Although Apple has recently been criticized by Italian organizations claiming that Apple's allegations are "misleading" regarding the iPhone's water resistance, new tests have emerged that show that Apple may have underestimated the devices' water resistance, especially in the iPhone 12. And some specialists conducted water immersion tests on the iPhone 12 to verify the Italian allegations, knew the way the tests were conducted and what their results were reached.
Starting with the iPhone 8, Apple gave all its devices an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, which technically means that it provides complete protection against dust and small particles entering the iPhone, with the ability to withstand immersion in water for 30 minutes or more at a depth of three feet at least.
Technically, too, the IP67 rating that the iPhone 7 carries, comes with the same standards of immersion in water at a depth of three feet for a period of 30 minutes, however, the IP68 rating allows that amount to be exceeded by many times.
In iPhone 12 models, Apple said that it can withstand submerging in water for half an hour and at a depth of 20 feet (6 meters), which is a remarkable increase over the iPhone 11, which can withstand immersion at a depth of 5 feet for the same period of time.
However, tests conducted on the iPhone 11 last year showed that it already exceeded that rating after it fell 39 feet in the cold and salty Monterey Bay in California for about 30 minutes, and what is more, the iPhone 11 fell to someone. In Lake Disney Park, it was taken out after two months in perfect condition.
A deep dive for iPhone 12
This time, CNET conducted water submersion tests for the iPhone 12, and it conducted water submersion tests on the iPhone 11 last year and for deeper distances compared to the iPhone 12 in partnership with Sofar Ocean Technologies and Mission Robotics.
The results of the tests were as follows:
The iPhone 11, which came with an IP68 rating and is estimated to have a distance of only 5 feet, can withstand nearly 40 feet of immersion in water in a cold bay of salt water, and it makes sense that the iPhone 12 would be able to do more than that.
To conduct the test, the team installed an iPhone 12 on a Mission Robotics submarine that can go 984 feet (300 meters) below the surface of the water. Its built-in camera provides remote feedback, along with details about depth and water temperature.
The first test involved simply checking Apple's IP68 rating for iPhone 12, diving to a depth of 19.6 feet and staying for 30 minutes. The water temperature in this case was 11 degrees Celsius.
It is not surprising that the iPhone 12 works well after it was removed from the water, this is the scale estimated for it by Apple, but a slight weakness in the sound of the speaker, and this is clear that it is due to the water, and thus will improve after it dries up. Then the team increased the risks and the load on the iPhone.
In a deeper distance
The iPhone was submerged at a depth of 65 feet, more than three times the official depth rating from Apple. The water at this depth was slightly colder, 10 ° C. They decided to increase the duration to an additional 10 minutes, bringing the total immersion time to 40 minutes.
The result was amazing, even after spending 40 minutes in 65 feet of cold water, the iPhone 12 continued to work as usual, with the sound quality of the headphones also slightly impaired.
After that, the iPhone 12 was turned off and dried for 72 hours, and then the team tested it again to see if any long-term damage had occurred, meaning defects could appear after drying, and this happens a lot, the components may rust and thus happen. Contacts between them, or they erode and separate from their tracks, and thus malfunctions begin to appear. This is what happened. After the iPhone dried up completely, water vapor and fog appeared on the front and back cameras.
Due to the drain on the battery, the team needed to recharge it, as they used a wired cable via the Lightning port, but when turned on, it seemed that the iPhone was stuck in the diagnostic screen, unable to bypass it even after performing a restore via the MacBook as it remained stuck in the diagnostic screen.
It is not clear why this particular error occurred, it could be water damage or a temperature shift from cold lake water to room temperature, or even a combination of both.
To be fair, this test was harsh, as the iPhone was submerged at a depth of more than three times the normal rating.
What does this mean
Tests seem to indicate that Apple's claims about water resistance are accurate, and that it is limited by limits not recommended, at least under ideal conditions.
It is important to remember that Apple's warranty does not cover water damage in any form, at any depth or for any duration. This is the essence of the $ 12 million fine that Italy recently imposed on Apple, given that the Italian Antitrust Regulatory Agency considers Apple's unwillingness to guarantee water evidence that its IP68 rating is not real. At the very least, Apple should inform users that the IP68 ratings depend only on ideal and well-studied laboratory conditions, which are very different from the normal conditions for dropping the phone in the water.
On the other hand, since it is impossible to prove how water damage occurred, Apple's official warranty policy stance is to assume that if water gets on the iPhone, it is misuse.
So the bottom line is that we do not recommend relying on the iPhone's water resistance except in the case of accidents, so here you are and your destiny.
If you are a fan of underwater photography, it is highly recommended to use a suitable waterproof case, even these are also not completely reliable, as happened with the LifeProof covers where water leaked inside. In conclusion, water is the archenemy of phones, so beware of it, especially salty ones.
Watch the test video
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