Understanding IP Ratings in Smartphones: How to Determine Water Damage Survival

IP ratings determine how well a smartphone is protected from dust and water. Ratings like IP67, IP68, and IP69 define different levels of resistance. IP68-rated phones can survive underwater for a limited time, while IP69-rated phones can handle even high-pressure water jets.

The world is flooded with a vast variety of smartphones in the global market. Each and every brand is offering some or the other unique feature in the phone, which is their USP. In today’s era, any smartphone that comes with an IP rating certification could be a good device to survive in the present scenario, but do you know what it means?

Whether you are caught in the rain or accidentally drop your smartphone in water, you must understand that the IP ratings could help you to choose a device which could survive such accidents.

What is an IP rating?

IP stands for Ingress Protection, and it’s a global standard. The rating defines that the smartphone is protected against dust and liquid spillage or water submersion (up to a certain level). The rating is written as IP followed by two digits, like IP67, IP68, IP69 and so on. The first digit (from 0 to 6) refers to the protection from solid particles like dust. The second digit (from 0 to 9) refers to protection from liquids like water, edible liquids and more. One must note that the higher the number of IPs, the better it is for device protection.

Common IP ratings and their meaning

In the present scenario, here are some of the commonly found IP ratings and what they mean: IP67: Protected from dust and immersion in water by up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. IP68: It offers better protection, which is safe up to 1.5 meters of water and could safeguard the device for 30 minutes. IP69: This is the highest rating at present, and it could survive the high-pressure water jets and deeper immersion, enabling the device to last longer. The smartphone with IP68 or IP69 ratings is considered to be truly water-resistant and dustproof. Many flagship smartphones like the iPhone 15, Samsung Galaxy S24 and some other premium budget handsets also support these ratings.

Are budget smartphones also waterproof?

Earlier, only expensive handsets had high IP ratings, but now brands like Redmi, Realme, Motorola, and iQOO offer IP67 and IP68 ratings in phones under Rs 20,000. Always check the rating before buying if water resistance is important to you. Overall, if you are willing to get a handset that can handle water spills, rain or even a dip in the pool, you must look for a device with at least an IP68 rating. And if you are looking for advanced protection for your handset, especially for those who use the device in rugged environments, for them IP69 is the best option which is currently available in the global market.

According to the source: India TV News.