Do not handle with care these smartphones

Smartphones are no less than personal computers and can handle any task you throw on them without working up a sweat. That’s why 75% of our time is consumed by these; irrespective of what we are doing that includes walking, driving, jogging or even while taking a shower when we like to hear our favorite tracks.

They experience drops, splashes of water, scratches and we spend a lot on all sorts of protective cases, screen guards and what not to protect them.

Keeping all these things in mind, some manufacturers are producing smartphones that can be easily taken in showers for music playback, take accidental drops and can be used in a dusty environment. These smartphones are vigorously tested in various conditions to get the ranks of certifications such as IP67, 68, etc. that defines their strength to handle such circumstances.

Let’s check out what these certifications mean and how phones

are certified.

What is IP (58, 67, and 68) certification?

The classification system (according to International Electrotechnical Commission standard document) to measure the sealing effectiveness of enclosures of electrical devices is called IP certification.

This utilises the letters IP that stands for ‘Ingress Protection’ followed by two numerical numbers (such as 58,67 or 68) wherein first defines the capacity to withstand the protection against solid objects (e.g. dust) and second measures the degree to hold the device against the effect of moisture. The dust rating level goes from 0 to 6 and moisture level go up to 9.

The higher the number, the greater will be the strength of the device against these environmental factors. For instance a device with IP68 rating is fully protected against dust and can withstand a water submergence of up to 1.5 meter fo 30 minutes.

What makes them water and dust resistant?

The smartphones with IP certification feature internally insulated ports and rubberised lids that protect all the electrical ports such as USB charging slot, headphones jack, microSD and Sim card slots.

These lids should be carefully closed before you use them in rainy weather or for underwater photography, otherwise you will be in trouble. The speaker grills on these smartphones are also insulated with a layer of water repellent.

Some options available in market

At present, Sony and Samsung are offering smartphones that can be used in these conditions and are a perfect buy if you need a device that does not need extra pampering. (Motorola Defy was the first water resistant device).

Some devices tested and approved by us are:

Sony Xperia range

Sony entered this market with its Xperia range of smartphones and the flagship Xperia Z Ultra was the first device with the IP58 rating. The latest flagship models-Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact, M2 Aqua and Z3 Tablet come with the highest water and dust resistivity rating of IP68.

We tested Z3 with underwater photography, washed it under the tap numerous times and were fully satisfied with the results. All flaps should be closed before using the device under dust and water conditions.

Samsung Galaxy range

Samsung Galaxy range includes water and dust proof flagships such as Galaxy S5, S5 Mini, S5 Active and last year’s S4 Active. These smartphones have a rating of IP67 that makes them 100 percent dust proof and offers the ability to withstand submergence under water of 1 meter depth for 30 minutes.

However the first water resistant phone by Samsung was a feature phone- Marine B2100 that was introduced in 2009.

Some other less known durable smartphones

1)   Getnord Thor: As the name suggests, this phone is built like a tank and offers the highest rating-IP68 against water and dust. The phone can also give a tough competition to any flagship with its configuration as it packs a 5 inch HD display, 1.3 GHz quad-core MTK6582 Cortex-A7processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage and 8MP rear camera.

2)   Caterpillar CAT S50:  CAT S50 comes with a decent configuration and a rating of IP67 which makes it dust and waterproof. It is also operable in temperatures between -25°C and +55°C.

3)   Ruggear RG700: Compliant to the US Military Standard 810G (MIL-STD-810G), RG700 can withstand a fall of 2 meters onto concrete and will work fine between a temperature range of -20°C and +60°C. It is also certified to IP68.

Why your iPhone is not yet dust and water resistant?

Apple has still not stepped into the market of dust and water resistant devices albeit their price point costs a fortune. Maybe their profit margins restrict them from doing so as the longer the devices last, the less frequently consumers are going to replace them.

But sooner or later this is going to happen as the latest iPhone 6 and 6 plus are the proof that you just cannot ignore the interest of consumers on large screen devices. We can only expect the next iPhone to be able to capture pictures under water just like Xperia and Galaxy smartphones.