The Warm-Blooded Take
IP ratings feel like one of those things that no one ever expressly learned but somehow we all think we know what they mean. That was certainly the case for me as I was shopping for a new phone in late 2024. I had this moment of realization as I was comparing spec sheets. Even though I was pretty sure more was better I couldn’t tell you why or even what the numbers meant specifically. Not to spoil the article, but it turns out they don’t mean much for real world durability.
That said, they at least provide directional guidance on how much abuse a kids tablet is going to take before it needs replacing or how much you should stress about getting caught in the rain. So let’s get you equipped to understand what they mean, and more importantly, what they don’t mean.
From the One Who Actually Read the Spec Sheet
Compiled by Clod. Double-checked by a human with trust issues.
Here’s a fun one: the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S26 both carry an IP68 rating. Same two digits, same certification standard, same little badge on the spec sheet. Apple tested theirs at 6 meters depth. Samsung tested theirs at 1.5 meters. Nobody is required to tell you the difference unless you go digging. I went digging.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
IP stands for Ingress Protection, defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission under standard IEC 60529. The rating is two digits. The first measures protection against solid particles (dust, sand, small fingers poking at things). The second measures protection against liquids.
First digit (solids), 0 through 6:
| Rating | Protection | Plain English |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | None | Open season |
| 1 | Objects > 50mm | Keeps out the back of your hand |
| 2 | Objects > 12.5mm | Keeps out fingers |
| 3 | Objects > 2.5mm | Keeps out tools and thick wires |
| 4 | Objects > 1mm | Keeps out small wires and screws |
| 5 | Dust-protected | Some dust gets in, not enough to cause problems |
| 6 | Dust-tight | Nothing gets in |
Second digit (liquids), 0 through 9:
| Rating | Test Condition | Duration | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | None | - | Hope for the best |
| 1 | Vertical drips | 10 min | Condensation |
| 2 | Drips at 15-degree tilt | 10 min | Light rain while tilted |
| 3 | Spraying water | 5 min | Rain from up to 60 degrees |
| 4 | Splashing water | 5 min | Splashes from any direction |
| 5 | Water jets (6.3mm nozzle) | 3 min | Garden hose territory |
| 6 | Powerful water jets (12.5mm nozzle) | 3 min | Aggressive garden hose territory |
| 7 | Immersion at 1m | 30 min | Dropped in the pool |
| 8 | Immersion beyond 1m | Manufacturer-defined | Dropped in the deep end (maybe) |
| 9 | High-pressure hot jets (80°C) | 30 sec per angle | Industrial cleaning |
When you see an “X” in place of a digit, like IPX7, the manufacturer simply didn’t test for that category. It doesn’t mean zero protection; it means they didn’t submit it for certification.
The IP68 Problem
Here’s where it gets interesting. IP67 is specific: 1 meter of freshwater for 30 minutes. Every IP67 device meets the same test. IP68, on the other hand, only requires submersion “beyond 1 meter,” with the manufacturer defining the exact depth and duration. This is how three companies end up with the same rating and wildly different capabilities.
| Device | IP Rating | Tested Depth | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 / 17 Pro / 17 Pro Max / iPhone Air | IP68 | 6 meters | 30 minutes |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 / S26+ / S26 Ultra | IP68 | 1.5 meters | 30 minutes |
| Google Pixel 10 / 10 Pro | IP68 | 1.5 meters | 30 minutes |
Apple tests at four times the depth of Samsung and Google. All three print “IP68” on the box. The standard allows this because IP68 was never designed to be a consumer comparison tool. It was designed for industrial equipment, where buyers read the full test report. Consumer marketing borrowed the shorthand and left the context behind.
Ratings Are Not Cumulative (This Surprises Everyone)
An IP68 device has been tested for dust-tightness and deep submersion. It has not necessarily been tested for water jets (IP65), powerful water jets (IP66), or high-pressure hot jets (IP69). Each test is independent.
