Water-Resistant vs. Waterproof
There are different levels of water protection that companies and devices claim to have. This water protection can be measured using the Ingress Protection Rating Scale. This is designed by the International Electrotechnical Commission and classifies the degrees of protection provided against things like solid objects, dust, and water in electronic devices.
The rating system uses two numbers after the IP classification letters and the higher the number, the better protection it offers. The first digit deals with objects like body parts, tools, and dust with the highest number being a 6, which is dust-tight. The second digit classifies how protected a device is against water. The highest number here is an 8, which guarantees the equipment can be immersed in water beyond 1 meter, but the specifics are up to the manufacturer.
Many phone manufacturers claim water-resistance of waterproof protection of their products, but what does that mean exactly?
- Water-resistance - the device may be designed so it is harder for water to get inside of it. This classification can only withstand light rain or light splashing from the sink.
- Waterproof - this classification focuses on preventing water from getting inside of a device, making the object impervious to water. It does not mean the device is protected from water for the rest of its operational life. If the object somehow does happen to get wet, it is no longer considered waterproof.
Water Warranties Everywhere but Not a One to Trust
It may seem to be common practice for phone companies to offer water-damage protection for their products. Unfortunately, this level of security is not included in their basic protection packages. According to the support page on Apple’s website, water and other liquid damage to an iPhone or iPod is not covered by the one-year limited warranty. Other companies have the same type of stipulation, regarding water damage as an added level of protection.
In some cases, even if your policy does include water damage, most providers will simply replace the phone as a whole, leaving you without any of your data from the internal water-damaged pieces.
Surprising Details on the Waterproof Phone Cases
There are hundreds of supposed “waterproof” cases on the market for your device, but the way companies test this effect is less than realistic. When testing for waterproof ability, a company may submerge the phone in freshwater in a clean environment, and won’t be dunking it in a toilet or a swimming pool. Additionally, your device may only be considered waterproof for a brief period of time. 30 minutes of submersion may be the limit for your device, and others may have even shorter periods.
Protective cases are prone to leaks and as many consumer response pages will show, lowers the quality of the phone operation by attempting to call or text through a protective coating. Quality will also diminish even if your phone survives a dip in the pool or fall into the lake. While it may still complete basic functions, areas such as the speaker or charging port may no longer work.
Protect Your Phone on Land and Sea
No matter the conditions in which you are using your device, the best way to keep it in proper working order is to keep it from experiencing any environmental or physical damage. Phones are electronic devices with moving parts, and anything that has moving parts will eventually degrade in quality over time. Dropping, cracking, or drowning your phone will only harm its chances for a long lifespan and open it up to the possibility of more damage down the line.
Secure Data Recovery knows that no one is perfect, and devices fail on us for a variety of reasons. When you don’t have a backup solution in place, you need to recover your contacts, photos, music, and more from your mobile device. Our engineers have decades of experience recovering data from water-damaged phones and have successfully retrieved files from devices that have been submerged underwater, burned by fire, and more. Call our 24/7 customer service line at 1-800-388-1266 to start your case today.
This is the final post in a series on water-damaged phones, see related posts:
This is What Happens When Your Smartphone Gets Wet
Do’s and Don’ts of Saving Water-Damaged Phones
