Samsung S23 Ultra IP68 Water Damage

I have been using my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra since 2023. Trusting the advertised IP68 water-resistance rating, I briefly exposed the phone to water for about 10 seconds and immediately removed it. Despite this extremely short contact, the device became completely unusable. On 17 August 2026 I took the phone to an authorized Samsung service center. I was told that the motherboard, cameras, charging port, battery and various other internal components had to be replaced, and that almost nothing except the outer casing would remain from the original device. For this, I was quoted a repair price of approximately TRY 55,000. I was not given a clear and satisfactory technical explanation of how a phone marketed with IP68 water resistance could suffer such extensive internal damage after only around 10 seconds of water exposure. The incident was simply classified as “liquid damage”. On the same date I contacted Samsung Customer Service and filed a complaint. I clearly stated that the quoted price was extremely high and that, given the IP68 claim, I expected support. However, I was not offered a free repair, any meaningful discount, or an alternative solution. A service center employee even stated that they had seen Samsung offer support or discounts to other customers in similar liquid-damage cases and that they were surprised no assistance was provided in my case. I am not claiming that the device should be resistant to every liquid or every possible condition. However, for a phone sold with an IP68 water-resistance rating to become almost completely unusable after approximately 10 seconds of water exposure is, in my opinion, unacceptable and requires a serious technical investigation rather than just a standard liquid-damage classification and a TRY 55,000 repair bill. I request that Samsung examine in detail why the water-resistance protection on my Galaxy S23 Ultra failed under such a short and ordinary exposure and provide a reasonable solution. Specifically, I expect a substantial contribution to the repair cost or a significant discount on repair or device replacement, instead of placing the full financial burden on me. I would also like my case to be reviewed in line with the support allegedly provided to other customers in similar situations. In addition to this complaint, I will be applying to the Consumer Arbitration Committee in Türkiye, and I kindly ask Samsung to resolve this issue quickly and fairly before it has to be pursued through legal channels.