The first full touchscreen phone case for underwater photos and videos

Scuba diving and snorkelling allow you to explore the underwater world so it’s only natural you would want to capture the moments whilst there to share with friends and on social media. But with the steep prices for new GoPros and crazy underwater camera setups wouldn’t it be awesome if you could just take your phone in the water with you? That’s where Divevolk’s SeaTouch 4 Max housing comes in. This is the first full touchscreen phone case for underwater photos and videos. It is waterproof up to 60m/200ft and allows you to take your phone safely whilst diving or simply going for a swim.

 

The best phone case for underwater photos and videos

Divevolk’s SeaTouch 4 Max isn’t the only underwater phone case on the market but is the first to have a real touch screen experience. You can use the phone underwater the same way as you do on land! If you already know how to use your phone’s camera you’re good to go. No additional app learning needed, no crazy buttons that you have to learn what each does and no technical jargon to wrap your head around. 

Then compare it to the huge dive cameras you see. It weighs significantly less, is less cumbersome and very fast to set up. This waterproof phone case lets you travel light without having to increase your luggage allowance to bring your big camera rig along. It also allows for spontaneity for holidays and trips where you didn’t initially plan to go diving when the option arises. Though a DSLR camera’s quality is hard to beat, the image quality of modern smartphone’s isn’t far behind. Most smartphones can record in up to 4k in 60fps, so if your goal is to be posting on social media then quality is not an issue.

When it comes to feel during the dive, it never felt heavy or bulky either. The case’s dimensions are 120 x 226 x 41mm if you were curious. It comes with a lanyard that is very strong and comfortable so if you need your hands free you can happily let go of your phone. The case never felt heavy or strained my wrist when I wasn’t holding it.

 

The biggest advantage of an underwater phone case to a GoPro

Biggest advantage is that you can clearly see what falls in the photo/video frame on a “big screen”. You also see the light distribution much better in case you are using dive lights.

You can also watch your footage back in real time and have it saved straight to your camera roll so no messing around downloading it off your GoPro post dive.

 

I don’t want my phone to break! Won’t it flood?

Understandably, this is the biggest concern before using an underwater phone case. Will it leak and ruin my phone? Thankfully, this isn’t an issue with DIVEVOLK’s waterproof housing. Just make sure you tighten the screws and bolts securely to the full amount possible and you’re good to go. Luckily, most smartphones are waterproof up to a couple of metres of depth so you can test the case on the surface before descending; allowing you to make sure no water enters it. The underwater phone case is waterproof up to 60 metres deep (200 feet). It also has an IPX8 Waterproof Standard. 

It is the perfect choice not only for any recreational diver but an amazing accessory for technical divers too. Imagine having your smartphone on those long deco stops. What a bliss to pass the time by playing games or watching a movie!

The setup is very simple too, no complicated steps like in some dive camera housings where you feel like you need an engineer to assist you. Simply, place it into the correct sized phone tray. Slide the tray into the phone case through the small opening at the top. Close the double O-ring sealed door and screw the bolts tight. Then the phone is safe to dive with 🙂

 

Can I take split shots

Yes, you can take amazing split shots and videos with the dome port! You just click it on the phone case when it’s dry and it is perfect for snorkelling and freediving. NB: The dome is waterproof up to 5m/16ft, thus not suitable for scuba diving!

 

How good is the touch screen?

The underwater phone case has a gel-filled membrane layer allowing full touch screen use. It has a spongy feel to it which you’ll quickly get used to. I prefer this to having clunky buttons used on other housings or having to use Bluetooth to connect it to an app. You have full access to all touch features and apps that you would typically do whilst using your smartphone underwater.

Though the casing doesn’t let you use the volume or lock buttons on the side so adding the ‘Assistive Touch’ setting may be helpful if you want access to these too. The gel layer does require you to apply more pressure for inputs to be registered than you would expect normally. This does not cause much of a problem, however, as the gel membrane spreads out under the pressure of water, making use easy at depth. Also, as you’ll mostly be using your phone as a camera so you have nothing to worry about. I would however, recommend doing videos over photos as if you miss gauge the pressure it might not register and you miss your perfect shot. I would say that typing can feel a bit clunky at times though.

 

Will this use all my battery up?

Compared to other Bluetooth housings, the DIVEVOLK will not eat up as much from your battery as it does not require a permanent connection between the phone and the housing.

From personal experience using this with an iPhone 13 PRO, it was fine for a whole day of diving. Using your phones in camera mode does increase battery usage, and it might be ideal to lower your brightness to help conserve it. From personal testing, the battery was fine for three one-hour-long dives on the same trip whilst also using it on the boat during surface intervals. If you decide to use other apps whilst underwater they may drain your battery faster which are more demanding on your phone. A good example being if you play mobile games to pass the time on your safety or deco stops.

iPhone users can also turn off the smartphone’s screen when they are not using it underwater to save the battery. Beforehand, however, they need to turn on the phone’s Raise to Wake function to make sure they can activate the phone again.

 

Is there any colour correction support & accessories?

To all the perfectionists and photographers the standard underwater phone case might not be enough. This is why it comes with lens options. There’s a red lens option for colour correction when diving in blue water. There’s also a wide-angle and a macro wet lens too. Those can be changed underwater as they are attached on an external adaptor. You can also buy tripods, trays and clamps to add your own lights to further assist your photography. These range in cost from $49 – $249.

If you are looking for colourful videos and images, I would strongly suggest to bring some strong dive lights underwater with you.

 

Exclusive on Dive into Life

When you order your phone case directly from DIVEVOLK through the Dive into Life affiliate link, you not only get -6% discount, but also a free protective case, perfect for the beach or boat. For orders over 500USD, you get a free travel case and the brand new L-shaped bracket for your tray!

