Samsung accused: misleading information on the Galaxy's liquid resistance

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is bringing Samsung to trial on charges of misleading consumers about the efficacy of liquid resistance being promoted in its line-up on several smartphones. As of 2016, according to the Australian Commission, Samsung would have shown its devices in inappropriate settings such as swimming pools and oceans without a foundation that could create its resistance.

"The Commission argues that Samsung's advertising wrongly and misleadingly reflected the reality that the Galaxy series telephones are appropriate for use or exposure to all kinds of water, including ocean waters and swimming pools, and that their operation would not be impaired after exposure to this form of water.

ACCC's formal complaint follows an inquiry based on the South Korean multinational's thorough evaluation of over 300 advertising material. Many Galaxy smartphones have been awarded IP-68 certification, meaning they can resist water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters. But this is not true for all kinds of liquids, as described by the ACCC, and Samsung itself points out that Galaxy S10 (and other smartphones with the same accreditation) are not appropriate for beach use.

"Samsung has shown Galaxy phones used in circumstances where they should not be used to attract fresh clients," Sims stressed, emphasizing how water resistance is one of the most common characteristics for buying new high-end phones, and users were deprived of informed choice. Samsung has already stated that it intends to protect itself by countering all of the ACCC's allegations.