This is why IP69 certification on phones is less impressive than it sounds. The OnePlus 13 was the first mainstream phone to carry IP69 (late 2024), and the OnePlus 15 expanded on this with a full quad-certification: IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K. IP69 tests resistance to high-pressure, 80°C water jets at close range. It does not test submersion at all. A phone can survive an industrial pressure wash and drown in a bathtub. OnePlus covers both scenarios by certifying across all four ratings (with IP68 tested at 2 meters, above the 1.5m industry norm), but the IP69 headline alone is marketing theater. Nobody is pressure-washing their phone. (If you are, we need to talk about your cleaning habits.)
What the Marketing Doesn’t Mention
All testing uses pure, still, room-temperature freshwater. Saltwater corrodes seals. Chlorinated pool water degrades gaskets. Soapy water reduces surface tension and can slip past barriers that stop pure water. Hot tub water combines heat, jets, and chemicals into a triple threat that no consumer IP rating accounts for.
Seal degradation is not optional; it’s inevitable. The rubber gaskets, adhesives, and mechanical seals that create water resistance wear down from normal use, temperature cycling, drops, and age. Apple, Samsung, and Google all state that water resistance “is not a permanent condition” and “may decrease over time.” A two-year-old phone is not as water-resistant as the day you bought it.
Drops compromise water resistance invisibly. Frame deformation from impacts can break seals without any visible damage. A phone that was IP68 out of the box may be functionally IP64 (or worse) after a hard drop onto pavement.
Lab conditions bear little resemblance to real life. IP tests lower pristine devices gently into still water. Real scenarios involve drops (which create pressure waves), moving water (which increases pressure), and temperature differentials (which cause gaskets to contract and expand).
The Warranty Contradiction
This is the part where the absurdity peaks. Every major phone manufacturer markets water resistance prominently. Underwater product shots. Beach commercials. “Go ahead, take it to the pool” energy. Then every one of them excludes liquid damage from warranty coverage.
Google’s support page states plainly: “the IP68 rating is not lasting and liquid damage will void the warranty.” Apple and Samsung say effectively the same thing. All three embed liquid contact indicators inside their phones. These tiny strips permanently change color when exposed to moisture.
Your phone is water-resistant enough to advertise but not water-resistant enough to warranty. Italy fined Apple 10 million euros in 2020 for misleading waterproof marketing. The rest of the world apparently found this arrangement acceptable.
Kids’ Tech: A Tale of Two Standards
If you’re shopping for kids’ devices, the landscape splits cleanly in two.
Kids’ smartwatches are well-protected. The Apple Watch SE (via Family Setup) carries WR50 under ISO 22810, safe for pool swimming. The Garmin Bounce is rated at 5 ATM, also pool-safe. The Xplora X6 Play carries IP68 at 1.5 meters. These devices expect to get wet because kids wearing them will absolutely get wet.
Kids’ tablets have zero water protection. The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids, the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, and every iPad model carry no IP rating at all. Amazon’s strategy is a chunky bumper case and a 2-year “Worry-Free Guarantee” that, in practice, tends to cover most kid-inflicted damage (though the official warranty language has standard exclusions). It’s an honest approach: instead of pretending the tablet can survive water, they just promise to replace it when it can’t.
ATM Ratings on Wearables: A Different Standard
Smartwatches often use ATM (atmosphere) ratings instead of, or alongside, IP ratings. These follow ISO 22810, which is a separate and arguably more practical standard for things strapped to wrists.
| ATM Rating | Equivalent Depth | Safe For |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ATM (~10m) | Splash/rain only | Handwashing |
| 3 ATM (~30m) | Rain, handwashing | Not swimming |
| 5 ATM (~50m) | Swimming, shallow snorkeling | Pool and beach |
| 10 ATM (~100m) | Water sports | Recreational diving |
ISO 22810 tests include actual movement in water and can include non-freshwater conditions, making it more relevant than IP ratings for real-world wearable use. If you’re buying a kids’ watch for a swimmer, an ATM rating tells you more than an IP rating.
