The Galaxy S7 has endured many durability tests since its launch in late February. The most recent demonstrates that the water resistant 2016 flagship can survive in the wash cycle of an LG washer for 45 minutes.
Tech enthusiast Max Lee of Highonandroid.com put his own Galaxy S7 handset through the wringer, literally, and the device lived to tell the tale. Check out the video of Lee’s Galaxy S7 water test below.
Preliminary tests of the Samsung Galaxy S7, fresh out of the washer, indicate the fingerprint scanner was slightly affected by being in water for 45 minutes. Lee was eventually able to authenticate and unlock the device with his fingerprint, within minutes. Sound on the Galaxy S7 worked well overall but Lee did detect a little bit of muffling due to water. Blowing on the device’s speakers seemed to resolve the problem.
Overall, most functionality on the Samsung Galaxy S7 handset appeared intact after spending 45 minutes in a wash cycle.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 features an IP68 water resistance, which means it can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters or nearly five feet of water for 30 minutes. These parameters are dependent on water pressure in addition to depth and time submerged, which could answer for why the handset was able to withstand its time in the washing machine.
Washers typically don’t hold that much water. Plus, the clothes included in the wash cycle may have helped ease any damage the Galaxy S7 may have incurred.
So far, many shallow water tests, including iDigitalTimes, have yielded little to no damage.
SquareTrade Labs tested a Galaxy S7 handset by dropping it in five feet of water and determined that the device still functional, but it’s sound was permanently muffled and distorted after being submerged for 30 minutes.
One unlucky T-Mobile Galaxy S7 Edge user found his handset no longer charged properly after being submerged in shallow water for a few moments. So far there have been no other reports of similar incidents.
Some pundits says that while the Galaxy S7 does quite well being submerged, users may not want to get too water happy with their handsets. However, Samsung insists users should feel comfortable using the Galaxy S7 in pools or even in the shower.
