A smartphone DiveVolk wins the first prize at the UPY 2026 smartphone competition. The SeaLink enables live underwater streaming. Complete analysis.
DiveVolk wins the UPY 2026: underwater photo with a smartphone
Two years ago, saying that one was taking underwater photos with their phone would elicit at best a polite smile from circles of photographers equipped with Nauticam diving bells and 3000-euro flashes. That era is over, and an international competition has just officialized it.
A hairy frogfish, an iPhone, and a historical price
The Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) has, for the first time in 2026, created a category dedicated to underwater photography using a smartphone. The first winner of this category is Jack Ho, with "The Roar", a macro photo of a hairy frogfish captured in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia, at a depth of 15 meters.
His equipment: a smartphone in a DiveVolk SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2 case.
The result is impressive enough for the judges, who are used to evaluating images produced with equipment costing ten or twenty times more, to award it the inaugural gold medal. This is not a consolation prize or a "beginner" category: it is recognition that the smartphone has become a fully-fledged underwater photographic tool.
SeaLink: communicating from underwater
Another major news item from DiveVolk is the SeaLink, which won the Innovation Award at the Boot Düsseldorf trade show. This underwater wireless transmitter enables real-time video transmission, bidirectional audio communication, and even video calls from underwater.
For diving instructors and guides, the applications are immediate: to demonstrate what is happening underwater in real-time to those on the surface, to communicate with the boat during a dive, or to broadcast a live practical course to students who remain on the surface.
For content creators, this means the ability to do live underwater streaming without professional broadcast equipment. A phone in a DiveVolk case and a SeaLink are sufficient.
DiveVolk: the trajectory of a brand that understood something
DiveVolk is the exclusive sponsor of the new smartphone category of the UPY, a partner of the Russian Underwater Photo Awards 2026, and a double winner of the Dive Award of Innovation (2024 and 2026). The brand does more than just sell phone cases: it builds an ecosystem around mobile underwater photography.
The SeaTouch 4 Max, compatible with iOS and Android, is waterproof up to 60 meters, with a functional touchscreen underwater, and represents the most advanced option for divers who want to use their smartphone as an underwater photographic tool. And when you see the results that come from these housings in international competitions, it becomes difficult to argue that it is not serious.
What this means for underwater photographers
The democratization of underwater photography is underway, and DiveVolk is one of its main drivers. A diver who already owns a recent smartphone already has half of the necessary equipment. Investing in a DiveVolk housing represents a fraction of the cost of a compact setup + housing, and the results, as demonstrated by the UPY 2026, can rival much more expensive setups.
This does not replace a dedicated setup for advanced macro or pelagic photography in extreme conditions. But for the majority of divers who want to bring back beautiful images of their dives without being burdened by additional complex equipment, the smartphone has moved from being a backup option to a perfectly legitimate option.
And somewhere at a depth of 15 meters in the Lembeh Strait, a hairy frogfish continues to do what it does best: proving that the subject always matters more than the camera.
To go further
- iPhone + DiveVolk : our complete experience
- Underwater photography with a smartphone : the guide to diving with your phone
- UPY 2026 : the complete list of the Underwater Photographer of the Year
- The equipment does not make the underwater photographer
- AquaExposure training
- Underwater photography training in Belgium
- Discover our articles
To go further on condensation and overheating, read our dedicated article: Smartphone overheating and condensation in an underwater housing.
To go further on the technology behind your images, explore our guide to underwater photography technology: 11 interactive chapters from pixels to underwater optics.
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Questions about the Journal
Which smartphone should you use with a DiveVolk housing for underwater photography?
The SeaTouch 4 Max is compatible with both iOS and Android. The best results come from recent smartphones with high-performance camera sensors: iPhone 15 Pro and newer, Samsung Galaxy S24 and above, or any model with a main sensor of 48 megapixels or more.
How does the DiveVolk SeaLink enable live streaming underwater?
The SeaLink is a wireless underwater transmitter that sends the phone's video signal to the surface in real time. It enables video transmission, two-way audio communication, and even video calls from beneath the surface.
Why did the UPY create a smartphone category in 2026?
The quality of smartphone underwater photos has reached a level that justifies dedicated recognition. The first prize, awarded for a frogfish macro taken at 15 meters with an iPhone in a DiveVolk housing, demonstrates that results can rival equipment ten times more expensive.
Does the smartphone replace a compact or DSLR underwater?
For the vast majority of divers who want to bring back beautiful images without the bulk, the smartphone has gone from plan B to a legitimate option. It does not replace a dedicated setup for advanced macro or pelagic photography in extreme conditions. But the gap is narrowing, and the investment represents a fraction of the cost of a compact plus housing.
What smartphone to use with a DiveVolk housing for underwater photography?
The SeaTouch 4 Max is compatible with iOS and Android. The best results are achieved with recent smartphones equipped with high-performance cameras: iPhone 15 Pro and newer, Samsung Galaxy S24 and newer, or any model with a main sensor of 48 megapixels or more. The phone's computational processing handles a large portion of the work.
How does the DiveVolk SeaLink enable live underwater streaming?
The SeaLink is a wireless underwater transmitter that sends the phone's video signal to the surface in real time. It enables video transmission, bidirectional audio communication, and even video calls from underwater. It connects to the DiveVolk housing and works with a receiver on the surface.
Why did UPY create a smartphone category in 2026?
The quality of underwater photos taken with a smartphone has reached a level that warrants its own recognition. The first prize in this category, awarded to a frogfish macro shot at 15 meters with an iPhone in a DiveVolk enclosure, demonstrates that the results can compete with equipment ten times more expensive. This is not a beginner category: it is the recognition of a tool that has become legitimate.
Does the smartphone replace a compact or a DSLR underwater?
For the majority of divers who want to bring back beautiful images without being weighed down, the smartphone has gone from a backup option to a legitimate choice. It does not replace a dedicated setup for advanced macro or pelagic photography in extreme conditions. However, the gap is closing, and the investment (DiveVolk case alone) represents a fraction of the cost of a compact + dedicated case.
