Historically, tough, rubber-sealed rugged phones made for construction workers or downhill mountain bikers were the only ones with water resistance. The majority of popular smartphones, including the iPhone 14 Pro, Galaxy S22 Ultra, and Google’s Pixel 7 Pro, will have some sort of water resistance integrated into them by 2023.
Anyone who has ever spilled tea, coffee, or soda on their phone understands the benefits of water resistance. It might make the difference between a cheap trip to the store and a fast wipe with a napkin.
Some phones should never be near liquid at all, and not all phones can handle being submerged in water. Additionally, swimming in a pool is not recommended, and swimming in the sea is not recommended either. Recent phone shopping likely exposed you to phrases like “water resistant” as well as the increasingly popular IP67, IP68, or IPX8 classifications. However, what do those rankings actually imply, and more importantly, how waterproof is your pricey new phone?
Let’s dissect the terminology to find out.
What does IP67, IP68 and IPX8 mean?
The International Electrotechnical Commission has established a standard known as IP, or ingress protection ratings (also known as international protection ratings). The organisation claims that the codes serve as a “standard for classifying the degrees of protection given by the enclosures of electrical equipment.”
The level of protection offered against the introduction of foreign solid objects, such as dust or fingers, is indicated by the first number in the rating code. These degrees of protection vary from zero to six.
The second number indicates the amount of defence against liquid or moisture infiltration, with levels of defence ranging from 0 to 8.
On occasion, an IP rating will appear with an X in place of a number, for example, IPX8. An X is substituted for the rating number in this case since the firm hasn’t given information about the testing. So even if an IPX8-rated item may withstand being immersed in water, it hasn’t received any formal dust protection ratings.
With an IP68 rating, the iPhone 14 Pro is resistant to water infiltration and dust entering its inside. Additionally IP68-rated is the Galaxy S22 Ultra. They are thus both water-resistant, correct? Okay, no. The confusion arises at that point.
The IEC mandates that a device can resist being immersed in water for 30 minutes at a depth of at least 1 metre in order to receive an IP rating of 8. The maker is in charge after that. While the iPhone 14 Pro, according to Apple, is safe in up to 6 metres of water for up to 30 minutes, the S22 Ultra can be immersed for up to 30 minutes in up to 1.5 metres of water. It is crucial to read the fine print and understand precisely what your phone provides even if every phone with an IPX8 rating required to meet the 1 metre for 30 minutes minimal requirement.
For further details on all the IP ratings, you can see charts at the end of this article outlining the protection levels set by the IEC.
Can I go swimming with my iPhone?
Although the iPhone 14 Pro’s 6 metres of claimed water resistance could make it seem like you can tuck one inside your swimsuit and hit the pool, you’d be better off keeping it out of the water. The IP rating is assessed under controlled circumstances, in still water. Moving your phone in the water will increase the water pressure, increasing the chance that water may get inside and cause permanent harm.
Since most swimming pools contain extra chemicals like chlorine, the IP tests are also conducted in fresh water, which may affect your phone’s resilience. Additionally, you should never put your phone in the water: Aside from other problems, salt water might corrode the metal components in your charging port.
It’s best practise to regard the function as a backup in case of emergency even if your phone has the highest IP68 resistance grade. Don’t try to use the camera on your phone to take images of starfish or anything else while snorkelling because it is not built to do so. You shouldn’t attempt to capture TikTok videos of oneself diving into the deep end from the high dive either. It is available in case of mishaps like a spilled drink or emergencies like having to make a phone call in the pouring rain.
My phone doesn’t have an IP rating. Can it get wet?
A manufacturer must have rigorously tested their product to guarantee it satisfies the standards before it can even claim that it has an IP rating. It is reasonable that some businesses just don’t want to spend the money on these tests because they may be time-consuming and expensive, especially when it comes to budget-focused models.
Without an official IP certification, several phones—including Motorola’s Moto G50—use phrases like “water-repellent” or “water-resistant.” To keep moisture at away, these handsets may utilise techniques like rubberized sealing or water-repellent nano coating. Although these phones could withstand an accidental splash, it’s best to avoid submerging them completely. However, you shouldn’t have to stress too much about answering calls while it’s raining.
If your phone makes no mention of water resistance, then it’s best to assume that it has none and you should take as much care as you can around liquids.
Solid protection
| IP Code | Protection | Object size |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection. | N/A |
| 1 | Protection from contact with any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand. But no protection against deliberate contact with a body part, such as a finger. | Less than 50mm |
| 2 | Protection from fingers or similar objects. | Less than 12.5mm |
| 3 | Protection from tools, thick wires or similar objects. | Less than 2.5mm |
| 4 | Protection from most wires, screws or similar objects. | Less than 1mm |
| 5 | Partial protection from contact with harmful dust. | N/A |
| 6 | Protection from contact with harmful dust. | N/A |
Moisture protection
| IP Code | Protection | Test duration | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection. | N/A | N/A |
| 1 | Protection against vertically dripping water. | 10 mins | Light rain |
| 2 | Protection against vertically dripping water when device is tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees. | 10 mins | Light rain |
| 3 | Protection against direct sprays of water when device is tilted at an angle up to 60 degrees. | 5 mins | Rain and spraying |
| 4 | Protection from sprays and splashing of water in all directions. | 5 mins | Rain, spraying and splashing |
| 5 | Protection from low-pressure water projected from a nozzle with a 6.3mm diameter opening in any direction. | 3 mins from a distance of 3 meters | Rain, splashing and direct contact with most kitchen and bathroom faucets |
| 6 | Protection from water projected in powerful jets from a nozzle with a 12.5mm diameter opening in any direction. | 3 mins from a distance of 3 meters | Rain, splashing, direct contact with kitchen and bathroom faucets, outdoor use in rough sea conditions |
| 7 | Protected from immersion in water with a depth of up to 1 meter (or 3.3 feet) for up to 30 mins. | 30 mins | Rain, splashing and accidental submersion |
| 8 | Protected from immersion in water with a depth of more than 1 meter (manufacturer must specify exact depth). | At least 30 mins | Rain, splashing and accidental submersion |
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