Is the iPhone 12 Pro Max Waterproof?
Released in 2020, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is waterproof. It was awarded an IP68 certification by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It can be submerged in up to six meters of water for half an hour, according to Apple.
How are IP Ratings Formed?
IP is the name of the standard that was drawn up by the IEC to determine how resistant an electric device is to fresh water and common raw materials, like dust and sand. The rating itself is made up of the letters IP, followed by two numbers.
The first digit after IP is the rating the IEC assigned a unit for its resistance to solids. In the case of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, it’s a six — which means no harmful dust or dirt crept into the device after being in direct contact with the matter for eight hours.
Solid Protection
- IP1X — Protection from contact with any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part.
- IP2X — Protection from fingers or similar objects.
- IP3X — Protection from tools, thick wires or similar objects.
- IP4X — Protection from most wires, screws or similar objects.
- IP5X — Partial protection from contact with harmful dust.
- IP6X — Protection from contact with harmful dust.
The second digit is indicative of the level of moisture protection a handset provides. The iPhone 12 Pro Max scored an eight, so it can be immersed in fresh water with a depth of more than a meter (up to 50 meters, according to Apple) for half an hour.
Moisture Protection
- IPX1 — Protection against vertically dripping water.
- IPX2 — Protection against vertically dripping water when device is tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees.
- IPX3 — Protection against direct sprays of water when device is tilted at an angle up to 60 degrees.
- IPX4 — Protection from sprays and splashing of water in all directions.
- IPX5 — Protection from low-pressure water projected from a nozzle with a 6.3mm diameter opening in any direction.
- IPX6 — Protection from water projected in powerful jets from a nozzle with a 12.5mm diameter opening in any direction.
- IPX7 — Protected from immersion in water with a depth of up to 1 meter (or 3.3 feet) for up to 30 mins.
- IPX8 — Protected from immersion in water with a depth of more than 1 meter (manufacturer must specify exact depth).
The rating the International Electrotechnical Commission assigns to a unit is strictly for fresh water, however; it doesn’t test, and therefore can’t guarantee, protection from submersion in other liquids — like beer, coffee and salt water.