Water-Resistant vs. Waterproof Phones: What IP67 and IP68 Really Mean

Marketing campaigns often show smartphones being splashed with water or submerged in pools, giving consumers the false impression that modern phones are immune to liquid damage. In engineering terms, there is no such thing as a "waterproof" phone—only "water-resistant" enclosures.

The Ingress Protection (IP) rating consists of two digits. The first digit (usually 6) measures dust resistance. The second digit (such as 7 or 8) measures liquid resistance under static, fresh water laboratory testing.

Laboratory ratings do not account for velocity or water pressure. Dropping a phone into a running faucet or taking it into a swimming pool subjects the gaskets to dynamic water pressure, which easily exceeds standard static depth thresholds.

Furthermore, IP tests use pure fresh water. Saltwater from the ocean and chlorinated water from swimming pools are highly corrosive. When saltwater dries, it leaves behind sodium chloride crystals that eat through rubber gaskets and rapidly oxidize motherboard circuitry.

If your phone comes into contact with saltwater or soda, immediately rinse it gently with clean fresh tap water to dilute contaminants, power it off, blot it dry, and run water eject frequencies once safe.