Samsung's flagship phone Galaxy S23 Ultra underwent an unexpected and challenging test when it accidentally got submerged in a frozen river in the North Pole for a full five hours. Despite that, the phone continued to function normally without any issues, as reported by Samsung in the news section on its website.
The incident occurred with Mikael Krykolla, a professional wilderness guide residing in Kiruna, Sweden, while testing sonar equipment in the frozen Kalix River.
During this experiment, his Galaxy S23 Ultra slipped from his glove and fell into a fish-catching hole carved in the ice.
The phone sank to a depth of approximately three meters beneath the surface of the frozen river.
Despite the harsh conditions, Krykolla decided to retrieve his phone, dedicating a full five hours to digging eight holes in the ice around the phone's location, seeking a better angle to reach it.
In his attempts, Krykolla used various tools including tree branches, a shovel, and a plastic bag attached to a stick, until he managed to retrieve the phone.
Upon retrieving the phone, he was surprised to find that the device was still functioning normally, displaying three missed calls, without the need for a restart or drying.
It is worth mentioning that the Galaxy S23 Ultra phone has an IP68 rating, providing water resistance up to a depth of 1.5 meters in freshwater for up to 30 minutes, in addition to protection against dust, dirt, and sand. However, Krykolla's phone experience exceeded these standards significantly, confirming the device's durability and toughness in unexpected conditions.