What Parents Actually Need to Know
The practical takeaway fits on an index card.
For phones: IP68 means your phone can survive an accidental drop in the sink. It does not mean your phone is a pool toy. Don’t submerge it on purpose, and if it does get wet, dry it thoroughly before charging. When comparing phones, check the tested depth, not just the rating.
For kids’ watches: 5 ATM or WR50 is the threshold for pool swimming. Anything rated IPX4 or similar is splash-proof only. Read the manufacturer’s swimming guidelines, not the marketing headline.
For kids’ tablets: Assume zero water protection. Buy the case. Consider the warranty. Accept that juice will be spilled.
For everything: Water resistance degrades over time, especially after drops. The warranty does not cover water damage regardless of the IP rating. And the word “waterproof” appears nowhere in the IEC 60529 standard. The correct term is “water-resistant,” and even that comes with an asterisk.
If you made it this far, you now know more about IP ratings than the people writing the marketing copy. Which, given the gap between what they advertise and what they warranty, might not be saying much.
The Drive-Through Version
Your AI research assistant, summarizing at the speed of inference
Alright, quick version. IP ratings are two numbers: first one is dust, second one is water. IP68 is what all the flagship phones carry, but here’s the catch: the “8” just means “deeper than 1 meter,” and the manufacturer decides how much deeper. Apple tests at 6 meters, Samsung and Google test at 1.5 meters, same IP68 label. All testing uses pure, still, room-temperature freshwater, so pools, oceans, and hot tubs are off-script. The real kicker? Every major manufacturer excludes water damage from warranty coverage. They’ll sell you on underwater photos and then void your warranty when water gets in. For kids’ watches, look for 5 ATM or WR50 if they’re swimming. For kids’ tablets, there is no water protection; just get the case and the accident warranty. That’s the brief.
This article is human-led and AI-powered. Matt writes the intro and edits everything. Clod handles the research and writing. All claims are verified against sources listed below. This is an explainer, not a product review or recommendation.
Sources
- IEC 60529 - Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code). International Electrotechnical Commission. iec.ch/ip-ratings
- Apple Support - About splash, water, and dust resistance of iPhone 7 and later. support.apple.com/en-us/108039
- Apple - iPhone Air Technical Specifications. apple.com/iphone-air/specs
- Apple - iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max Technical Specifications. apple.com/iphone-17-pro/specs
- Samsung US - Galaxy S26 Ultra. samsung.com/us/smartphones/galaxy-s26-ultra
- Samsung US Support - Galaxy phones and tablets dust and water resistance (IP rating). samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10001610
- Google Pixel Phone Help - Help prevent water damage to your Pixel phone. support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7533279
- GSMArena - Google Pixel 10 Pro Full Specifications. gsmarena.com/google_pixel_10_pro_5g-13987
- OnePlus US - OnePlus 15 Press Release. oneplus.com/us/press/press-release/oneplus-launches-the-oneplus-15
- Droid-Life - OnePlus 13 is First to IP69 Rating for Phones (October 2024). droid-life.com
- Euronews - Apple fined 10 million euros in Italy over iPhone water resistance claims (November 2020). euronews.com
- Apple Support - Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) Technical Specifications. support.apple.com/en-us/111853
- Apple Support - About Apple Watch water resistance. support.apple.com/en-us/109522
- Garmin Support - Are Garmin Bounce Watches Waterproof? support.garmin.com
- Xplora Support - X6Play: Is my watch waterproof? support.xplora.com
- Amazon - Fire HD 10 Kids tablet product page. amazon.com
- Amazon Customer Service - Worry-Free Guarantee (Two-Year Limited Warranty). amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201606410
- Applus+ Keystone Compliance - IEC 60529 Ingress Protection (IP Code) Certification Testing. keystonecompliance.com/iec-60529
All sources verified 2026-03-28.