AT&T: Galaxy S4 Active owners will get one-time replacement for water damage
After the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active launched on AT&T, many users were surprised to find out that the company wouldn’t foot the bill for replacing phones which are water damaged. This was quite odd considering the company advertises the phone as being waterproof. Users were obviously peeved about it, and let both Samsung and AT&T hear an earful over the course of the past few weeks.
Thankfully, AT&T is showing a little give. The company has announced that it will now be offering one-time free replacements for any Galaxy S4 Active which shows signs of water damage. Beyond that, users will have to pay the normal deductible to get their phones replaced. It’s only fair — you tell someone they can go swimming with their phone, and they are going to go swimming with their phone.
Still, even the most durable phones have a chance of being damaged. That’s why we always remind people that, although their phones might be designed to withstand a couple of bumps, you shouldn’t go out of your way to test any theories.
A walk in the rain or an accidental drop in a puddle isn’t much of a problem in that regard, but do you really need to take your phone under water to take photos? Buy a GoPro if you want to do that. Going dirt biking with the phone in your pocket should prove to be fine, but you shouldn’t be burying it beneath sand on the beach.
I’m not taking up for AT&T or Samsung — these companies advertise phones’ waterproof capabilities using the most extreme scenarios — but both sides should show a little give in this situation. If you own a Galaxy S4 Active and it happens to get water damaged, give AT&T a call or stop into your nearest corporate store to get taken care of.
[via ATD]