Is Pixel 6 Waterproof?
With the hype about the new Pixel 6 smartphone from Google going around, it is impossible not to see many leaks and rumors about this phone even 6 months before its release. There is much news suggesting better cameras, new chipsets made by Google, and many more. But what about Pixel 6’s protection?
Today, it has become almost common for a large number of manufacturers of smartphones, smartwatches, and other similar devices to claim that their devices are waterproof. And indeed, they are. But what does it even mean when we say that a device is waterproof? Can that device, for example, end up at the bottom of an Olympic pool without any fear that something will happen to it? Here is what you need to know about Pixel 6 protection.
Is Pixel 6 waterproof?
The short answer is – yes.
Many leaks and rumors are suggesting that the new phone made by Google will be IP68 protected.
This news should be the least surprising of all as all new devices have the IP68 protection level, be they flagship or mid-range. It is impossible to think that a big company, especially as big as Google, would release a smartphone without any water and dust protection in 2021. The market is very competitive, and every additional feature, water protection included, will bring in customers.
Not to mention that even the previous model, the Pixel 5, which was released last year, had the same maximum level of protection as well (IP68). And Pixel 5 is not even considered flagship. The leaks have shown that the Pixel 6 will be much more powerful than its predecessor, and there is no reason to believe that Google will not include the best protection.
But what does this IP68 stand for?
You have probably heard in the world of smartphones, and their water-resistance capabilities, of something called the IP certification. In short, it is an international standard for defining different degrees of protection of a device from any liquids, dust, or even impact (when falling or hitting an object on a mobile phone).
Today, an increasing number of devices are resistant to various harmful things. Their endurance, especially when we talk about endurance to water and water-induced damage, is getting bigger and bigger. A few years ago, devices such as the iPhone 8 and X, Samsung Galaxy S8, and Apple Watch 3 – all of them were water-resistant, although not each of these devices had the same IP certification. Their protection level varied from IP67 to IP68.
IP67 certification is very often associated with Apple devices, such as the iPhone 7, iPhone 8, or iPhone X, while IP68 certification is more often associated with Android smartphones, such as Sony Xperia XZ or Samsung Galaxy S8.
Today, all of them have the IP68.
IP as “ingress protection”
Have you ever wondered what the letters IP mean at all? It is an abbreviation for "ingress protection", which indicates the degree of protection of each device, depending on how high or low the IP index is. The higher the IP index, the higher the protection, logically.
With the IP, or Ingress Protection index, it is important to be as high as possible because this will mean that the device will have better protection of all its components (especially internal ones) if it happens to be under the influence of water, coffee or any other liquids.
Dust and particle protection
The first number in say IP67, the number 6 indicates whether and to what extent a device is resistant to dust, sand, or similar things. The first number indicating resistance to dust or sand will likely be either 5 or 6. The number five is, of course, lower and it means that the resistance is not "complete", or that sand, dust, or similar things can only come to a lesser extent in contact with internal or external components.
If the first number is 6, it will mean "complete ingress protection" and will mean that your device is completely protected from dust, sand, and other types of such particles. What can sometimes happen with some devices and with some manufacturers is that certain manufacturers put, say, IPX7 instead of an integer. This means that the exact number regarding the degree of protection against dust has not been revealed and that only the letter "X" has been written instead.
Water protection
The second number in the IP index indicates the resistance of each device to water and liquids. The point is that determining this number is a little more complicated than it was in the first case.
A very large number of devices have an IP rank with a number of at least 3 or 4 (although this is not written in the device description or the specifications). This means that these devices are protected from water splashes and that if a splash occurs or if, say, rain (not a shower, but light drops) falls on the screen of your device or the case, it will continue to work normally.
Where things really get interesting is if this number goes up to number 5. Number 5 means that your device is protected in case of splashing under a stronger jet (6.3 mm) from any direction, while number 6 means complete protection of the device in case of splashing under with a jet of 12.5 millimeters from any direction to any part of the device.
Those devices that are really water-resistant are those devices that have a second number of 7 or 8. For example, the number 7 provides protection for the external and internal components of the device if the device is immersed in a closed water tank up to 1 meter deep. If your device is water-resistant in the sense that the second number is number 8, this will mean that the device can be immersed in a tank that is deeper than 1 meter (usually up to 1.5 meters).
But…
Either way, the fact is that no device, regardless of the IP index, is completely resistant to either water or any other liquid or particulate substance.
If, for example, a device says that it is resistant to dust and water according to the IP69 standard, that number 9 means that the device is hermetically sealed. This means absolute protection, even if, for example, the user dives with this device, but one should still be careful because the water-resistance reaches only to the extent that the water has no harmful effects on the device. But no smartphones are fully sealed and therefore have the IP68 standard.
Final words
Even though it can be cool to take photos underwater, this should be avoided as much as possible. The water protection is there in case of an accident so your phone can “survive” if you drop it in liquid. Companies take device protection very seriously, and why wouldn't they? If you are paying over $1000 for a phone, it better work properly.
Many other companies produce additional products that will keep smartphones safe. There are numerous cases, wallets, screen and camera protectors around with which you can further strengthen your phone. One company, in particular, is doing a great job of protecting the best phones on the market, and the i-Blades have already introduced smart case protection for Pixel 6.
As Pixel 6 will be huge when it comes out, don’t try anything to break it. Just make it safer and enjoy one of the best phones in the world.
© 2024 i-BLADES.
