A few years ago, Sony walked back its marketing claims that the Xperia line of devices were so waterproof, they could be used to take photos underwater. The company is now agreeing to settle a class action complaint that resulted from those waterproof claims by issuing refunds to anyone whose phone or tablet was damaged by water.
Say “cheese”
With the release of the Xperia Z5 in 2015, Sony went to great lengths to brag about all the great photos and videos you could take underwater with its devices.
However the company later updated its page for water and dust protection, reminding phone owners “not to use the device underwater.”
That proved confusing for some Xperia owners, who filed a class-action complaint [PDF] against Sony in New York in April accusing the company of overstating claims that the Xperia line was “waterproof” with allegedly misleading marketing campaigns.
The settlement
A judge has now granted preliminary approval [PDF] of a settlement [PDF] that would require Sony to issue refunds related to prior water-related warranty claim rejections, as well provide a 12-month warranty extension for Xperia owners.
While Sony is not admitting any liability or wrongdoing, the company has agreed to change any packaging, labeling, and advertising labels relating to “waterproof” or similar terms to use phrasing like “water resistant” instead.
Here’s a list of which models are involved in the settlement — you have until Nov. 1 to submit a claim, before the settlement is approved by the end of the year:
| Mobile Device Name | MSRP At Issue | 50% of MSRP |
| Xperia M2 Aqua | $249.99 | $125.00 |
| Xperia M4 Aqua | $299.99 | $150.00 |
| Xperia ZR | $599.99 | $300.00 |
| Xperia Z Ultra | $499.99 | $250.00 |
| Xperia Z1 | $599.99 | $300.00 |
| Xperia Z1 Compact | $579.99 | $290.00 |
| Xperia Z1s (T-Mobile) | $529.99 | $265.00 |
| Xperia Z2 | $599.99 | $300.00 |
| Xperia Z3 | $569.99 | $285.00 |
| Xperia Z3 Compact | $469.99 | $235.00 |
| Xperia Z3 (T-Mobile) | $629.99 | $315.00 |
| Xperia Z3v (Verizon) | $499.99 | $250.00 |
| Xperia Z3 Dual | $629.99 | $315.00 |
| Xperia Z3+ Dual | $499.99 | $250.00 |
| Xperia Z3+ | $449.99 | $225.00 |
| Xperia Z5 | $599.99 | $300.00 |
| Xperia Z5 Compact | $499.99 | $250.00 |
| Xperia Z2 Tablet (WiFi) | $449.99 | $225.00 |
| Xperia Z2 Tablet (LTE) | $549.99 | $275.00 |
| Xperia Z2 Tablet (Verizon LTE) | $599.99 | $300.00 |
| Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (WiFi) | $429.99 | $215.00 |
| Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (LTE) | $479.99 | $240.00 |
| Xperia Z4 Tablet (WiFi) | $679.99 | $340.00 |
| Xperia Z4 Tablet (LTE) | $599.99 | $300.00 |
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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