You will see ratings like IP68 or IP67 in the specs on our phone pages. They are worth understanding, because the marketing around them promises rather more than the standard does.
Reading the code
IP stands for Ingress Protection. The first digit is dust, on a scale to 6, where 6 means dust-tight. The second is water, on a scale to 9. In phones you will mostly see:
- IP67 — survives immersion to 1 metre for 30 minutes in fresh, still water.
- IP68 — survives deeper immersion for longer, with the exact depth and time set by the manufacturer (often 1.5 to 6 metres for 30 minutes). Two IP68 phones can be rated to different depths.
- IP54 or IP52 — splash resistant only. Rain is fine; a sink is not.
- An X in either position means that part was not tested, not that it failed.
What the tests do not cover
The test uses clean, still, room-temperature water. It says nothing about salt water, chlorinated pools, hot showers, soapy water, or water under pressure from a tap or a jet. Salt in particular corrodes ports and seals. And the rating applies to a new phone: seals degrade with age, drops and heat, and manufacturers do not guarantee them over time.
Crucially, water damage is almost never covered by warranty, even on an IP68 phone. The rating means the phone should survive an accident, not that you are invited to cause one.
Sensible use
- A dropped phone in a puddle, the bath or a toilet: an IP67/68 phone will almost certainly be fine. Dry it, do not charge it until the port is fully dry.
- Photos at the beach: fine; rinse salt spray off with fresh water and dry.
- Swimming, showering, or deliberate underwater use: not what the rating is for, however the adverts look.
Water resistance is one of the specs we show on each phone page where the retailer supplies it. If it matters to you, filter your shortlist on the phones page and check the detail line.