsteppa said:
In terms of waterproofing the phone even more, I'd look at waterproof cases made for other phones with almost similar dimensions and see if you can do something about the case instead.
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Click to collapse
That's the option. But I haven't seen any slim waterproof case that could be comfortably used all the time.
Anyway, curiosity is strong and I'll most likely try different options.
PS. can someone test pressure sensor - is reading staying high when screen is pressed or it fades back to normal with all covers closed?
I've just used mine in pool all weekends since I bought it without any issue and even without afraid of doing that! The same with my wife's Z1!
And I'm contantly opening/closing its usb port due my xposed modules development (debugging purposes)! Maybe some unlucky day I will screw it... who knows!
Ofc we always need to be sure all ports are properly closed before going to have fun!
kalamees1 said:
Plenty of stories of people going in the water, damaging their phone and fighting with sony about warranty.
It's hardly modifying, adhesive sticker on glass is easily removed and thin film of silicone should be also easily removable.
PS. can someone test pressure sensor - is reading staying high when screen is pressed or it fades back to normal with all covers closed?
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Click to collapse
Sorry, I forgot about the pressure sensor part, it's normal that the numbers go back to normal after you lifted your finger, it works like that for everyone.
If my mind serves me right, I've seen Sony ads with the Z3C being thrown in a pool or something similar, so a pool really shouldn't be a problem. And yes of course people will have to fight for their cause at Sony, they won't just put any phone under warranty, else people would exploit that.
Dsteppa said:
Sorry, I forgot about the pressure sensor part, it's normal that the numbers go back to normal after you lifted your finger, it works like that for everyone.
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I probably expressed myself bit vaguely. Thing is that pressure reading on my phone returns back to normal WHILE HOLDING screen under pressure. Initially pressing screen creates greater pressure inside the phone, reading rises but air escapes quite quickly (1-2seconds) and pressure reading normalises. After releasing finger screen pressure sensor shows lower readings for a second until extra air seeps inside to equalise pressure again.
Hope it's clear enough.
Also, does it mean that I got less waterproof phone that it should be?
I dunno about you but i've been using my camera in the pool for a while now and even for hours at times
Sent from my D5833 using XDA Free mobile app
I've used mine under water as well. OP if you're really worried about it you can send it off to liquipel and have them make the phone even more waterproof

Waterproof?

Could someone try to reproduce this behavior please, just to verify if it's normal.
Time to time, I'm used to wash my phone, just under a few water, with very few soap.
I've noticed a few weeks ago that the sound is just crappy after that. In both speakers. I don't know if it's normal or a problem with my phone. Before sending it to a repair center, could someone tell me if his P20 Pro has the same issue?
My test is quite simple, right after putting water on it, try to call someone and see if the sound is ok. Then, try to play a song, and see if everything is OK. I both cases, I've got a crappy sound.
Maybe it's not an issue, but just normal. If that's normal, it's quite disappointing though, because I was expecting from a waterproof phone to handle a little bit more the residual water.
Thanks for your feedback.
I believe, that it's happening on all phones right after putting water on the speakers. The problem should disappear after few hours, when it'll be completely dry.
delirii said:
Could someone try to reproduce this behavior please, just to verify if it's normal.
Time to time, I'm used to wash my phone, just under a few water, with very few soap.
I've noticed a few weeks ago that the sound is just crappy after that. In both speakers. I don't know if it's normal or a problem with my phone. Before sending it to a repair center, could someone tell me if his P20 Pro has the same issue?
My test is quite simple, right after putting water on it, try to call someone and see if the sound is ok. Then, try to play a song, and see if everything is OK. I both cases, I've got a crappy sound.
Maybe it's not an issue, but just normal. If that's normal, it's quite disappointing though, because I was expecting from a waterproof phone to handle a little bit more the residual water.
Thanks for your feedback.
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Click to collapse
I didnt had faced your issue never because would never put my 500 euros phone into the water, but its owners decision after all
See this thread here on Reddit might it can help you, i would suggest you to put it into a tupper full of rise and put phone into it
EDIT: also it would be good if you put your phone under 'clear' watter without salt you know. without any soap. before put it on rise.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Huawei/comments/a9y83z/help_p20_pro_speaker_water_damage/
Have dunked my phone many times and it's been fine.
A while ago I went swimming in the South Pacific with a galaxy S5 all day long and although the mic got a small grain of sand stuck in it, it was fine after it fell out.
Should be fine, get a toothbrush and go over the grills, get the bristles in there, just no pins or anything metal.
it`s normal
nor problems just wait an HOUR
sherif2222222 said:
it`s normal
nor problems just wait an HOUR
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Ok, thanks everyone. I may be too naive, but I was really expecting something "more waterproof". quite disappointing even if I'm still happy to clean my phone from time to time.
Dude first of all your phone is not waterproof. Its water resistant. There is no phone that is waterproof. Second of all you need to wait more than an hour for the water to evaporate in order to use the speakers in a proper manner. And for ****s sakes dont use soap or any other chemicals to wash it. You might apply pressure during your so called washing period where its not needed and damage the phone itself. Its dust resistant so just rinse it with water and your more than fine.

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