A smartphone must be able to withstand a knock, and preferably also against a splash of water. The device can get wet from rain, a knocked-down glass of water or fall into the toilet. How do you know how water resistant your phone is?
Smartphone manufacturers often claim that their devices can withstand water well. That ranges from splash or water resistance to the claim that the phone can survive for hours at a depth of several meters underwater.
The claims are easy to check, as smartphones are assigned a so-called IP rating (Ingress Protection). These IP ratings are set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), an international organization that sets standards for electrical appliances.
A smartphone's score is described by the letters IP, followed by two numbers, such as IP67. The second number indicates how well the phone can withstand water. The number goes from 0 (not water resistant) to 9 (very good protection).
The first number stands for another score, namely that of dust resistance of the device. This scale ranges from 0 (no protection) to 6 (completely dustproof). Almost all smartphones today have a completely sealed housing, which results in the highest score against dust resistance. In the overview below, the value is indicated as a neutral 'X'.
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Values of the IP rating for water resistance:
- IPX0 - Not protected against water or drops
- IPX1 - Protected against vertically falling water drops
- IPX2 - Protected against vertically falling water drops when the smartphone is vertically at an angle of up to 15 degrees
- IPX3 - Protected against spraying water that ends up on the smartphone at a maximum angle of 60 degrees
- IPX4 - Fully protected against water splashing against the smartphone ("splash proof")
- IPX5 - Protected against light water jets
- IPX6 - Fully protected against (strong) water jets
- IPX7 - Protected against temporary immersion in water
- IPX8 - Protected against prolonged immersion in water. The exact definition may differ per device, but the smartphone must be undamaged after at least thirty minutes at a depth of 1 meter
- IPX9 - Fully protected against high pressure and high temperature water splashing against the smartphone
Most smartphones in the higher segment have a rating of IP67 or IP68. This means that the phone is well protected against water under normal circumstances. The smartphone can still be damaged if water gets into the device. This can happen if the phone is submerged in water for too long or too deep.
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