Many of Sony Xperia’s flagship devices have touted IP-rated waterproofness. While the nature of the waterproofness differed from device to device, they generally meant users could submerge a phone in water at a specific depth for an allotted amount of time, without the device suffering any ill effects. That claim from Sony, however, is being under dispute, with a New York court recently approving a class action lawsuit against the Japanese manufacturer.

The lawsuit states that Sony’s marketing for certain waterproof Xperia phones was misleading, with the devices in question unable to work underwater, but rather having a degree of water-resistance. Consequently, those involved in the class action lawsuit are requesting a 12-month warranty extension for recently purchased devices, or a 50% reimbursement of the phone’s retail price.

The two parties are set to meet again in the New York court system on 1 December, with Sony yet to officially comment on how aggressively it will refute the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit only pertains to consumers in the United States, with those interested in the claim asked to sign up before 30 January 2018.  

Whether similar lawsuits will crop up across the globe, should the US one prove successful, remains to be seen.

The list of devices included in the lawsuit is as follows:

• Xperia M2 Aqua

• Xperia M4 Aqua

• Xperia ZR

• Xperia Z Ultra

• Xperia Z1, Z1s, Z1 Compact

• Xperia Z2

• Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact, Z3v, Z3+, Z3+ Dual

• Xperia Z5

• Xperia Z5 Compact

• Xperia Z2 Tablet

• Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

• Xperia Z4 Tablet