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Android phones are surviving stuff they really shouldn't right now

Android phones are surviving stuff they really shouldn't right now

Most of us dread dropping our phones in a puddle or the sink, let alone an ice-covered Arctic river. But one Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra just shrugged it off and powered on like nothing happened.
According to Samsung Newsroom, Swedish wilderness guide Mikael Krekula was out on the frozen Kalix River testing sonar gear when his Galaxy S23 Ultra slipped from his glove and dropped into an ice fishing hole. It plunged around three meters into the freezing water and was trapped beneath the ice for the next five hours.
Determined not to give up, Mikael drilled several new holes in the surrounding ice and fashioned a series of tools — including birch branches, a plastic bag, and eventually a summer fishing net tied to a stick — to try and fish it out. After hours of effort, he finally succeeded. To his shock, the phone powered on immediately, displaying a few missed calls as if everything was totally normal.

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Truecaller reaches two new milestones for consumer subscriptions
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Truecaller reaches two new milestones for consumer subscriptions

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I test streaming devices for a living and I can't wait to see a new Apple TV 4K — here's why
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