IP Ratings

Mobile phone, television, camera, smartwatch or any other gadget which is providing protection against any type of solid or liquid is given a rating from manufacturer that up to what extent the device can be safe from solid or liquid particles. It is a standard and generally known as IP rating. IP stands for Ingress Protection. The number following the IP represents two different types of protection.

First number following the IP represents the extent of protection against solids. In smartphones, the solid protection is usually against dust particles as only they can penetrate in the internal body.

Example: IP65

Therefore 6 represents the level of protection from solids. Different numbers have different level of protection. Here is the list:

• 1: Protection against solid greater than 50 mm such as hand.
• 2: greater than 12.5 mm such as finger
• 3: greater than 2.5 mm such as screwdriver
• 4: greater than 1 mm such as wire
• 5: Dust protected. Some particles may enter but it does not affect functioning of device up to 8 hr.
• 6: Dust tight. No ingress of dust.

Coming to second number, this protects device from water or liquid. Here also the number represent different level of protection.

• 1: Protected against vertically falling drops of water. Limited ingress.
• 2: Protected against vertically falling drops with enclosures tilted up to 15 degree.
• 3: Protected against sprays of water up to 60 degree from vertical limited only up to 3 minutes.
• 4: Protected against water slashed from all directions.
• 5: Protected against jets of water.
• 6: Protected against water of powerful jets.
• 7: Protection against the immersion in water between 15 cm and 1 m for 30 minutes.
• 8: Protection against the immersion in water mostly 3 m for 30 minutes.

Some tips:

• Most of the premium smartphones have IP67 or IP68 protection.

• Smart watches or bands also offer IP rating. For example, Mi Band 3 has IP67 rating.

• When buying a mid-ranger smartphone, this rating can be ignored as most mid-ranger smartphones doesn’t have this rating as it requires separate licensing fee.

• When buying a premium smartphone, this rating can be differentiating factor between two smartphones.

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