Water resistance ratings may seem like just another specification in a long list of numbers, but it’s important to know what your gadgets can withstand.
Ingress Protection (IP) ratings may not seem like important pieces of information at first glance, but they can actually be crucial if you plan on taking your gadgets underwater, or just want to know how protected they are.
We’re going to be breaking down what an IP55 certification means, including what depths it can withstand and how many devices are IP55 certified.
What is IP55 certified?
IP55 stands for ‘Ingress Protection55’, and it indicates that a phone has been tested against dust and water for up to 55 minutes at a pressure of one atmosphere (or about 10 centimetres of air).
Simply put, a device that is IP55 certified can be exposed to water from any angle – including rain or even a light shower. Devices that are IP55 certified should not be completely submerged in water.
IP ratings are an international standard introduced in 1959. These ratings can help customers identify products that are waterproof or have some resistance to water and dust. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the higher protection the device will have against dust or water.
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Is IP55 completely waterproof?
No, IP55-certified devices are not waterproof. IP55 does come with some resistance against water and could survive an accidental drop in the pool or a walk in the rain, but it cannot be reliably taken underwater for even short periods of time.
For mobile devices, the most important factor that makes it waterproof is the O-ring seal, typically found around the camera and on the back of some devices, like the iPhone 14.
Which devices are IP55 certified?
The IP55 certification is commonplace across many devices. It’s not just mobile phones that come with this rating; earbuds, wearables, tablets and e-readers can be found with an IP rating, depending on the brand.
As you can see in our best phones guide, most current handsets have evolved from using IP55 and moved onto the IP67 standard, or higher, which is more resistant to both dust and water. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 7 Pro both come with an IP68 water rating, making them resistant to all dust and water resistant up to 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes.
However, many older phones did come with an IP55 certification, including the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 as well as the Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
