Is the Galaxy S23 Series Waterproof?

If not an IP rating, many modern smartphones have rubber seals to prevent water from entering the open sections, like the charging port, speakers, microphone, headphone jack, etc.

If water gets into your device, it damages components like the logic board or motherboard. Most devices have water damage indicators built into internal parts. Companies typically put in an IP Water Resistance rating to prevent your phone from water damage.

IP53, IP54, IP67 & IP68: What’s the Difference?

IP53	Protected from limited dust ingress and water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP54	Protected from limited dust ingress and water spray from any direction.
IP67	Protected from complete dust ingress and immersion between 15cm and 1m depth.
IP68	Protected from complete dust ingress and long-term immersion up to a certain pressure

On smartphones, we commonly see IP53 or IP54 in the midrange segment. For flagships, it’s either IP67 or IP68. The six corresponds to complete dust protection.

If this number is a five instead, it signifies enough protection from dust that it does not damage internal components, but it’s not the same as total dust protection.

IP67 refers to submersion in water under controlled pressure for a particular amount of time. It’s usually 30 minutes.

IP68 takes this a step further and tests continuous submersion underwater with a lot of pressure for a long time. Just saying IP68 might be a little misleading. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has an IP68 water resistance rating for 30 minutes at 1.5 meters.

The iPhone 14 Pro is rated for 6 meters and 30 minutes and has the same IP68 rating. Even the 2019 iPhone 11 is certified for 2 meters and 30 minutes.

Motorola made the first smartphone with decent water resistance, but Apple made it mainstream in 2017 with the iPhone 7 models. Samsung is yet to catch up in this regard.

The entire S22 lineup is certified with IP68 for 30 minutes (1.5m). This signifies they’ll easily resist accidental splashes or slight trips in the rain, but it’s not recommended you go swimming with these, use them in the shower, or pour water and submerge them on purpose.

Since the IP rating only applies to regular water, you shouldn’t test this at sea or dip your phone in coffee.

Galaxy S23 Series supports IP68 water and dust resistance

Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra are rated as IP68. It means the S23 lineup will offer submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Thirty minutes of submersion at 1.5 meters is good enough for most average consumers.

Waterproof and water resistance are two related but different things. If a company says a product is waterproof, it’s utterly invulnerable to the effects of water. Waterproof refers to a higher standard of protection from water.

Water resistance means the product stays protected from accidental splashes or trips with water. An IP rating gives buyers peace of mind that trusted companies officially test their products.

Instead of paying for an IP rating, many companies like iQOO, Xiaomi, and OnePlus, on some of their products, add in rubber seals and do the testing independently. These phones are still somewhat resistant to accidental splashes.

An increasingly vocal community of people believes IP ratings are unnecessary. Companies have to pay extra money for it, increasing the phone’s price since consumers pay that additional cost.

Since adding standard rubber seals and sealing up components prone to water damage will still do the job, paying extra for an IP rating might be useless. However, many people trust IP ratings, and they’re an increasingly sought-after feature in the flagship segment.

Unfortunately, no companies give warranty coverage for water damage. Despite heavy marketing focused on water resistance, Samsung and Apple do not repair water-damaged phones for free, regardless of the rating.

Most companies from China omit the IP rating because they don’t sell globally. It won’t make sense for Samsung to do that because their audience is global, primarily the USA and UK for flagships.

People who buy their flagship phones globally will look for an IP rating for peace of mind. So, the Galaxy S23 lineup will feature water resistance but do not confuse this for the phone being waterproof.

Waterproof refers to the phone being sealed with expensive components and tested under highly rigorous standards.

This is not useful for the average consumer since it adds extreme bulk and heft to the phone, making your device look like a thick brick and ruining ergonomics.

You can watch the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Water Test video on Ramesh Bakotra’s YouTube channel.

The entire lineup features the latest 8 Gen 2 SOC, new camera hardware, and more. The Ultra moves to a new 1/1.3″ 200MP primary sensor.