Most flagship phones these days boast some grade of urine resistance , and you ’ll find “ IP ratings ” on everything from theApple iPhone 16to theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra . But that pay back us wonder : Just what do manufacturersmeanwhen they expend term like “ waterproof ” and “ urine - resistant ? ” What constitutes a “ rugged ” equipment ? Just how many time can you drop your headphone in the stool before you may expect it to bite the dust ?
As it turns out , some terms that describe a phone ’s hardness are actually standardized , and there ’s a whole lot more to them than meet the eye . IP ratings measure a twist ’s immunity to water , debris , and other particles , while military specs describe structural integrity . Some enfranchisement are a little less precise than others , but have together , they give a rough idea of howthe good rainproof smartphoneswill hold up against the element .
Here ’s everything you need to roll in the hay aboutIP ratings — and as a bonus , we ’re hurl in in constitution aboutMIL - STDcertifications for strong-arm damage , too .
The ratings behind a ‘rugged’ product
“ Rugged ” is just a word , a merchandising ploy as meaningless as “ summer - proof , ” “ piss - resistant , ” or “ dustproof . ” All make overnice bullet points on a earpiece ’s specification sheet , but they are n’t all that descriptive — “ rugged ” and “ water - tolerant ” gimmick can short-circuit just as easy as “ non - rugged ” devices when they fall into water ( as well as shatter when they come to concrete ) .
A enfranchisement is something wholly different . When a telephone has a license evaluation of some sort , a third party has conducted test to ascertain that it can survive conditions like hard falls , dusty shelf , extreme heat , sealed variety of irradiation , and cryptical pools of water .
Phone , tablet , and PC manufacturers measure the ruggedness of devices using two system of standards : TheIngress Protection(IP ) rating , print by theInternational Electrotechnical Commission ; and the Military Specification or Military Standard ( MIL - STD ) , which is developed by arms of theU.S. MilitaryandDepartment of Defense .
Ingress Protection rating
A smartphone ’s IP rating is determined by how well it contain up against dirt , debris , and body of water . Ratings range from 1 to 6 for dust and dirt and 1 to 9 for weewee , with the first and second digits in the paygrade bespeak how well it withstands exposure to unanimous atom and liquids , respectively . The maximal rating for solid objects , IP6 , mean it let in very little junk and dirt , and a piddle - resistance paygrade of 8 indicates it can be submerge in water for minutes at a time . A phone with those specs would realise an IP68 valuation .
To make topic more complicated , a in high spirits IP rating does n’t necessarily entail debris , water , or junk wo n’t figure a phone ’s enclosure . Rather , it indicates that when rubble and waterdomake their agency through a phone ’s seam , they wo n’t come in in sufficient quantities to cause malfunction . So the IP67 - ratediPhone SEwill not be as tolerant to urine entree as the IP68 - ratediPhone 16 Pro , even though both earpiece will come out of the kitty just as wet .
However , IP evaluation are not all - cover , and phones need not pass every low exam to snag a higher military rating . For example , for a smartphone to nab the in demand IP68 authentication , it has to pass the exam for IPX7 and 8 — but is not required to test for water blue jet on the IPX5 and 6 grade .
That ’s the reason you sometimes see a smartphone with multiple IP ratings . TheSony Xperia 1 IVis rated both IP65 and IP68 , which signifies it ’s resistant to full immersion and in high spirits - pressure water jets . However , as you might anticipate from us continue to use a very erstwhile earphone as an exercise , such pattern has becomeveryrare . Most companies default to IP68 and go out it there .
Here ’s a equipment failure of the ratings for solid foreign aim .
There ’s a disjoined chart for water ratings . notice they ’re identify in term of “ water nozzles ” and “ reverse lightning ” — a manufacturer like Samsung , Apple , or Google can pick out to expose their phone to high - pressure blast of body of water from an industrial hose and see how it fares over time .
Here ’s a tilt of some devices ( and a case ) with a detailed verbal description of what you could expect from them in terms of water and dust electrical resistance :
For an estimation of how an IP credentials is determine , take a look atthis videoof a test being conduct on behalf of electronics party Siemens . It ended up get an IP67 paygrade — the same rating as the iPhone SE ( 2022 ) — which means it ’s been show to stand firm pic both to objects and up to about 3 feet ( or 1 meter ) of piss for 30 minutes .
Military specifications and standards
Military Specifications and Standards phone number in the century and certify a merchandise ’s power to cover specific scenario . For example , there are MIL - STD-810Gs that certify products to address nuclear irradiation vulnerability , drops onto concrete , rapid temperature changes , and a wide bit of other environmental consideration .
Military Standards military rank be an exhaustive number of credential , but there ’s a large trouble : They are n’t standardized . Manufacturers can conduct dissimilar mental testing and end up come at the same ratiocination , which is partly the fault of the 810 G organisation — it ’s meant to be flexible depend on the twist being test . But it spend a penny it a little hard to know what to expect .
Take the 810 deoxyguanosine monophosphate ’s “ temperature shock ” documentation , for example , which valuate a gadget ’s power to withstand fluctuating temperature . The temperature scope is n’t defined , and neither is the amount of prison term , leaving plenty of wiggle way for a smartphone God Almighty to claim that its handset is 810G - manifest without having to explain what that really intend .
The 810 G ’s “ solar radiation therapy ” criterion is the same . Basically , any phone that can survive roughly three days of lineal exposure to sun without becoming nonfunctional ( or discolour ) before , during , or after the examination meets the twist ’s requirement . That ’s not exactly the most useful cadence .
Perhaps the most common standard for rugged devices is MIL - STD-810 gramme , which is an umbrella designation with a number of strength subcategories — namely aegis against drop and fall . This pop up a lot on sound instance project to declare oneself drop protection , butmilitary fall test standardsvary depending on thetests that case manufacturers run on their rugged cases .
More than IP67
For devices like the iPhone SE , certification goes as far as dust , dirt , and 1 metre of water . But if you send away an iPhone SE onto concrete from 4 foot up , do n’t expect it to come out the other end unharmed .
Perhaps more significantly , just because a earpiece has achieved a sure authentication does n’t mean it ’ll hold up to contumely . manufacturing business conduct mental test under lab conditions far dissimilar than the real - life scenarios you ’re likely to see yourself in . In one peculiarly egregious example , Sony sent marketing material that demonstrate the companionship ’s IP68 - certified Xperia phones being used underwater … accompanied by a warningnotto practice them as show .
That ’s not to give the axe information processing ratings and military certification sweeping . As an informed consumer , you should absolutely find what military rank your twist has before you buy it . But you should also take them with a cereal of salt . No twist is rugged in every path , and pee , dust , and drop tests are carry in labs — not the real world .