 

Is it possible to do an IG Live underwater?

Unfortunately not, the underwater phone case can connect to Bluetooth and WiFi without having to take it out of the case. The issue is the remoteness of diving locations especially underwater, network & data coverage typically is limited and struggles as it is at sea. So not saying it’s impossible but for most it won’t work.

 

Quality of life benefits – this could be a lifesaver!

Starting with safety, I love that the  Divevolk’s SeaTouch 4 Max underwater phone case allows my camera to double up as a signalling device. If you finish your dive and can’t find your boat you can now simply just call the captain of your boat. Being able to play music underwater is very cool. Please do this respectfully though!

My top tip: playing music on any boring safety stop will make it fly by! And having my clips and photos straight onto my phone means I could quickly check what I took while still underwater and redo them if necessary instead of realising back on the surface when checking the footage on my laptop when it’s too late to do anything about it.

 

Which phones is it compatible with?

There’s a wide variety of phones the Divevolk’s SeaTouch 4 Max supports. This is because it comes with several trays to place your phone into before putting it into the waterproof case. Phone brands and models include: 

• iPhone 14/14 Pro/14 Plus/14 Pro Max / 13/13 Pro/13 Pro Max/13 Mini/12/12 Pro/12 Pro Max/12 Mini/11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max/X/Xr/Xs/Xs Max/SE/8/8+/7/7+/6/6 +/6s/6s+
• Samsung Galaxy S22/S22+/S22 Ultra/S21/S21+/S21 Ultra/S21 FE//S20/S20 FE/S20+/S20 Ultra/S10/S10E/S10+/S9/S9+/S8/S8+/S7/S6/ Note 20/20 Ultra/10/10 Lite/10+/9/8/A90/A80/A71/A70/A60/A/53/A52/A51/A50/A50S/A40/A40S/A21S/A20E/A9S/A8S/A8+/A6S/A5/A750
• Google Pixel 6/6 Pro/5/5A/4/4A/4XL/3/3 XL/3A XL/2
• Oneplus Ace/Ace Pro/10/10 Pro/9/9R/9/RT/9 Pro/8/8T/8 Pro/7/7 Pro/7T/7T Pro/6/6T/5/5T/Nord
• Huawei P50/P50 Pro/P40/P40 Pro +/P30/P30 Pro/P30 Lite/P20/P20 Pro/P10/ P10 +/MATE 40/40 Pro/40 Pro +/40 RS/40E/30/30 Pro/30 RS/20/20 Pro/20 RS/10/ 10 Pro/Nova 9/9 Pro/8/8i/8SE/8 Pro//Pro/7SE/6/6SE/5/5Z/5T/5 Pro/4/4 Pro/3/3i/3 Pro/Enjoy 20/20SE/20 +/10/10S/ Y9/Y9 Prime
• HONOR 60/60 Pro/50/50SE/50 Pro/30/30 Pro/30 Pro+/20/20SE/20 Pro/X30/X30i/X30 Max/X20/X20/X20 SE/X10/X10 Max/V40/V30/V30 Pro/V20/V10//9X Pro/8X/8X Max/7X/ Magic 3/3 Pro/2/2 Pro
• OPPO Find X5/X5 Pro/X3/X3 Pro/X2/X2 Pro/X/ K9/K9X/K9S/K9 Pro/K7/K7X/K5/K3/Reno 7/7SE/7 Pro/6/6 Pro/6 Pro+/5/5K/5 Pro/5 Pro+/4/4SE/4 Pro/3/ 3 Pro/A95/A93/A93S/A92S/A72/A56/A55/A53/A32/A11/A9/A8/A5 /R17/R17 Pro/R15/R15X
• VIVO X80/X80 Pro/X80 Pro+/X70/X70 Pro/X70 Pro+/X60/X60 Pro/X60 Pro+/X50/X50 Pro/X50 Pro+/X30/X30 Pro/X27/X27S/X27 Pro/X23/X23/X21/X20/T1/T1X/Nex/Nex 3/Nex 3S/S12/S12 Pro/S10/S10E/S9/S9E/S7/S7E/S6/S5S1/S1 Pro/ Y76S/Y74T/Y55S/Y53S/Y32
• XIAOMI 12/12 Pro/12X/11/11 Pro/11 Ultra/10/10S/10 Pro/9/9SE/9 Pro/8/8SE/CC9/CC9 Pro/Redmi K40/K40 Pro/K40 Pro+/K30/K30i/K30S/K30 Pro10X/K20/ K20 Pro/Note 11/11 Pro/11 Pro+/10/10 Pro/9/9 Pro/8/8 Pro/7/7 Pro/6/6 Pro/5/5 Pro/Mix 4/3/2/2S
• REDMI 10X/10X PRO/K30/K30 PRO/NOTE 9/9 PRO
• REALME GT2/2 Pro/Neo 2/Neo 2T/Neo 1/GT1/X7/X7 Pro/X50/X50M/X50 Pro/Q3/Q3S/A3T/Q3I/Q3 Pro/A2/Q2 Pro/V15/V13/V11S/V5/V3
• SONY Xperia Pro-I/5/5II/5III/10II/10III/1/1III

 

 

Summary

In summary the Divevolk’s SeaTouch 4 Max is an incredible way to allow you to capture your diving adventures. Its touch screen interface makes it easy to use and no additional learning is required. Its weight and size are ideal to travel with and not burdensome on your dives. There’s a great selection of accessories that will also help enhance your photography and reduce the editing time or eliminate it entirely. And having full function to your phone and apps now allows you to access possibilities that you could never do before whilst diving. Whether you’re new to underwater photography or want a compact version to your big camera setup this is a great choice. Be sure to also check out our tips on how to take photos underwater!