IP67 vs IP68: What’s the difference?

Basic water and dust resistance has become a standard feature of smartphones, even among mid-range and budget models. It makes sense — no one’s going to put up with a phone that breaks in a rainstorm anymore, not when it costs upwards of several hundred dollars. For flagship models topping $1,000, you should rightfully expect the best protection available.

Sometimes, though, you’ll see protection alternate between IP67 and IP68. What does an IP rating signify? And what’s the gap between 67 and 68? It’s not much on paper, but it can have serious repercussions for your phone, as well as any other gadgets with IP ratings.

What is an IP rating? Plus, how to read them

Always check specs when you’re shopping

IP is short for “ingress protection,” and refers to a standard set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Think of it as a way of quantifying a device’s water and dust resistance rather than relying on ambiguous marketing claims. To get an IP rating, a device has to win certification through an IEC-approved testing firm. Just about any piece of electronics can qualify, ranging from phones and smartwatches through to electric unicycles.

The numbers at the end of an IP rating are actually two separate figures. The first refers to dust resistance, while the second is for water. If you see an “X” in place of a number — e.g. IPX4 — that means a particular category wasn’t tested. That may or may not matter, depending on the device’s use case — it’s usually irrelevant how dust-resistant your earbuds are.

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What’s the difference between IP67 and IP68?

Peace of mind, for the most part

All IP67 electronics are fully dustproof — nothing solid can get in or out when protection seals are intact. As for water, the rating means that a device can be submerged to a depth of 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) for 30 minutes. An example of an IP67 phone is Google’s Pixel 8a.

IP68 is preferable, since it means water resistance exceeds that 1 meter/30-minute standard. The exact amount will vary from product to product. The iPhone 16 Pro, for instance, can survive 6 meters (about 19.7 feet) of water for 30 minutes, but other devices may slot above or below that threshold. It’s up to a manufacturer to decide what they’re shooting for.

In most circumstances, IP67 is more than good enough — a phone dropped in a toilet or bathtub should be just fine as long as you fish it out quickly. IP68 could save your hide, however, if you accidentally drop your phone into a lake, or if you can’t rescue it immediately. An IP68 device may also retain longer resistance — water protection seals inevitably degrade over time, so the stronger they are from the outset, the better.

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The toughest possible IP rating for consumer electronics is actually IP69K. It’s extremely rare, a notable example being Nokia’s XR21 smartphone. That device is so tough that you can hose mud off it without batting an eye.

Can you take IP67 and IP68 devices swimming or in the shower?

Think twice before taking a gamble

While it’s possible for IP67 and IP68 products to survive a shower, it’s a bad idea to intentionally expose them unless a manufacturer says it’s safe. Even IP68 devices aren’t rated against high temperatures and pressures, so shower jets could potentially erode or break through resistance seals. Soap risks exacerbating the problem.

Swimming is possible with some IP68 devices, but you’ll want to double-check the manufacturer’s claims before diving in. If it’s safe, a manufacturer will usually say so explicitly, and resistance will probably extend beyond 30 minutes. There may also be further depth ratings, such as an ATM, EN13319, and/or ISO 22810 label. The Apple Watch Ultra 2, for example, has an ISO 22810:2010 resistance rating to 100 meters (328 feet), as well as an EN13319 scuba rating to 40 meters (131 feet). You can take it in the ocean without trouble.

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Adding to concerns are the effects of chlorine and saltwater. Those are corrosive, and while some products are designed to resist it, many aren’t.