DIVEVOLK Makes History as Exclusive Sponsor of First-Ever Smartphone Category at Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026

LONDON, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

DIVEVOLK, a global leader in smartphone underwater housing technology, today announced the results of the inaugural Smartphone category at the Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026, the world’s most prestigious underwater photography competition. As the category’s exclusive sponsor, DIVEVOLK presented awards to the top three finishers at the official ceremony held in London.

Chinese photographer Jack Ho won the category’s first-ever gold award with “The Roar,” a striking macro photograph of a hairy frogfish captured using a vivo X100 Ultra smartphone inside a DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2 underwater housing — proving that smartphone cameras can compete at the highest level of underwater photography.

The Winning Image: “The Roar” by Jack Ho

“The Roar” by Jack Ho — UPY 2026 Smartphone Category Winner. Shot with vivo X100 Ultra + DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2.x

Jack Ho’s award-winning photograph was taken in Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait, one of the world’s premier muck diving destinations, at a depth of 15 meters. After spotting a camouflaged hairy frogfish on the seafloor, Ho spent 15 minutes carefully observing the creature’s behavior. He positioned a macro light toward its head and waited. The decisive moment came when the frogfish opened its enormous mouth in a dramatic yawn — a split-second event that most underwater photographers never witness, let alone capture.

The result is a portrait of remarkable clarity and impact: every hair-like dermal appendage is rendered in fine detail, the cavernous mouth fills the frame, and the dramatic lighting isolates the subject against a pure black background. The image was shot entirely on a smartphone — no mirrorless body, no optical viewfinder, no traditional underwater camera housing. Click to explore Jobs’ insights on the artwork.

Tobias Friedrich, one of three UPY judges and a renowned underwater photographer, left no doubt about the image’s quality:

“The focus, the image quality, the composition, the light and the moment are just perfect! Very well done by the photographer and an impressive showcase of the potential of the smartphone category. The clear and well deserved winner of this category.”

Second Place: “The Curious Gaze of Grey Shark” by Clotxa (Spain)

Spanish photographer Clotxa earned the runner-up position with a powerful portrait of a grey reef shark, shot during a drift dive through the notorious currents of Fakarava’s South Pass in French Polynesia. Surrounded by hundreds of sharks and carried by a strong current, Clotxa had no opportunity for careful composition — this image was captured instinctively using the SeaTouch 4 Max Plus underwater housing and iPhone 14 Pro, demonstrating the spontaneity that smartphone shooting enables underwater.

Judge Peter Rowlands described the image as proof of concept for the entire category:

“If ever proof was needed that Smartphone cameras can produce top quality results, this is it. Pin sharp where it matters, delicate depth of field and vibrant colours combine to great effect.”

Third Place: “Intertidal World” by Martin Stevens (United Kingdom)

UK-based marine biologist Martin Stevens claimed third place with a split-shot (over-under) image of a snakelocks anemone among kelp and seaweed on a Cornish rocky shore. Stevens used a dome port attachment on his SeaTouch 4 Max Plus smartphone housing to achieve the half-submerged perspective — demonstrating how modular accessories can expand the creative range of phone-based underwater systems.

Rowlands noted the broader implications:

“As optional extras become available for Smartphone housings, so too does their capability. Move over cameras, Smartphone cameras are here.”

A New Chapter in Underwater Photography

The Underwater Photographer of the Year competition was established in 1965, when British photographer Phil Smith was honored as the first UPY. Over six decades, the contest has grown into the definitive global showcase for imagery of the underwater world, attracting entries from every continent and publishing winning images in major media worldwide.

The introduction of a dedicated Smartphone category in 2026 represents the most significant expansion of the competition in recent memory. For the first time, phone-based underwater photography stands alongside traditional disciplines including Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behaviour, Portrait, Coral Reefs, Black & White, and Compact — signaling that the underwater photography establishment recognizes smartphone imaging as a legitimate and rapidly advancing art form.

The inaugural category attracted 78 photographers from 21 countries, a strong debut that exceeded organizer expectations and confirmed the global appetite for accessible underwater imaging tools.

UPY 2026 by the Numbers

The 2026 edition of UPY set new records across the board:

7,934 entries submitted — the highest in the competition’s 61-year history
700+ photographers representing 74 countries
78 smartphone photographers from 21 countries entered the inaugural Smartphone category
12 competition categories, including the new Smartphone division
An increase of approximately 1,200 entries over UPY 2025

Australian photographer Matty Smith was named the overall Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 for “Rockpool Rookies” in the Portrait category. The full list of category winners spans Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behaviour, Portrait, Coral Reefs, Black & White, Compact, Smartphone, and three British Waters divisions. All winning images are published in the official UPY 2026 Yearbook.

The competition was judged by Alex Mustard, Peter Rowlands, and Tobias Friedrich — three of the most respected names in global underwater photography.

On the UPY 2026 awards ceremony in London, DIVEVOLK with the brand logo displayed alongside industry leaders including PADI, Nauticam, Backscatter, Sea&Sea, Fourth Element, The Crown Estate, and the Save Our Seas Foundation. As the exclusive Smartphone category sponsor, DIVEVOLK representatives took the stage to present awards to all three winners and addressed the audience on the future of smartphone underwater photography.

The bottom-left image shows the scene at the UPY 2026 official awards ceremony.

Top-left: DIVEVOLK co-appeared alongside industry leaders including PADI, Nauticam, Backscatter, and Sea&Sea at the UPY 2026 ceremony.

Right: A DIVEVOLK representative presented the award to the Smartphone category winner at UPY 2026, with the winning image displayed on the screen behind.

The Technology Behind the Win

Jack Ho’s victory underscores a fundamental shift in underwater imaging technology. The DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2 housing that protected his vivo X100 Ultra is engineered for serious underwater photography:

Depth rating: 60 meters (197 feet)
Full touchscreen control: Divers operate the phone’s native camera interface underwater, exactly as they would on the surface
Universal compatibility: Supports a wide range of flagship smartphones
Modular accessory system: Compatible with macro lenses, wide-angle lenses, dome ports, and dive lights
Compact form factor: Significantly smaller and lighter than traditional camera housings, reducing drag and simplifying underwater handling

Modern flagship smartphones combine computational photography engines — including AI-driven noise reduction, HDR stacking, and real-time color correction — with sensors that increasingly rival dedicated cameras in close-focus and macro scenarios. Paired with a purpose-built housing, these devices offer a combination of image quality, usability, and portability that is reshaping who can participate in underwater photography and at what level.

About DIVEVOLK

Founded in Zhuhai, China, DIVEVOLK is a global technology company specializing in smartphone underwater housings and accessories for diving, snorkeling, and marine photography. The company’s flagship SeaTouch 4 Max product line delivers professional-grade underwater smartphone photography capability at a fraction of the cost and complexity of traditional camera systems. The revolutionary SeaLink UW Smartphone Dada Transmitter enables phones to receive signals at depths of up to 30 meters underwater, supporting features such as live streaming and video communication across multiple platforms. DIVEVOLK was honored as ScubaLab’s Best Buy in 2024 and twice won the Dive Award of Innovation in 2024 and 2026.

DIVEVOLK products are sold worldwide through and authorized retailers. The company is committed to making underwater photography accessible to every diver and to advancing the technology that enables it.

Website: http://www.divevolk.com

Email: collaboration@divevolk.com