If you want to use this cool Galaxy S26 camera feature, you need to cough up some extra money

Don't swim with your stripped phone!

All three Galaxy S26 models:

• Galaxy S26 Ultra
• Galaxy S26 Plus
• Galaxy S26

… come with an IP68 rating for protection against dust and water damage. Devices with such a protection rating can survive being submerged in fresh water for a while. But don't take them in the sea or the ocean, as the saltwater is the electronics' arch nemesis.

Saltwater is highly conductive and corrosive, which accelerates electrochemical reactions that can damage seals, metal contacts, speaker grilles and charging ports. Even if water does not immediately penetrate the device, salt residue can remain after drying and continue corroding internal components. Yikes!

So, if you want to play around with Ocean Mode, you need to buy a separate housing case. There are lots of those on sites like Amazon. The good news is that such housings don't cost an arm and a leg.

Don't risk your ~$1,000 phone over a ~$50 accessory, folks.

Why use Ocean Mode?

"We're now bringing Ocean Mode to the Galaxy S26 series", the host proudly announced yesterday. That's no longer a hardcore pro feature – you can use it too if you already have an underwater housing.

But why use it?

Underwater photography presents unique challenges that make capturing clear, vibrant images difficult. Water absorbs and scatters light, with longer wavelengths like red, orange, and yellow fading quickly as depth increases, leaving scenes dominated by blue and green tones. Which means you're often getting dull footage in terms of hue and tone.

Particles in the water scatter light further, reducing contrast and sharpness, while movement from currents and waves can cause motion blur.

Cameras often struggle to reproduce accurate colors and natural brightness, and reflections or glare from the surface can further complicate composition.

That's where Ocean Mode on Samsung Galaxy S kicks in and phones address several of these issues, particularly by correcting white balance and color loss, helping underwater images look closer to what the eye sees in real life.