What are IP ratings on your smartphone? Everything you need to know

Most portable electronics you see in the market these days will come with an IP rating. This includes small accessories like TWS earbuds as well as larger standalone gadgets like smartphones and tablets. However, there are multiple IP ratings, and decoding what each one means can get confusing for many. If that sounds like you, here’s a quick guide to understanding IP ratings and decoding them.

What are IP ratings?

Ingress Protection ratings or simply IP ratings are assurances that your gadget can handle dust and liquid exposure up to certain specified levels before taking damage. If a gadget possesses an IP rating, users can know not just that it is protected against water and dust, but also to what degree.

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While there are many devices out there that feature water and dust resistance without an IP rating, it is hard to decipher how much protection is available, and what the boundaries of the device are.

How to decode an IP rating

IP ratings are usually denoted in the form of “IPXY” where the IP stands for Ingress Protection, and the X and Y numbers denote the degree of protection against dust and water respectively. The value of X for dust protection can range from 0 (no protection) to 6 (max protection), while the value of Y for water resistance can similarly range 0 to 9.

Some devices may also have either the liquid number or the dust number as “X”, where the X simply means that a particular category is not applicable. For instance, devices rated IPX7, are rated 7 for liquid protection, but are not rated for dust protection.

If a device like the OnePlus 11R has an IP Rating of IP54, this means it is rated 5/6 for protection against dust and 4/9 for protection against water. Here’s what each number on the scale means for your smartphone, headphones or other gadget.

IP ratings for dust

0 or X – No protection

1 – Protection against objects larger than 50mm, or simply bigger, unwanted solid particles

2 – Protection against objects larger than 12.5mm, like small pebbles

3 – Protection against objects larger than 2.5mm, like screwdrivers or similar tools

4 – Protection against objects larger than 1mm, like gravel or wires

5 – Protection against dust

6 – Complete protection against solid particles, even against airflow pressure, usually via a vacuum seal

IP ratings for liquids

0 or X – No protection

1 – Protection against falling drops, like rain

2 – Protection against falling drops, against a tilt of up to 15-degrees

3 – Protection against low-power liquid sprays, like sanitisers, aerosol sprays, etc

4 – Protection against splashing water, like sea waves or splashes near a pool

5 – Protection against low-power water jets, like a garden hose

6 – Protection against high-power water jets, like water-jets at a car wash

7 – Protection against complete immersion up to 100cm for up to 30 minutes

8 – Protection against complete immersion up to 300cm for up to 30 minutes

9 – Protection against high-pressure, high-temperature liquid jet sprays and steam cleaning

Things to keep mind

There are a few things you need to keep in mind about IP ratings. The first is the common misconception that IP rating numbers are inclusive of previous values. For instance, a product may have a liquid IP rating of 9, meaning it is safe from water jets, but that doesn’t mean the product will be safe against complete immersion (which a rating of 8 offers). This is why you may sometimes run into products with multiple ratings.

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Secondly, IP ratings numbers against dust and liquids only hold their value when the structural integrity of a product has not been compromised. If your smartphone, for instance, has cracks on its body or has undergone a screen-replacement from an unauthorised service centre, the IP rating of the device is likely to have been compromised. Products need to be repaired from authorised centres by trained professionals to keep any liquid or dust protection intact.

While having an IP rating on your gadgets is a necessity, it is also imperative that you prepare for worst-case scenarios like drops or impacts that leave cracks on the display, or in the body of a product. When buying your next gadget, consider getting an accidental damage protection plan like Croma’s ZipCare Protect Damage Advanced plans. Remember, these plans can be purchased only while purchasing your gadget though, as an add-on. They cannot be purchased seperately later. It is also a good idea to protect your devices with protective cases if applicable to prevent damage ahead of time.