Things You Didn't Know About IP Rating On Smartphones; Is OnePlus Nord Water Resistant?

One of the few requests that OnePlus received is finally fulfilled with the OnePlus 8 Pro with official IP68 water and dust resistance rating. It was earlier believed that a company has to pay a certain amount to get an IP certification and the latest video from MKBHD and OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei explains how it is actually done.

Carl Pei in a conversational video with the tech YouTuber MKBHD revealed that the OnePlus Nord does not come with any water-resistance standards. However, just like most of the OnePlus smartphones, the OnePlus Nord can survive if it falls in a pool or gets drenched accidentally.

The co-founder further clarifies that it doesn't cost much actually to water-proof a smartphone but it takes $15 per device to test those phones and the rubber gaskets used to seal the openings are very affordable. Unlike most of the hardware components, a phone with IP certification has to be tested individually and it is being achieved by spraying water at a high-speed from different directions to simulate real-life conditions.

To do this the company has to set up huge machinery and has to spend a lot on manpower. And all this will add up to the smartphone expenditure. This is not a one-time investment, as every device has to pass this test to get IP certification.

How Do They Judge The Condition Of An IP Rated Smartphone?

They use simple laws of physics to find out if the phone is water-tight or not. The dry weight of the smartphone will be recorded prior to blasting the smartphone with high-pressure water. Then, the weight is recorded for the second time. If there is an increase in weight, then it confirms that the water has entered into the smartphone.

This indicates that OnePlus might limit the IP rating to the top-of-the-line models even in the future to cut the cost of manufacturing. However, every OnePlus phone is likely to include water-tight design, giving peace of mind to the end-user.