We are talking about a key specification in any mobile: IP certification. We tell you what the different degrees are so you can better choose your next phone.
Surely you have heard IP certification. This is an important specification in mobile devices, as it determines how resistant they are to certain external elements. In particular, it is possible to know the degree Withstands dust and water exposure. It is clear that not all mobiles have the same level of resistance and as a result, their IP credentials are different.
In this article we offer you to review the main data regarding the degree of protection of mobile phones. Keep reading to discover everything about the popularly known IP certification.
What is Mobile IP Certification?
The IP certification It is a system that evaluates the protection that a device presents against the penetration of external agents. IP hides the expression behind the initials Access protection. In Spanish we would say something like this Access protectionExplicit reference to materials that may enter a device, such as water or dust
Knowing how your mobile is protected gives you peace of mind when using it, for example, in the rain or in very dusty areas.
Protection was created by this layer IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) o International Electrotechnical Commission. Although we usually know it as an IP certificate, it is officially Standard IEC 60529.
What are the different degrees of IP resistance?
IP certification has different degrees of resistance to determine the protection included in a device Against dust and water. The certification format is as follows IPXX (for example, IP68).
The first number refers to protection against the dust and goes from 1 to 6. For its part, the second number indicates waterproof and other liquids with a scale of 1 to 9.
Dust resistance has these levels:
| Protection level | Particle size that inhibits | observation |
| X | – | X means no data are available to assign a degree of protection with this criterion |
| 0 | – | No protection against contact and penetration of objects |
| 1 | > 50 mm | Any large surface of the body, such as the back of the hand, but without protection against intentional contact with any part of the body. |
| 2 | > 12,5 mm | fingers or similar objects |
| 3 | > 2,5 mm | Tools, thick wire, etc |
| 4 | > 1 mm | Mostly wire, thin screws, large ant etc. |
| 5 | Dust protected | The ingress of dust cannot be completely prevented, but it should not be sufficient to interfere with the safe operation of the equipment. |
| 6 | The dust is tight | No dust enters; Full protection against contact (dust tight). A vacuum must be applied. Test duration up to 8 hours depending on airflow. |
Regarding fluid resistance, these are:
| Protection level | Type of water exposure | observation |
| X | – | X means that no data are available to assign a protection classification. |
| 0 | None of them | No protection against water ingress |
| 1 | Drop by drop of water | Droplets of water (drops falling vertically) will have no unsafe effect on the sample when it is mounted upright on a turntable and rotated at 1 RPM. This is equivalent to 1mm of rainfall per minute. |
| 2 | Water drops when tilted at 15° | Vertically dripping water should have no harmful effect when the device is tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal position. A total of four positions are tested between the two axes. This is equivalent to a rainfall of 3 mm per minute. |
| 3 | Water spray | Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from vertical should not have harmful effects. An oscillating attachment or spray tip with an offset shield is used. The test lasts between 1 and 10 minutes depending on the type of spray. |
| 4 | splash of water | Splashing water against the device from any direction will definitely have no harmful effect. The test takes about 10 minutes with different spray accessories. |
| 5 | water jet | Water projected from a 1/4″ nozzle on the device from any direction should not have any harmful effect. 12.5 liters per minute is used with a pressure of 30 kPa over a distance of 3 meters. The test lasts 1 minute per meter.2. |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | The water projected in the powerful 12.5 mm jet will have no harmful effect against the casing from any direction. The volume of water at a distance of 3 m is 100 liters per minute with a pressure of 100 kPa. The test lasts 1 minute per meter2. |
| 7 | Immersion, up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes. | Ingress of harmful amounts of water will not be possible when the cabinet is submerged in water under the specified conditions of pressure and time. |
| 8 | Immersion, 1 meter or more deep | The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions specified by the manufacturer. However, with certain types of equipment, this may mean that water can get in, but only in such a way that it does not have a harmful effect. The depth and duration of the test is expected to exceed the requirements of IPx7, and other environmental effects such as temperature cycling prior to immersion may be added. The test duration depends on the manufacturer. |
| 9k | Powerful high temperature water jets | Protected against short-range, high-pressure and high-temperature jets. The test is done by projecting about 14 or 16 liters per minute. |
Which IP resistance to choose for your mobile
Some mobiles take a little more protection, even adding systems to absorb strong impacts
The most optimal resistance in each case will depend fundamentally on the operations that will be conducted with the device. With the above information in hand, you now know it The highest general protection is IP68 (IP69K mobiles are hard to find).
We recommend you buy one IP68 device If you plan to go hiking, if you usually live near water or, simply, if you want to be calm in case of an accident.
The most resistant mobile on the market
There are some brands that launch very resistant phones, too Protection that goes beyond IP certification. These are some of the most resistant mobiles on the market:
- Ulefone Armor 9
- Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro
- Doogee S95 Pro
- Cat S62 Pro
- Blackview BV9900
You can find all the details of each model in our guide to the most resistant mobiles on the market.
It is important to clarify that most of these devices are intended for specific uses actually, Its specifications in areas like camera or processor They are usually below standard models. Why?
The main purpose of these highly resistant devices is to serve construction technicians, extreme discipline athletes and similar users. Brands that launch models for these sectors They mainly focus on the fact that the mobile can withstand strong impacts, in addition to providing dust and water resistance. This leaves them out of the running for hardware specifications.
If in your case you do not rely on additional protection against shocks, you will be more than enough with a mobile with a medium or high IP certification.
How to know the IP certification of a phone?
Typically, IP security prevents port security components from being necessary. Of course, some specialty manufacturers include these ingredients
Finally, we address a question relevant to many users. You are probably wondering How to know a phone’s certification in terms of resistance. There are several ways to know this information:
- Consult the device manual. Presumably, the brand’s manual should include this information.
- Check the manufacturer’s website. If you don’t have the manual, download it from the brand’s official website or check the specifications online.
- on special pages. There are dedicated pages that collect thousands of device specifications. They usually include a section dedicated to IP certification.
Additionally, if you are looking for a test of a particular device’s resistance to certain external elements such as water, drops or dust, take a look at YouTube. exist Special channel responsible for testing some devices Popular to see how resistant they are. We have left you an example just above this line.
