Samsung is facing a USD9.7 million (around Php532 million) fine in Australia after misleading claims on how waterproof Galaxy phones are.
The verdict came after the South Korean phone giant ran a series of ads highlight how its Galaxy smartphones are apparently water resistant. The ads show Samsung phones being exposed to heavy water exposure on the beach and even while surfing.
A lot of high-end Samsung phones have an IP68 rating for having dust and water protection. This allows the phones to be exposed in water under a limited time and depth.
However, such a feature has one big caveat: you can only expose the device in fresh water.
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That said, the authorities in Australia cited the inaccuracy of the depiction in the ads as the phones were subjected to pool and saltwater.
What’s worse, the Australian authorities apparently got a lot of complaints from owners saying that their phones broke down after being exposed to such waters.
The said ads ran from 2016 to 2018 and feature the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, A7 2017, A5, 2017, and Note 8.