Article updated 2023-02-24
A waterproof mobile phone. With it, you can can even take photos underwater, according to some specs. And, nothing will happen to the phone. At least that's what you could expect. After all, if you buy a pair of rugged rubber shoes, and it says they are water proof, you expect them to be 100% water resistant. Or, if you buy an umbrella, you expect to be able not to get your head wet when walking in the rain.
Well, it is not the same with phones...
... industry-leading IP68 & IP69K waterproof rating... A waterproof smartphone (...) submersible in 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes*..
...is splash, water, and dust resistant (...) with a rating of IP68 (...) (maximum depth of 1.5 meters up to 30 minutes).
A quick search of users comments reveals some complaints of consumers who claim to have bricked their phone with just a single, accidental submersion of their device in water and were unable to get them repaired or replaced under warranty.
Quoting certain famous doctor, "everybody lies". So maybe those users actually misused the device? Can one misuse a rugged mobile phone, without leaving a trace of wrong-doing? One can - in so many ways!
do not attempt to charge a wet device
I have seen this happen once or twice. A phone user washed their device in clean cold tap water, and then plugged it into a charger. So, the user is to blame, right?
Yes - they did not follow the user's manual. They should be aware that water + electricity is a bad connection.
At the same time, such warnings are usually in a very small print, so many users will not be aware of the vulnerability of their devices, until it is too late.
The least the manufacturer could do is put a waring in large, rather than in a small print.
I have been using Garmin watches for years - they frequently get wet, and they always get covered with sweat. And they have tiny batteries, so e.g. on long sports events, like ultra runs, they may require charging while one takes a short break. Take the watch off your wrist, remove excess moisture with (equally sweaty) t-shirt, and plug it for ten minutes in using portable power bank. Done. Without fuss and without damage.
So, why can't mobile phones be equally resistant to moisture damage, even while charging?
One of the reasons is the race for faster and faster charging. A smartwatch has a battery 20 - 40 times smaller than an average mobile phone. And yet the charge time is often similar for both. If phones had the luxury of being charged 10 - 12 hours from empty to full battery, they may had been built to support charging even when wet. The modern charging systems delivering 30W, 60W or even more, pose much bigger challenges.
So, if you want to avoid the risk of bricking your phone by charging a wet device, consider air drying it before charging, or using a wireless charger - if your phone supports it.
Is there any other "small print" that we should be aware of and take into account? Again, scouting manufactuers' websites, brings some interesting revelations in the T&Cs:
Splash, water and dust resistance are not permanent and might decrease as a result of normal wear.
In other words: when you buy a new waterproof rugged phone, you are more likely to actually have a waterproof device, than after several months of daily use.
That's great! It means that I can at least throw my brand new rugged phone into a glass of clean water, and it will prove to be waterproof... and if not? I guess I should be able to return it for a replacement or repair.... unless there is even more small print in the terms & conditions that I forgot to read until after I put my phone in a glass of water?
Liquid damage not covered under warranty.
The Warranty Does not Apply to the Following (...) Damage due to accident, misuse, abuse, alterations or vandalism, deliberately into the water
... and so on. As a user, you may not be able to prove that you dropped my phone accidentally rather than deliberately into water.
As a result, most - if not all - manufacturers will not cover damage by liquid in their standard warranty, even if the device specification says it is compliant with military standards MIL-STD-810G or MIL-STD-810H, and is liquid/dust resistant (IP68/IP69K).
February 2023 update from CAT
CAT has just released (non-thermal cam, sadly) S75, which is, according to the website, safely submersible up to 5 meters. And CAT clearly says on the website, that submersed phones are still under waranty:
Shoot under the sea or in the pool with our genuinely waterproof underwater camera. In fact, we’re so confident that your Cat S75 is still under warranty if you’ve been five-metres deep. How many phone manufacturers can say that? We’ll wait.
What are your experiences? We would love to hear both the users and from the manufacturers - respond via Twitter here: https://twitter.com/tinvinfo/status/1615305209512697856