Drop your phone in the lake? No problem

[spooker]

Personally I'm not a fan of iPhones ... I've had an Android phone since the OS was introduced, had the Android Dev Phone before they were available for regular purchase ... currently I'm still happy with my Pixel 2

Today me and the family were down at Tugboat beach enjoying the sun and water ... while my wife and daughter were swimming I was relaxing with the pooch back under the shade of a tree ... my daughter came back to tell me that I needed to go down and help with finding a phone dropped in the water which my wife had been looking for in the weeds ...

A tourist from Ontario and her two friends had rented SUPs from the vendor and very soon after launching had lost her iPhone 11 Pro out of the life preserver vest she was wearing ... this happened about 40 minutes before I joined in ... everything was on this phone and she was ready to hire a fully tanked scuba diver to run a grid search for it ...

Found a bright orange golf ball, some various food wrappers made from plastic, pieces of wood ... but no phone ... then one of her friends said that she thought she saw it and directed me to where she thought it was, I went down ... it was a large rectangular food wrapper ... but about a meter away were the straight edges of something and there it was! the phone was found ... I grabbed it and launched upwards with it erupting first from the water like it was Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake ...

As we returned to the beach she actually fielded a call from the 911 operator ... I must've triggered the emergency call feature when I grabbed it ... they took her name and understood the mistake ...

She wanted to buy me a drink so I opted for a Vietnamese Iced Coffee from the concession stand, my wife got a popsicle, and the daughter got a HUGE poutine as a reward for helping this woman rescue her life ... all purchased through the credit card registered on her phone which still worked after being submerged in the lake for a good 45 minutes ...

It won't convince me to buy an iPhone but I was nicely impressed and if you worry about water this might be a good option if you can afford it ...

The other thing that came to mind from all this is how we've come to depend on our phones, too much?

[Bsuds]

They are rated for up to 30 min at 2 meters depth.

Nice to know it works.

I switched to an iPhone a couple of years ago because they work better with my hearing aids. Android phones are poor for that. (I was told) Some things I'm not fussy with and other things I like better than android.

Just bought a lightly used iPhone 8 with 256 meg memory for an excellent price.

I have been using it all day and the battery is at 83%. My 6S would be needing a charge by bedtime if not sooner.

[oneh2obabe]

My phone is an android and has an IP68 rating and is resistant in fresh water to a maximum of depth of 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes, Am I going to test it? Nope.

[GordonH]

Just little off topic
Little trick I learn when looking for something in the water, if there is available a clear glass or plastic bowl (I know chances are slim of this). Push it down into water without getting water in the bowl, you now have a clear view to about a depth of 10 ft maybe.
As long as nobody is stirring up the lake or river bottom.

You would be amazed how many people forget to take off their glasses before swimming.

[spooker]

Just little off topic
Little trick I learn when looking for something in the water, if there is available a clear glass or plastic bowl (I know chances are slim of this). Push it down into water without getting water in the bowl, you now have a clear view to about a depth of 10 ft maybe.
As long as nobody is stirring up the lake or river bottom.

You would be amazed how many people forget to take off their glasses before swimming.

I think part of the reason we ended up helping out with this effort was because we were some of the few that always bring goggles to the beach for swimming ...

[Jlabute]

Water and dust resistance adds a little premium to the cost of a device while using just rubber and glue and better connectors. I also wonder if the decision to make a phone water-resistant or give it an IP rating, is in part done to reduce risk by keeping water away from a potentially damaged lithium battery and not just to save the electronics. If that is the case, manufacturers always want to make devices water-resistant so long as lithium is present.

[GordonH]

Just little off topic
Little trick I learn when looking for something in the water, if there is available a clear glass or plastic bowl (I know chances are slim of this). Push it down into water without getting water in the bowl, you now have a clear view to about a depth of 10 ft maybe.
As long as nobody is stirring up the lake or river bottom.

You would be amazed how many people forget to take off their glasses before swimming.

I think part of the reason we ended up helping out with this effort was because we were some of the few that always bring goggles to the beach for swimming ...

I don’t have a need for goggles/mask in fresh water, only in swimming pools & the ocean.

[Queen K]

I do wonder if the credit card registered on her phone was her ONLY credit card. If so, then there is far too much dependence.

But thanks for sharing this story, it's was wonderful to know there are kind people willing to help in a situation that some would deem hopeless.

I know someone who does do scuba work, so if a similar situation ever happens again, try to get ahold of me.

[spooker]

I know someone who does do scuba work, so if a similar situation ever happens again, try to get ahold of me.

Good to know ... I don't have the equipment anymore and am about 25 years out of practice ...

[oldtrucker]

I do wonder if the credit card registered on her phone was her ONLY credit card. If so, then there is far too much dependence.

You can have a credit card set up on a phone these days?
It just shows to go ya how far away I am to being dependent on any tech.

[Queen K]

It also shows how cashless is oh so possible.

[oldtrucker]

^^^ That's why I only use cash. People look at me like I'm nuts when I tell them to use cash whenever they can.

[oldtrucker]

How deep can they go?
Can you tie fishing line on them and sink it to the bottom while taking video?

[spooker]

How deep can they go?
Can you tie fishing line on them and sink it to the bottom while taking video?

this one went down about 3 metres ... I think I read they're rated for up to 4m for 30 minutes

[GordonH]

It would appear iPhone 7 up has IP rating of IP67

http://www.dsmt.com/resources/ip-rating-chart/