What does water-resistance in smartphones really mean?

Now-a-days smartphone has become part of us. We take these gadgets everywhere. Whether it’s to bed or washroom, they are our constant companion to every location. But, as we like to take our best companions with us everywhere we have to remind ourselves that electronics don’t go well with water. In fact, as per IDC (International Data Corporation) report liquid damage is the second largest cause, i.e., 35 percent, of smartphone damage in the world.

Needless to say companies tried to solve this problem and introduced water-resistant smartphones, with Sony spearheading the trend back in 2013 with Sony Xperia Z, the first water-resistant smartphone. Since then many companies have introduced water-resistant smartphones and followed the trend namely Samsung, Apple, Motorola and others.

You must have noticed that I specifically referred “water-resistant” and not “water-proof” in the above paragraph. The reason being, there is a big difference between the two. ‘Water-proof’ means irrelevant to any circumstance your device will not get affected by water in any way. No smartphone is water-proof, but certain smartphones, who come with specific IP rating or specific Nano-coating on the circuits, are water-resistant.

Let’s go ahead and understand more about water-resistance and IP (Ingress Protection) ratings in smartphones.

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has drawn the IP rating standards which consists of two digits. First digit represents protection from solid materials like dust, sand, and dirt. The second digit signifies protection against fresh water.

The meaning of every IPX0, i.e., first digit, can be derived from the below table:

Table 1. Definition of digit one of IP rating. (Source)

Latest flagship smartphones comes with IP6X rating, which signifies harmful dust-resistance for 8 hours after been in direct contact with dust, irrelevant of the second digit. As the number decreases the protection also decreases.

Now let’s look at the digits, i.e. IP0X, which signifies protection against fresh water:

Table 2. Definition of digit two of IP rating. (Source)

Current generation flagships come with IP67/68 rating which proclaim your device is protected from submersion in fresh water having depth of 1 meter for former and generally up to 3 meters for the latter but it depends on manufacturer. For instance, Samsung tests its devices for 1.5 meters for 30 minutes for IP68 rating.

Now that you know what these fancy ratings means, following are the things you should keep in mind regarding water-resistance in your smartphones:

1.      Water-resistance is only for fresh water: It’s critical to know that your water-resistant smartphone is tested to survive only in fresh water and no other liquids. For instance, it is not recommended to take your smartphone when you go swimming as pools are filled with chemicals to clean the water which can in turn damage your smartphone. Same goes for ocean as saline water has high concentration of salt which is not tested by device-makers for resistance and it is advised to keep your device away from.

Also you might be aware by now of the fact that accidental dunks in beverages, such as beer, soft drinks, etc., can also harm your costly water-resistant device. Further, manufacturers such as Apple also advice their customers to avoid exposing their devices high velocity water, such as skiing, showering and similar activities.

2.      No warranty for water damage: Even though your smartphone manufacturer insists that the device is IP rated, no manufacturer provides warranty against liquid damage. And keeping in mind the fact that we discussed about liquid damage it is important to take special care of your device when you are near water, even if your device is IP68 rated. When water gets into the device screen or motherboard are the first things that gets damaged and both of them amounts to the bulk of the smartphone cost, which implies you are in for a costly repair.

3.      Resistance decreases over time: Water-resistance of an IP68 rated smartphone, which is a couple of years old will be less effective than a new smartphone with the same rating. This is because the materials used to secure your smartphone from water, i.e. rubber and glue, becomes less effective as the smartphone ages. Therefore, one has to be more careful with their devices near water as there devices gets old.

While water-resistance and IP ratings can be invaluable in saving your smartphone in case of those accidental drop in water, it is recommend to keep your smartphone away from any source of water irrelevant whether it’s IP rated or not, unless you are an adrenaline junkie. For most I would say prevention is better than repairing.