Samsung Galaxy S7 Reportedly Employs Moisture Detection And Warning System To Ensure Safe Charging
The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge don’t officially launch for a few more days, but some carriers appear to have shipped pre-orders early and some phones are already in consumers’ hands. A few commenters on our hands on video mentioned receiving their phones early, and we are aware of a number of industry contacts that have already gotten their devices as well.
One early Galaxy S7 Edge owner, who reported his findings in this thread over at the XDA Developers forum, appears to have tested his phones’ water-resistance already and uncovered another new feature in the process.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
The user submerged his Galaxy S7 Edge in water and snapped a photo, then about four hours later plugged the phone into its fast charger and a warning popped-up on screen that stated, “Moisture detected in charging port”, and the phone wouldn’t charge. The user dried the phone and let it sit for a while, and it eventually started to charge again, but it wouldn’t quick charge any longer. Frustrated that the quick charging stopped working, the user RMA’d the phone and plans to send it back to T-Mobile.
Before anyone asks why someone would submerge a brand new smartphone in water, keep in mind that the Galaxy S7 Edge is IP68 rated, which means it is sealed against dust and can handle continuous submersion in up to 1 meter of water. With that in mind, the water detection feature that’s apparently built into the Galaxy S7 is a good idea. Though the devices are IP68 rated, a few drops of water in the charging port could easily cause a short when the phone’s plugged in. It’s disconcerting, however, that fast charging appeared to stop working – at least in this case, according to this user.
Whether or not the phone would have started fast charging again is unclear at this point. We’ll keep an eye on that thread for additional comments by its creator, and have reached out to Samsung for clarification.
If you’d like to see out hands-on video of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, with a submersion test, we’ve embedded it below...
