What do IP ratings mean? Waterproof ratings explained

Most flagship phones these days boast immoderate level of h2o resistance, and you’ll find “IP ratings” connected everything from nan Apple iPhone 16 to nan Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. But that sewage america wondering: Just what do manufacturers mean erstwhile they usage position for illustration “waterproof” and “water-resistant?” What constitutes a “rugged” device? Just really galore times tin you driblet your telephone successful nan toilet earlier you tin expect it to wound nan dust?

As it turns out, immoderate position that picture a phone’s ruggedness are really standardized, and there’s a full batch much to them than meets nan eye. IP ratings measurement a device’s guidance to water, dust, and different particles, while subject specs picture structural integrity. Some certifications are a small little precise than others, but taken together, they springiness a unsmooth thought of really the champion waterproof smartphones will clasp up against nan elements.

Here’s everything you request to cognize astir IP ratings — and arsenic a bonus, we’re throwing successful in statement astir MIL-STD certifications for beingness damage, too.

The ratings down a ‘rugged’ product

Unihertz Atom Mark Jansen/Digital Trends

“Rugged” is conscionable a word, a trading ploy arsenic meaningless arsenic “summer-proof,” “water-resistant,” aliases “dustproof.” All make bully slug points connected a phone’s spec sheet, but they aren’t each that descriptive — “rugged” and “water-resistant” devices tin short conscionable arsenic easy arsenic “non-rugged” devices erstwhile they autumn into h2o (as good arsenic shatter erstwhile they deed concrete).

A certification is thing wholly different. When a telephone has a certified standing of immoderate sort, a 3rd statement has conducted tests to guarantee that it tin past conditions for illustration difficult falls, dusty shelves, utmost heat, definite kinds of radiation, and heavy pools of water.

Phone, tablet, and PC manufacturers measurement nan ruggedness of devices utilizing 2 systems of standards: The Ingress Protection (IP) rating, published by nan International Electrotechnical Commission; and nan Military Specification aliases Military Standard (MIL-STD), which is developed by arms of nan U.S. Military and Department of Defense.

Ingress Protection rating

The Google Pixel 6 Pro (left) and Apple iPhone 13 Pro (right). Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

A smartphone’s IP standing is wished by really good it holds up against dirt, dust, and water. Ratings scope from 1 to 6 for particulate and ungraded and 1 to 9 for water, pinch nan first and 2nd digits successful nan standing indicating really good it withstands vulnerability to coagulated particles and liquids, respectively. The maximum standing for coagulated objects, IP6, intends it lets successful very small particulate and dirt, and a water-resistance standing of 8 indicates it tin beryllium submerged successful h2o for minutes astatine a time. A telephone pinch those specs would gain an IP68 rating.

To make matters much complicated, a precocious IP standing doesn’t needfully mean dust, water, aliases debris won’t participate a phone’s enclosure. Rather, it indicates that erstwhile particulate and water do make their measurement done a phone’s seams, they won’t participate successful capable quantities to origin malfunction. So nan IP67-rated iPhone SE will not beryllium arsenic resistant to h2o introduction arsenic nan IP68-rated iPhone 16 Pro, moreover though some phones will travel retired of nan excavation conscionable arsenic wet.

However, IP ratings are not all-encompassing, and phones request not walk each little trial to snag a higher rating. For example, for a smartphone to nab nan coveted IP68 certification, it has to walk nan tests for IPX7 and 8 — but is not required to trial for h2o jets connected nan IPX5 and 6 levels.

That’s nan logic you sometimes spot a smartphone pinch aggregate IP ratings. The Sony Xperia 1 IV is rated some IP65 and IP68, which signifies it’s resistant to full immersion and high-pressure h2o jets. However, arsenic you mightiness expect from america continuing to usage a very aged telephone arsenic an example, specified believe has go very rare. Most companies default to IP68 and time off it there.

Here’s a breakdown of nan ratings for coagulated overseas objects.

There’s a abstracted floor plan for h2o ratings. Note they’re described successful position of “water nozzles” and “jets” — a shaper for illustration Samsung, Apple, aliases Google tin take to expose their telephone to high-pressure blasts of h2o from an business hose and spot really it fares complete time.

Here’s a database of immoderate devices (and a case) pinch a elaborate explanation of what you tin expect from them successful position of h2o and particulate resistance:

For an thought of really an IP certification is determined, return a look at this video of a trial being conducted connected behalf of electronics institution Siemens. It ended up getting an IP67 standing — nan aforesaid standing arsenic nan iPhone SE (2022) — which intends it’s been shown to withstand vulnerability some to objects and up to astir 3 feet (or 1 meter) of h2o for 30 minutes.

Military specifications and standards

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Military Specifications and Standards number successful nan hundreds and certify a product’s expertise to grip circumstantial scenarios. For example, location are MIL-STD-810Gs that certify products to grip atomic radiation exposure, drops onto concrete, accelerated somesthesia changes, and a wide number of different biology conditions.

Military Standards ratings comprise an exhaustive number of certifications, but there’s a large problem: They aren’t standardized. Manufacturers tin behaviour different tests and extremity up arriving astatine nan aforesaid conclusion, which is partially nan responsibility of nan 810G strategy — it’s meant to beryllium elastic depending connected nan instrumentality being tested. But it makes it a small harder to cognize what to expect.

Take nan 810G’s “temperature shock” certification, for instance, which measures a device’s expertise to withstand fluctuating temperatures. The somesthesia scope isn’t defined, and neither is nan magnitude of time, leaving plentifulness of wiggle room for a smartphone shaper to declare that its handset is 810G-certified without having to explicate what that really means.

The 810G’s “solar radiation” modular is nan same. Basically, immoderate telephone that tin past astir 3 days of nonstop vulnerability to sunlight without becoming nonfunctional (or discolored) before, during, aliases aft nan trial meets nan device’s requirements. That’s not precisely nan astir useful measure.

Perhaps nan astir common standard for rugged devices is MIL-STD-810G, which is an umbrella nickname pinch a number of durability subcategories — namely protection against drops and falls. This pops up a batch connected telephone cases designed to connection driblet protection, but military driblet trial standards vary depending connected nan tests that lawsuit manufacturers tally connected their rugged cases.

More than IP67

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

For devices for illustration nan iPhone SE, certification goes arsenic acold arsenic dust, dirt, and 1 metre of water. But if you driblet an iPhone SE onto actual from 4 feet up, don’t expect it to travel retired nan different extremity unscathed.

Perhaps much importantly, conscionable because a telephone has achieved a definite certification doesn’t mean it’ll clasp up to abuse. Manufacturers behaviour tests nether laboratory conditions acold different than nan real-life scenarios you’re apt to find yourself in. In 1 peculiarly egregious example, Sony sent trading materials that showed nan company’s IP68-certified Xperia phones being utilized underwater … accompanied by a informing not to usage them arsenic depicted.

That’s not to disregard IP ratings and subject certifications wholesale. As an informed consumer, you should perfectly find what ratings your instrumentality has earlier you bargain it. But you should besides return them pinch a atom of salt. No instrumentality is rugged successful each way, and water, dust, and driblet tests are conducted successful labs — not nan existent world.