What a strange set of circumstances this ended up being. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, which is supposed to be waterproof for in up to three feet below water, has sustained water damage for many customers. And before Tuesday, it looked like water damage wasn't under warranty. Now AT&T and Samsung may replace Galaxy S4 Actives damaged by water, but only once.
If you had a water damaged Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, would you want to replace it with the same model? One that you're no longer sure you can take it underwater, which is pretty much the only thing that sets this device apart? Well, at least Samsung and AT&T are trying to set the situation right, if only with a one-time replacement.
The water damage drama began, according to PhoneArena, shortly after Samsung released the Galaxy S4 Active, which carried an IP67 certification that meant it could be in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes without losing its water-tight seal. But cracks began to form in that story when USA Today tech writer Ed Baig was taking pictures underwater, within the limits, and the phone became damaged anyway.
Other Galaxy S4 Active owners have apparently had the same problem, but the Galaxy S4 Active carries one of those LDIs, or Liquid Damage Indicators, which turns colors when water gets inside the phone and voids the warranty. Which meant that AT&T and Samsung were not going to replace their water-damaged "waterproof" devices. (Note that if you don't seal the Galaxy S4 Active correctly, the device isn't waterproof, which may be the mistake that many owners made).
In any case, a memo anonymously leaked to PhoneArena shows the two companies will exchange Galaxy S4 Active handsets with liquid damage, but only for another Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. There's no time frame for when this policy will be officially released and take effect, but we'll keep an eye on it and wait for either company to make a move.