We are often asked if a smartphone can be immersed in water without water protection. Like, they are now all with gaskets and must be protected. Half of the people have a story in which “Vasya dropped the phone into the toilet and it still works.” I will say that this is all nonsense and it is better not to do this. Even if the phone is protected from water, you shouldn't go into the water with it. Such experiments can end badly and each of us on the editorial board had examples of this. If you still don't believe me and want to go to the pool with your phone, you better read this article first. You will most likely change your mind.
Protect your smartphone from water. He will thank you.
What is ip68 water protection
Let's first define what the water protection standard gives you?
Everything is clear from the name. The water resistance allows the phone to come into contact with this liquid and keep working. If the level of protection against water is high, the smartphone should even be protected against being immersed in water entirely.
It is no coincidence that every time I mentioned that protection is from water. This must be understood, as even with a high level of protection against water, other liquids can damage your device. For example, alcoholic drinks, tea, coffee, sugary drinks, salt water and more. But there is a type of protection against these liquids, and even against boiling water.
There is a standard for the degree of protection of devices, which shows how protected they are from the ingress of foreign objects and liquids. Roughly speaking, how tight they are. The first number means protection against solid objects and has a gradation from one to six, where “1” is the minimum protection, and “6” is the maximum.
At the first level, objects with a diameter of more than 55 mm may enter the device. Even at the fourth level, protection is provided only against objects with a diameter of 1 to 2.5 mm. Full protection against small particles is only at the sixth level. Even on the fifth, it is possible for a small amount of solid particles to enter the body.
The second number refers to liquid, but this is more difficult. Graduation goes from the first to the ninth level. Starting from the fifth, already good protection begins, which protects against water jets beating in any direction. At the eighth level, the protection should ensure the operation of the device at a depth of one and a half meters for 30 minutes. Among smartphones, the ninth level is found only in specially protected copies that are taken with them on a hike. Such devices can work even in hot water. Not long ago, I gave examples of smartphones that are almost impossible to kill.
Even such a smartphone can be drowned.
These two numbers are compiled into a rating that looks like ipXY, where X is the level of protection against dust and Y is the level of protection against water. For example, the ip53 protection means that dust hardly gets inside, but you shouldn't wet the device more than in the rain. This is often the case with sports headphones.
Separately, it should be noted that this is a universal international standard. The rating is assigned by special laboratories using a universal method. These are not just manufacturer promises. Devices are not tested for compliance with this standard free of charge. Every gadget with this mark must be subject to a deduction. That is why OnePlus management has been saying for several years that their smartphones are protected, but they save on certification. As a result, OnePlus 8 Pro, which will be presented in less than two weeks, will still have it.
Can I take my phone to the pool
If you are willing to trust the seller, then yes you can. If you want to hear my opinion as a person who has come across this more than once, I will answer that absolutely not.
The fact is that any protection against water, even according to the ip68 standard, is very conditional. The test batch withstood such loads, but it is not a fact that your specimen will withstand. In this case, manufacturers even warn that they are not responsible if water gets inside the smartphone. Most likely, you will be denied warranty repair if the breakdown is caused precisely by water ingress.
In fact, this is not even a hoax. You could just put your smartphone in your back pocket and sit on it or drop it. As a result, the case bends and the seal between the screen module and the case may be damaged. Examples of damage to gaskets are numerous. For example, overheating of a smartphone while charging, or simply material degradation from time to time.
It's only in advertising that everything is so beautiful.
That is why I strongly do not recommend taking your smartphone with you to the pool and even more so to the sea. Even in the bathroom you can ruin it, and I have already told you how.
If you do not heed my advice and still go swimming with your electronic assistant, keep in mind that after being in salt water or water with bleach, it needs to be rinsed. Even if water does not get inside, after evaporation it will leave its salts on the charging contacts and other parts of the case. These salts and other impurities can corrode delicate structural elements. Not right away, but they can.
What to do if your phone falls into water
If your smartphone is IP67 or IP68 waterproof, don't worry. This is exactly the case when protection saves. First, such dives are usually very short-term. Secondly, even if the protection was violated, the pressure at a shallow depth is not such that water quickly flows inward. As for me, even the strongest protection against water is needed to be calm in such situations, and not to swim with a smartphone.
If a smartphone that is not protected from water falls into the water, it is more difficult. Of course, you need to get it as soon as possible. If the battery is removed, you should immediately remove it (if not, then just turn off the smartphone) and blow out the liquid that will be there. Sometimes you can even try to blow through the phone. If there is a headphone jack on top, and a charging jack on the bottom, you need to press your lips, blow into one of them and a little water will pour out of the second.
These are all emergency response measures. If you read this article not in advance, but by searching an hour after “bathing” the gadget, this will not help. In any case, you urgently need to go to the service. Even if the smartphone works, there is still water left inside. If it evaporates before it closes something, that's good, but it's still not worth rejoicing. After evaporation, it will leave salts that will corrode the delicate connectors of the boards and they will work worse every day until the smartphone fails them. A timely visit to the service to clean and purge the smartphone will save him. And yes, a bag of rice doesn't help. Even if it evaporates the water, salts and alkalis will still remain inside.
Forget about it! Rice won't save.
At one time, I thus underestimated the cognac spilled on the keyboard of the MacBook Air. It worked for a couple of months, but it got worse and worse until I had to change the motherboard, keyboard, and something else – I don't remember. It was a shame. Don't repeat my mistakes.