The iPhone XS And XS Max Are Highly Water Resistant But Not Waterproof

iPhone XS iP68 water and dust resistant

iPhone XS iP68 water and dust resistant.

The 2018 iPhone flagships are the first ever Apple smartphones to receive a water resistance rating of IP68. This is the maxim rating when it comes to water and dust protection. However, this doesn’t mean that they are waterproof. Past models like the iPhone X, 8 and older have only managed to score a rating of IP67. Apple advertises the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max as being able to withstand a submersion of up to 2 meters underwater for as long as 30 minutes.

This makes them temporarily waterpoof. However, we don’t advise you to hold them in your swimsuit while visiting the pool or the sea, without using a waterproofing case. Be aware that standard AppleCare warranty doesn’t cover water damage, because initial water resistance can be seriously affected by shocks, drops and other wear and tear. Even if you purchased AppleCare+ you still have to pay $99 plus taxes to have a potential water damage incident fixed.

It’s also true that Apple has confirmed that it has tested the iPhone XS and XS Max not only against water, but also against orange juice and beer, which are more corrosive liquids when compared to water. Although this is an important and much needed step forward, considering that the Samsung flagships have been already rated IP68 since a while back, it doesn’t provide any guarantee that you freely submerge your new iOS device in various liquids.

Future Waterproof iPhone Without Any Ports
The iPhone XS still comes with some visible weak points, like the lightning port, the speaker grill and even the SIM tray. Until Apple finds a solution, we will have to wait for a real waterproof iPhone. In the near future we can expect the SIM tray to disappear. Apple has introduced the eSIM feature in 2018, allowing the iPhone XS and XS Max to become the first Dual SIM iPhones ever. One can imagine that this is a big step forward for eliminating the physical nano-SIM card, thus sealing one more crack of the iPhone’s casing. The Lightning port could also become a thing of the past. Wireless charging, AirPods and a better wireless connectivity will render it useless in the near future. I also can imagine Apple figuring something out to make the speaker even more water tight so that we can finally talk about a truly waterproof iPhone! Until then we have to be thankful with the iPhone XS which is highly water resistant but not waterproof!

Fact: The iPhone XR remains at the IP67 on the water and dust resistance scale as the iPhone X and the rest of its predecessors!