The Sony Xperia Z2 and Z3 smartphones are two of the very best Android phones on the market. However, one feature that has been heavily marketed is the water-proofing which is rated to 30 minutes at 1.5 metres depth. In fresh water. This has been true of Sony's top phones (and some tablets) since the Z1 launched last year. But as time has passed, a significant number of people are finding that their phones are failing in the wet and that Sony is not supporting them.

With the phone about to be launched in the US after a delay and with some sites adding the word, 'Waterproof' to the actual name of the phone, there could be many disappointed customers on the horizon.

What's going on?

There are numerous marketing shots of these products submerged or being dropped into water. At launches we've seen the phone resting underwater in a tank and seen professional photographers use them to shoot people in the sea. So we tried the new Z3 in our local swimming pool and the screen died. In fact, before that happened, the screen went nuts registering droplets of water as touches (note: we later found out that you can turn off the touch screen to stop this) and the exposed headphone jack meant that apps kept appearing asking how we wanted to use headphones or a headset (possibly due to the higher conductivity of salt water).

Once things calmed down, the camera worked well (using the shutter button) for about 15 minutes as we took pictures above and below water - but without getting close to the 1.5-metre limit. Around that time the screen turned blank but photos could still be taken (we could hear the shutter sound). Afterwards, despite days of drying out (there was no obvious water ingress through the waterproof flaps), the phone could still be turned on and off and connected to the computer, but the screen stayed dead.

The official notes from the press release say the following:

In compliance with IP65 and IP68, the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact are protected against the ingress of dust and is waterproof. Provided that all ports and covers are firmly closed, the phone is (i) dust tight and (ii) protected against low pressure jets of water from all practicable directions in compliance with IP65; and/or (iii) can be kept under 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes in compliance with IP68. Abuse and improper use of device will invalidate warranty.

There's even an underwater unboxing video, provided by major UK provider, Carphone Warehouse, here.

There's very good detail on Sony's website here but what's shown is contradictory and all sorts of provisions appear much further down the page:-

This image that is immediately ambiguous: the man is clearly diving into a pool with the camera submerged, but the pool is extremely unlikely to be freshwater-based as the description next to the photo prescribes.

But if you keep scrolling down the page you'll eventually find the following:

"...we wouldn't recommend using your smartphone, tablet or accessory during a sandstorm or in a hot shower. Never immerse your device in salt water or let the micro USB port, headset jack or other uncovered parts come into contact with salt water. If you're washing dishes by hand, avoid letting your device come into contact with the detergent or any other liquid chemicals."

Also:-

Take your device swimming

If your Sony smartphone or tablet is waterproof to IPX8 standard*, then you can use it in a chlorinated swimming pool. However, avoid keeping the device in the pool for too long and remember to rinse it off thoroughly with fresh water once you get out.

Over time, chlorinated water can corrode the rubber seals, so prolonged use in chlorinated water is not recommended. But if you want to use your device to get underwater close-ups of a spectacular dive or your child's first swimming lesson, go ahead.

* Sony devices that are rated IPX7 or lower should not be exposed to chlorinated water.

And here's where the problems begin. According to the Financial Review in 2012:

Australia has the highest pool ownership per capita in the world with 1.2 million private pools, and more than 30,000 new ones are being installed a year, says the Swimming Pool & Spa Alliance of Australia (SPASA).

A significant number of pools use saltwater too because of a more-natural chlorination process. While the source isn't concrete this article from eBay cites a publication called Pool & Spa News which says 75 per cent of all new in-ground pools use saltwater. There's more on the Wikipedia page here.

Furthermore, the beach culture and coastal, population-distribution bias means going to the beach is at least a weekly activity for a significant proportion of the population at points throughout the year. As Paul Hogan once famously said, if you're coming to Australia, "You're going to get wet."

The wrong kind of water

The problem is of course that none of these water bodies are fresh water. If they're not salt water they're chlorinated. While there are fresh water lakes and streams are common, they are significantly less popular.

So we asked Sony what the official word was regarding salt and chlorinated water versus fresh water in order to clarify the contradiction between marketing material and official ratings. We received the following response:

Should the phone be submerged in salt water it would need to be washed off in fresh water and if on warranty inspection it was evident that the seals had been damaged by salt/chlorine, warranty would be void.

This brief and perfunctory reply seems clear but doesn't address the contradictory messages that Sony is spouting nor clarifies the situation for buyers who are highly-unlikely to have seen the small print beyond the pictures of submerged phones and people diving into pools.

But observation and anecdotal evidence is troubling. In our test unit Z3, while it was drying out (we'd rinsed it anyway) blue copper corrosion appeared around the contacts inside the headphone jack. There's no flap to protect this jack. Instead it has a hydrophobic coating. This would likely void the warranty of the phone as it's evidence of damage to a socket. But it was only submerged in a swimming pool briefly - albeit a saltwater one. Regardless of what actually happened, the phone, which died while in the pool and before it could be rinsed off, showed damage of corrosion and so, while we used it according to ALL of the recommendations, we still wouldn't be likely to get a refund.

It's not hard to find complaints from all over the web of Sony refusing to replace phones - over the past year - where users are adamant they've followed the rules. Discussion has also struck up on Reddit.

While we're not in any position to scientifically deduct the waterproofing fail rate of all Sony's Xperia models and Sony is unlikely to provide the RMA figures, we can say the following:

The marketing materials clearly show that the phone is generally waterproof and can be used in swimming pools and the beach.

The small print clearly says that the phones SHOULD NOT be used in many swimming pools or the sea/beach.

These phones ARE failing when used in chlorinated and salt water.

Sony IS NOT replacing all of the phones which are damaged due to water.

So think about this when submerging your several-hundred-dollar phone. We at ABC Tech don't recommend it at all and we're very concerned that the marketing material is sending out the wrong message to many customers of this otherwise, very good phone. If you do still want to go ahead, be sure to read every piece of information on Sony's site first.