IP67 vs IP68 – here we are going to explain what’s the difference between waterproof ratings and why you should care about it. Whenever you’re researching for a smartphone or a smartwatch in the current age, the terms such as IP67, IP6, or waterproofing terms are bound to appear. What do these terms mean and what are the differences? let’s find out.
Waterproof vs Water Resistant
- The waterproof means that the device can survive underwater indefinitely.
- The water-resistant means that the device can prevent water from seeping-in to some degree.
First things first, before driving into the IP standards, it is worth noting that there’s a difference between being waterproof and water-resistant. Waterproof means that the device would not allow the water to pass through regardless of how long it remained submerged. On the other hand, water-resistant means that the device is capable of stopping water from entering inside the device to some degree, but not entirely.
When it comes to smartphones, we discuss how water-resistant they are. Because smartphones cannot survive underwater indefinitely. All the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices released to date are water resistant, not waterproof.
What does IP68 or IP67 rating mean?
- The first digit represents protection against solid (dirt, dust, or sand).
- The second digit represents protection against liquid.
IP stands for Ingress Protection. The IP standard was drawn up by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It is one of the most commonly used and effective standards to describe the ability of an electronic device to provide protection against water, dirt, dust, and sand.
An IP rating consists of two digits, for example, IP68.
First digit: Protection against Solids
The first digit, which is 1 in this example, explains how solid the device protection is against dust or dirt seeping inside the unit after a direct or indirect contact with the matter for wight-hours.
| IP Code | Protection |
|---|---|
| 0 | No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
| 1 | Any large surface of the body, but not against deliberate contact with a body part |
| 2 | Protection against Fingers or similar objects |
| 3 | Protection against tools, thick wires, etc. |
| 4 | Protection against most wires, slender screws, large ants etc. |
| 5 | Partial protection against Ingress of harmful dust |
| 6 | Full protection against Ingress of harmful dust |
Second digit: Protection against Moisture
The second digit, which is 8 in the above example, explains the water resistance rating of an electronic device. It tells you how deep you can take your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch and how long it will survive under water without any damage.
| IP Code | Protection |
|---|---|
| 0 | No protection |
| 1 | Protection against dripping water |
| 2 | Protection against dripping water when tilted at 15 degrees |
| 3 | Protection against spraying water |
| 4 | Protection against spray and splash of water |
| 5 | Protection against low pressure water jets (6.3mm nozzle) |
| 6 | Protection against powerful water jets (12.5mm nozzle) |
| 7 | Protection from immersion in water, up to 1-meter depth for 30 minutes |
| 8 | Protection from immersion in water, more than 1-meter depth for 30 minutes |
The above two table explains what these two digits that make an IP rating mean.
IP67 vs IP68: What’s the Difference
- IP68 means that an electronic device can remain intact more than 1 meter (mostly up to 1.5 meters) deep in the water for half an hour.
- IP67 means that an electronic device can remain intact up to 1 meter deep in the water for half an hour.
- Both are dust, dirt, and sand resistant
There are two leading IP ratings at present: IP67 and IP68. Both these ratings mean that your device is water resistant, it’s just a matter of depth and time period.
The first number of both IP67 and IP68 is ‘6’ which means protection against solid matter such as dirt, dust, and sand. A rating ‘6’ under solid protection means that your device is protected against dirt and other particulates. All the handhelds released these days are dust-tight, which means that the first digit of IP rating for the present devices will always be ‘6’.
The second number of these IP ratings are ‘7’ and ‘8’ which deal with protection against liquids. Under liquid protection, ‘8’ is the highest rating available and it means that your device can be submerged in fresh water deeper than 1 meter for half an hour without any sign of damage. On the other hand, a ‘7’ liquid protection rating means that the device can be submerged in fresh water up to one meter of depth for half an hour.
Does IP67 vs IP68 protect against all liquids?
Keep in mind that IEC ratings are strictly assigned against fresh water. These ratings, be it IP68 or IP67, do not cover protection against other types of liquid such as tea, coffee, oil, soda, beer, etc.
So, if you accidentally spill any liquid other than fresh water on any IP68 or IP67 rated device, quickly clean it off. If you leave the liquid for a longer period of time, it may damage your expensive devices such as an iPhone or iPad.
Can I swim with my IP67 or IP68 rated iPhone?
IEC tests any electronic device under lab conditions using fresh water with the device on standby mode. So, we would certainly not recommend swimming with your expensive iPhone in a pool full of various water cleaning chemicals or an ocean or seawater full of salt.
Back in 2015, Sony released an advertisement for its new IP68 certifies Xperia smartphone being used to take photos underwater. The company later changed its stance and warned its IP68 certified device buyers to not use it underwater.
UK’s advertising authority had banned an HTC U11 commercial for showing the device in a swimming pool.
Are the latest iPhone models waterproof?
iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR are the current latest iPhone models from Apple. Both the iPhone XS and XS Max has an IP68 waterproof rating, while the iPhone XR carries an IP67 rating.
All these three iPhone models are protected from dirt, dust, and sand. The difference between iPhone XS models and iPhone XR rating is a matter of a meter under water.
The iPhone XS and XS Max with IP68 rating provide protection against submersion in water up to 2-meters deep for half an hour. The iPhone XR, however, with an IP67 rating, provide protection against submersion in water up to 1-meters deep for half an hour.
It’s worthing noting that Apple’s previous iPhone models, including iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X all had the IP67 rating. It means upgrading to iPhone XR will provide you the same level of water-resistance. However, if you want to get an extra meter of protection under water, iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max are there for you.