Water Resistant vs Waterproof: What Does It Really Mean When It Comes to Phones?

You shouldn’t take your phone swimming, but what does it mean when a phone is ‘water resistant’ or ‘waterproof’?

Let’s take a dive into the terminology around waterproofing. Should you be exposing your device to water at all?

If you’ve recently bought a new phone, you might have seen the terms IP67, IP68 or IPX8. These numbers indicate water resistance, but what does it actually mean?

IP, short for ingress protection, classifies the degrees of protection for the casing on electronic devices. This classification standard has been determined by the International Electrotechnical Commission, and can be seen on a variety of electronics including phones, cameras and torches. The two digits following ‘IP’ indicate the level of protection. The first digit shows protection against solids, while the second one is for protection against liquids.

Ingress Protection Levels:

If your iPhone is has a classification of IPX8, that means it hasn’t been tested against protection from solids, but has been tested for water resistance. Specifically, water-resistant when continuously immersed for 1 meter or more (the manufacturer must specify the exact depth). If the phone has a rating of IP67, it means that it’s dust tight and can be immersed in water up to 1 meter.

But even if your phone has the highest rating, it won’t be entirely waterproof. The classifications should be used as a backup (in case you drop your phone in the pool or spill your drink on it), and not as guidelines for how often to take your phone in the surf at Bondi. Also note that electronics are tested in fresh water, without any sea salt or chemicals. This means the chlorine in your pool could do extra damage if water does manage to get inside your device.

No matter the IP classification on your electronics, make sure to be careful around liquids. Your Google Pixel 7 Pro will appreciate you for it.

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